ValueMags is a marketing agency for magazine publishers based out of Chicago, Illinois. In recent years, there has been a lot of conflict and discussion about the North American Free Trade Agreement and how beneficial it actually is to the United States and Canada. Some argue it is the best agreement the countries have made and others argue it is the worst one.
When doing international business, there are some cultural differences that have to be considered:
Mexico and the United States work the same number of hours. Each country has a standard work week of forty hours per week. Unlike the United States, Mexico only has a minimum wage of about eight dollars per hour. The United States is over ten dollar per hour.
Additionally says ValueMags, there are many job opportunities in Mexico as there is in the United States but the availabilities are in completely different domains and sectors. While the United States has jobs available in administration and corporations, Mexico has a lot of jobs available in manufacturing plants and production lines. Unfortunately, Mexico has not moved out of that although NAFTA is helping them create jobs in more commercial and professional industries. The biggest sector in Mexico is tourism though. With their incredible beaches, Mexico ha some of the nicest sights and scenes for tourists including their constant beautiful weather and hot temperatures.
In terms of what individuals may eat when they are in Mexico can include a variety of things. In a resort, tourists can eat from all corners of the world but locals encourage tourists to try authentic Mexican dishes that a made during festivities and traditions. Some of the most popular platers include tacos and tamales. At Christmas, Mexicans tend to make a dish that contains fish, plants, and a child. On one of their most practiced holidays, the Day of the Dead, Mexico makes two types of bread: “Dead Bread” which is made with lots of sugar and a variation of banana bread. Other holidays Mexicans practice include “Holy Week” and the “Jesus Parade” which is a reenactment of Jesus’ death. Similarly, the United States will have Turkey on Christmas an Thanks Giving and chocolate on Easter. ValueMags says that although each country has different dishes, each country has specific dishes for their traditions.
Lastly, when doing business with Mexicans, it is essential to understand how they operate and what their values are. Some values that are very important to Mexicans (non-working or professional) are trust, social skills and ability, and connections. Unlike most Americans in a business setting, it is important for Mexicans to build a relationship with who they are dealing with before they do business with them. They are individuals who are interested in long-term relationships and insist on having partnerships.
Thus and again, it is important to understand the various cultures of business partners when moving forward into international business negotiations with them.
