Fresh and affordable foods abound in markets throughout Mexico. © Alvin Starkman, 2008

Frosty mornings in the sierras: healthy lifestyles in a small Mexican town

Many of these small mountain towns have their own web page now. Some of these pages will have a button called Virtual that will take you on a stroll through the streets, plazas and churches. You’ll see lakes, mountains, rivers and blue skies. You’ll see exactly what the tourist department of the villages want you to see, […]

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Talpa de Allende

Our Lady of the Rosary, beloved patroness of Talpa de Allende

October 7 is considered the birthday of Nuestra Señora del Rosario (the Virgin of Talpa). We don’t ask who chose that date, but it’s time for celebrating in Talpa, as is almost any day. I’ll bet half the people in this town are named Rosario, especially if they were born anytime near the Virgin’s natal […]

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Stuck in the middle: Cultural differences in Mexico’s business world

Doing Business in Mexico I’ve discussed cultural differences and clarity in Mexico’s business world. But dealing with Mexican realities is not the only challenge faced by U.S. executives on Mexican assignments. Inevitably, as reported by many corporate leaders I’ve interviewed, U.S. executives in Mexico must also cope with the headquarters challenge. Perhaps the two most repeated […]

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New and unimproved: A resistance to change in Mexican business

Doing Business in Mexico “The problem in Mexico is that workers, and generally speaking all people, resist change.” This was the opinion expressed to me recently by a successful (at least, rich) entrepreneur in Mexico City. Because of this resistance, he says, “Mexico will continue to be behind the developed economies.” In his own experience, […]

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Eye of the beholder: Perceptions of Mexican job performance

Doing Business in Mexico More often than not, when foreigners simply refuse to engage in the human aspects of the working world, they tend to see the more negative aspect of the Mexican experience. When I talk with non-Mexican businesspeople about their experience with Mexican organizations or Mexicans, I hear extremely contrasting views. One executive […]

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Double standard: What’s right for Mexico’s business world?

Doing Business in Mexico I received various emails on my recent column dealing with management standardization. Many people were concerned that my column suggested that standard procedures are not necessarily the best way to manage, and that if this is the case, wasn’t I suggesting discriminating double standards? I think those concerns are valid. Historically, […]

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