Doing Business Across Cultures

Cross cultural skills and competence are increasingly viewed as indispensable by multinational companies, governments, charities and any organisation operating in today’s global marketplace. As multinational companies grow increasingly large and complex, the ethical dilemmas which arise from conducting business across a diverse range of cultures can create a minefield of challenges for the international business manager.

Avoiding cultural mistakes whilst demonstrating respect and understanding for another culture can pay dividends to those who manage the balancing act and will pave the way to successful interpersonal relationships. With the introduction of new bribery and corruption laws in the past two years which vary among countries, it can be a daunting task for managers to respect a country’s ethical code whilst remaining true to their own. This conference will help companies to develop a culturally sensitive and legally robust approach to doing business overseas whilst providing the opportunity to discuss the many common misconceptions and pitfalls which have been thrown up since The UK Bribery Act came into effect in 2011.

By attending this conference, delegates will gain a fuller understanding of how to identify & resolve cross-cultural differences which may impact their work or business dealings. Delegates will be able to assess whether their own internal anti-bribery and corruption policies are sufficiently robust to stand up against the law and where the ethical conflicts within their own organisations exist.

Click read more for details on agenda and who should attend

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The conference will provide an excellent opportunity to network with peers, swap ideas and best practice and meet face to face the thought leaders who are providing best practice and guidance in these areas.

Who should attend?
Anyone who regularly travels abroad for business or interacts with an international client base employees involved in global projects on short or long term assignments, International business and sales managers responsible for developing relationships with overseas clients, government agencies and members of the diplomatic services, ethics and compliance officers security professionals, charities & NGOs who regularly communicate with or work alongside other cultures, anyone managing overseas offices, partnerships of suppliers.

AGENDA
08.15	Refreshments, registration and exhibition
09.05	Conference organizer`s opening remarks
09.10	Welcome from the Chair Andrew Kain, Founding Chairman, AKE Ltd.
Session One: Understanding differences and invisible trade barriers
09.15	Identifying & resolving cross-cultural differences which may impact your business dealing. How does a culture differ from your own? Do you fully understand the values, relationships and authority figures which are revered by the other culture? How direct is this culture in their communication and how do they make decisions? Richard Lewis, Chairman, Richard Lewis Communications Ltd
10.00	Deal focussed versus relationship focussed cultures – how can we bridge the gap? Many business deals or joint ventures collapse during the early stages due to an unintentional breach of multicultural business etiquette. Learning to identify and resolve cross-cultural differences which may impact your business dealing can mean the difference between a successful deal and a public relations disaster. As relationship-focused cultures from the Middle East, Asia, Africa and Latin America become increasingly important in global trade, avoiding cultural mishaps becomes of paramount importance. Pari Namazie, PhD, Managing Partner, Atieh International GmbH
10.30	CASE STUDY – Understanding how culture impacts buying habits Nick Hurst, Founding Director, Burts Potato Chips Limited
10.55	Questions
11.10	Refreshment Break
Session Two: Building a relationship
11.35	Networking and entertaining – how do you avoid common faux pas when the rules for networking vary so widely across cultures? How do you network with cultures who do not wish to be ‘networked’ or where self promotion is seen to be crude? What is acceptable in cultures where people are indirect or where issues of gender add further complexities to a networking gesture? Peter Pang, US China Counsel, Dickinson Wright
12.00	Body language and gestures – avoiding blunders in meeting and video conferencing. Simple gestures and stances can mean wildly different things in different cultures. Are you confident that your body language and mannerisms will not cause offence? John Waterman, Head of Training and Andrew Weale, Senior Consultant, Avocets Consulting
12.25	Building a relationship remotely – what cultural etiquette should you employ when using email, LinkedIn and other social networks to build overseas relationships? Email and social media have expanded the ways in which we can communicate in a business environment. But where we might once have taken cues from body language, facial expression or tone of voice, should we now be more cross culturally savvy when using social networking sites? How do cultures differ in the way they use such tools? Jenny Ebermann, Freelance Consultant and Pari Namazie, PhD, Managing Partner, Atieh International GmbH
12.50	Questions
13.00	Lunch
Session Three: Getting to grips with your bribery & corruption risks
14.00	Getting to grips with your bribery and corruption risks – have you been lulled into a false sense of security? Many companies are still unsure as to what consitutes an effective anti-bribery & corruption policy. Do you understand the specific risks posed to your company? What about the rogue employee and commercial bribery – do you have policies in place which will flag up questionable business conduct? Bobby D Butler Jr, Senior Vice President Global Partnership Management, Universal Weather & Aviation, Inc
14.25	Supplier due diligence – what does good look like when vetting suppliers? Recent surveys suggest that many companies are demonstrating complacency when it comes to vetting third party suppliers for compliance with bribery and corruption laws. How watertight are your third party compliance procedures? John Smart, Partner, Head of Fraud Investigation & Dispute Services, Ernst & Young LLP
14.50	When is a gift too generous and hospitality too lavish? A lack of intercultural awareness on gift giving can have serious ramifications on a business relationship in certain cultures or else can break an organisation’s own anti-bribery and corruption policy. Learning a culturally sensitive approach to gifts can avoid causing offense and strengthen cross cultural business relationships. This session will explore:• Can we distinguish between gifts and entertainment?• When is one person’s gift another person’s bribe?• How to put in place consistent procedures and policies Nigel Brahams, Head of Legal, EMEA, GFI Group
15.15	Questions
15.25	Refreshments
15.50	PANEL SESSION: Anti corruption and bribery laws – what are the unintended consequences? To what extent if any are anti-bribery and corruption laws impacting the hiring of US and UK workers?
16.20	Chair’s closing remarks
16.30	End of conference