The client
The client is a major Asian conglomerate with global operations spanning multiple countries and employing tens of thousands of people worldwide. The organization operates across diverse business sectors including manufacturing, infrastructure, technology, and commercial services.
The challenge
The client needed to improve cultural awareness and understanding between its South American and Japanese leaders. The company faced five key challenges:
1. Collaboration Between Regions
Differences in work styles and expectations between Brazil and Japan led to inefficiencies.
2. Cultural Awareness
Limited understanding of cultural norms created unintentional team friction.
3. Communication & Feedback Styles
Brazilian directness often clashed with Japan’s more indirect communication style.
4. Dynamic Learning Needs
Teams needed engaging, interactive training to explore cultural differences.
5. Scalability Across Regions
The program needed to serve as a model for future global rollout.
Why Global Business Culture?
- Deep expertise in Japanese and Brazilian business practices
- Proven history of high-impact training for global teams
- Real-world, scenario-based approach
- Interactive, peer-led learning methodology
What we did
We delivered a tailored cultural awareness program for 60 employees, forming four cross-national teams of Brazilian and Japanese colleagues.
The training opened with an overview of the influence of cultural assumptions. Participants presented five key aspects of their respective business cultures, followed by facilitated discussion and a summary of key contrasts and shared values.
Cultural barriers explored include:
- Using English as a shared language
- Non-verbal communication and body language
- Hierarchical expectations and norms
Phase 1: Cultural Foundations
- Introduction to cross-cultural dynamics.
- Presentations on business norms by Japanese and Brazilian teams.
- Facilitated summary of key cultural contrasts and shared values.
- Common challenges in language and communication.
This phase helped participants build awareness of their own assumptions and recognize how cultural behaviors shape team dynamics. The format encouraged self-reflection and peer learning, ensuring insights were grounded in lived experiences.
Phase 2: Operational Implementation
- Four key cultural disconnection points identified.
- Mixed teams created practical solutions for internal collaboration challenges.
- Presentation format expectations examined for internal and external settings.
- Strategies for delivering and receiving feedback across cultures.
Teams shared their proposed solutions in a final plenary session, where ideas were expanded through group discussion. The collaborative process encouraged ownership and empowered participants to create culturally aligned processes.
The results
- Improved mutual understanding of Japanese and Brazilian working styles.
- Clearer communication across language and cultural barriers.
- Collaborative development of internal process improvements.
- Practical feedback techniques that respected both cultures’ expectations.
- Actionable insights that could be scaled to other regions.
