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 […]
Continue ReadingDoing 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, […]
Continue ReadingDoing Business in Mexico Both friends and enemies of Nafta predicted the treaty would bring increased investment crossing national borders, and in the case of Mexico, a significant new presence of U.S and Canadian firms. This has been the case, and although it could slow down if global financial woes persist, the tendency in the […]
Continue ReadingDoing 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 […]
Continue ReadingDoing 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, […]
Continue ReadingDoing Business in Mexico Anyone who has ever worked in Mexico realizes that one of the biggest differences between doing business in this country and its two Nafta partners concerns information. Whereas in the U.S. and Canada information about most business issues is widely available, and often free, Mexican managers have to face the reality […]
Continue ReadingDoing Business in Mexico These days it seems every company is adopting a team approach to doing business. While the concept is relatively new in the Western world, it is an old practice in Japan. But team-building, which requires that individuals think of themselves primarily as members of a group, rather than as individuals, is […]
Continue ReadingDoing Business in Mexico Discrimination is an important moral concern for all of us. In the business world, the issue of discrimination goes beyond moral grounds. Although businesses’ main concern is profits, discrimination is also bad for business and the economy. U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said in a recent speech that discrimination is […]
Continue ReadingDoing Business in Mexico It is surprising how different norms on the proper greeting method in the business world affect people so strongly. This is especially true when we contrast U.S. and Mexican preferences. Some people will say “hi,” others will take a few seconds and exchange polite talk, such as, “How are you doing […]
Continue ReadingDoing Business in Mexico I have argued before that discrimination in the workplace is not only ethically wrong, but inefficient for the organization, since great candidates are often not considered for hiring. More specifically, companies lose out in the area of innovation when they do not have a diverse workforce. There is considerable evidence that […]
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