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Making changes to an organization is messy and very complicated. This is more true when an organization has become well established and successful, and then undergoes some type of cultural change. It has been observed over time through trial and error that it is very difficult to know what to expect out of culture. If culture is everywhere in the world and exists in our everyday life, then how can one successfully analyze culture. Analyzers can only dictate what may be expected out of a different culture; however, what actually results from this culture could be very different. In this paper, there will be an effort to try to explain how culture will impact a business moving to another country. First of all a basic definition of culture will be given to get a basic understanding of what is culture. Then identification of the main elements of culture, which are language, religion, customs, and education, will be given with the knowledge required to successfully understand the different culture. Finally, the analyzing and implementation of training to management will be required in order for the organization to be successful in the international market.

Around the world, there are many definitions on culture. Each country gives its own version, and sometimes it contradicts others, making it very difficult to understand what is culture. The basic definition given by most textbooks in the United States is the following:
"Culture is learned, shared, compelling, interrelated set of symbols whose meaning provide a set of orientation for members of a society." (University of Cincinnati) What this definition means is that each culture has their own ways of doing things, and their own beliefs. What here is the U.S. is believed to be wrong, in other countries it is probably believed to be right. There are some countries whose beliefs are that a cow is a sacred animal, and must be protected from any harm. However, in the U.S. a cow is slaughtered and used to feed Americans, because beef is very popular in the U.S. Other meanings for culture is that where here in the U.S. shaking hands is usually the way of closing a deal, in other countries men kissing is the way used to close a deal. Moreover, if an organization enters a country not knowing its culture, it could be facing some serious problems. A manager might mistakenly offend a high political figure of that country, endangering the life span of the organization in that nation. So please try to get at least a basic understanding of the country's culture before completely establishing the new organization in that nation.

Culture has several main elements. These main elements are language, religion, customs, and education. Understanding each one of these elements is very crucial to be able to implement company's policies according to the culture. If this process is not followed, the organization may be liable for lawsuits and termination of operation in that nation. That is why companies must look into each one of these elements and then make strategic plans and company policies, as proper discipline of employees, in order to avoid any headaches from the country's political parties and citizens.

One common barrier international business experience is the language barrier. When one organization leaves its home country and establishes itself on a foreign country, trying to understand the language of the foreign country can be a great task if not prepared with anticipation. If communication problems exist, employees will stop caring about their work. Motivation and commitment will disappear, and quality and quantity of work will suffer. Management must be able to understand the foreign language before establishing the organization for operation, since it is the organization's language that is foreign and not the common language of the foreign country. This is very vital to any type of organization going into the international business level, since it is very important to have a two-way communication system established within the organization. This type of communication will give management constant feedback from its employees. This is even more important for an organization that is decentralized, since power is given to the employees to assist management in not only keeping top quality on products, but also creating innovative ideas to assist the organization in being very successful.

Religion is very important all over the world since it is the base for all the people's belief. One might be insulting a group of employees by forcing them to work under a certain observed holy day, and might cause chaos within the organization. This is why international organizations must be aware and educated of the different types of religion that are practiced within the foreign country. This knowledge on religion will assist management in properly scheduling all of the employees to avoid any problems in the future, for these types of problems are what management fear since it causes both production and moral to plunge.

Customs play an important role in the way you conduct business. The culture is so important that you need to be updated of what the customs are in relation to the country you will need to deal with. Even if you do know it, before making any kind of transaction, you must be aware of the importance on how you should deal with them. In France, the longstanding business relationship between France and United States is a genuine interest in the other's traditional culture. An American must be aware of the important tradition plays in French Society, including commercial dealing. For example, in France most of the business persons are addressed by their first name, speak in at a lower tone of voice than Americans do. Americans must be volume-conscious when interacting with the more discreet Europeans. French are used to more formality in their business attire than Americans are, who are used to be more casual. Finally, greetings with a simple handshake can serve as a channel for expressing moods, reinforcing authority relations, or simply showing respect to colleagues.

In the international marketplace, knowledge not only means power, it means survival. If you and your company are going to succeed internationally, you must know as much or more than your customers and your competitors. A single misstep may not only cost your company business, it can lead to stiff fines and even a ban on exporting. This is why management needs proper education to avoid any of these mishaps for the survival of the company in a foreign country. Furthermore, the importance in your knowledge on the foreign language is something that you cannot oversee. The proper education will assist management in developing a better relationship with the foreign party, and thus having a great relationship between the organization and the host country.

International business success requires cultural knowledge. Cultural knowledge is acquired through objective or factual information. Cultural knowledge is obtained from others through communication, research, and education. Experiential knowledge is acquired through involvement as opposed to information, which is obtained through communication, research, and education. Interpretative knowledge is acquired through the ability to understand and appreciate the nuances of foreign cultural traits and patterns.

Factors involved in acquiring international expertise include business travel, assignments overseas, reading television, training programs, and pre-career activities, graduate courses, non-business travel, and undergraduate courses. Even though travel is one of the factors that contribute to cultural knowledge, a one-time sightseeing trip to Paris does not significantly contribute to cultural knowledge. A trip to Paris that involves meetings with company personnel, intermediaries, facilitating agents, customers, and government officials does contribute. Managers have a variety of sources and methods to extend their knowledge of specific cultures. Most of these sources deal with factual information that provides a necessary basis for market studies. The U.S. government, private companies, and universities publish these studies. An international manager needs both factual and interpretive knowledge of culture to some extent, the factual knowledge can be learned; its interpretation comes only through experience…

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