Cultural training

Should Your Business Expand Into India?

You may have read our recent post about India as a potential destination for businesses considering expanding overseas. If not, you can read it here.

And who should make front page news this week by setting up business in India? None other than global brand and the world's largest furniture retailer, IKEA.

The Hyderabad store is IKEA's first opening in India, followed by plans to open shops in all major cities over the coming years, with sites already purchased in Mumbai, Bangalore and New Delhi.

IKEA's global chief executive Jesper Brodin said, "The market of India for us is a dream."

Relocating to Britain? Cultural awareness and train travel

Relocating to Britain? Cultural awareness and train travel

Move quickly. Do not dawdle as though you have all the time in the world, even if you have got all the time in the world. You need to keep up with the pedestrian traffic, otherwise you will find people knocking into you or shouting at you to get a move on. Stuff needs to happen and the world needs to be saved and if I miss this train the next one could be a whole two minutes away. Don't be the obstruction to salvation.

Relocating to Britain? 5 more must knows

Relocating to Britain? 5 more must knows

Of course, you all know we are a ridiculously, almost eye-wateringly, polite nation of people. If ever there is an opportunity to say, "please", "thank you", or "sorry", then we are there - whether or not we've had an invitation. So it seems all the more discourteous when some people choose not to follow the "rules". Oh yes, the rules, unwritten as they may be, are as valid as the statutes which form our legal system.

Cultural differences in attitudes to time

Cultural differences in attitudes to time

Time is money. Or is it?

This is certainly a Western view about time and reflects the view of cultures where what happens in the present is seen to be of direct consequence to the future and, ultimately, personal or business success. In other cultures, different views of time exist and understanding this can help anyone undergoing employee relocation to overcome some of the communication challenges faced when doing business internationally.