Mark Mortimer

Global meetings rarely fail because of strategy alone. More often, they break down because of how disagreement is expressed, interpreted, or avoided. For many global organizations, meetings with Chinese stakeholders are a particular pressure point. What looks like silence, hesitation, or agreement in the room may later surface as resistance, delay, or rework. Leaders leave…

What is the Great Indian Brain Drain phenomenon? For global organizations, hiring international talent is no longer a competitive advantage. It is a business necessity. As companies expand into new markets and build distributed global teams, the ability to onboard international employees effectively has become a critical determinant of performance, engagement, and retention. Yet many…

In the increasingly interconnected world of global business, understanding the cultural nuances among teams from different regions has never been more critical. As organizations expand their operations across borders, they often encounter unique cross-cultural challenges that can hinder collaboration and productivity. The ability to navigate these differences effectively is essential for fostering global collaboration and…

Global Business Culture marks 30 years with a new brand & website—reimagining cross-cultural expertise for the future. Discover our enhanced services & case studies.

From ancient trade hub to modern protectionism, explore how India’s economic journey and a new UK deal are reshaping global commerce.

How do we, as multinational business professionals, define the working week? When we consider it in terms of the number of hours worked, we encounter significant variability, raising questions about what this means for productivity, GDP, and employee equity. Recent data (Annual Working Hours by Country: Fascinating Insights – Infographic Website) reveals unexpected trends in…

Brazil is one of the world’s great agricultural powers, ranked among the largest producers and exporters of essential products such as coffee, soybeans, beef, and sugar. Reasons for success Brazil has favorable climate conditions and abundant water resources with vast areas of arable land, which makes it ideal for the year-round cultivation of a range…

We have previously discussed the specific actions that Western executives can take to guarantee business success in China. But what informs these strategies? What is the philosophy behind them? Knowing the reasons why we suggest such tactics will give you a deeper understanding of the business landscape in China. For this reason, we have accumulated…

In October 2024, the Minister of Development and Industry of Brazil, Márcio Elias Rosa, met with Sophie Primas, the Minister Delegate for Foreign Trade and Immigration of France. While there, they discussed issues of interest between the two countries. And in the words of Mr. Elias Rosa, “Brazil and France have a historic partnership, a…

Many companies in China are either family-owned or government run and therefore tend to operate within a hierarchical structure. This hierarchical approach is then underpinned by the all-pervasive influence of thousands of years of Confucian philosophy and a strongly hierarchical, bureaucratic Communist Party structure. The combination of these elements means that hierarchy in Chinese business…