How does cultural differences affect the way a company, like BMW, operates in the US and Europe?
Answers: This is one of the areas I'm keenly interested in, and this answer could go on for days.
The marketing aspect was already mentioned, but there's so much more. Since you talk about operating, I'm going to assume that you mean more like the way to set up the company, how to treat employees, things like that, and not marketing (which could be another huge topic).
One of the main questions I'm interested in is whether Global Corporate culture is more powerful than Local culture, or the other way around. What I mean is look at global companies like IBM or Exxon. They have expectations on how employees should act. But can they expect employees in different cultures, who might have conflicting standards, to follow the corporate culture.
Some examples.
A company might have rules against hiring relatives into the same department. But to some cultures, you're expected to hire relatives because they're seen as more trustworthy -- like are they going to cheat a relative?
What's the basis of agreeements? Is it a written contract? It is in N. America and Europe where there are strong court systems and you can rely on them interpreting the contract as expected. But in many parts of the world, the court system is unreliable regarding contracts, and those companies will make and honor agreements with you if they respect/like you.
Some cultures are very comfortable with strict hierarchies and classes -- they expect it. And they expect managers to tell direct reports what to do. it goes against their culture to have the direct reports giving advice to the boss. I remember the story of Dutch doctors in the Philippines, and they'd tell the nurses what to do and ask if they understood. The nurses would all say "yes" but then not do it. It turned out that they really didn't understand what to do, but it would've been a severe insult to the doctor if they'd said that they didn't understand, implying that the doctor was competent enough to explain the directions to them. So the doctors learned to ask them "now, what are you going to do?"
So many examples and so many books. One I like for cross-culture communications is International Dimensions of Organizational Behavior by Nancy Adler. Also, if you're really interested in the organization topic, write to me, and I can forward a PDF report I have that analyzed 3 elevator companies that had offices in several countries and how national culture and institutions played a role in their R&D, manufacturing, and management systems.
you would have to ensure your marketing department focuses on product development/sales that are consistent with the culture/beliefs of that market you want to sell your product in----what would work in Germany would not necessarily work in the United States.
as a side note, many companies have made the unfortunate and costly mistake of launching products in a foreign market only to find out their advertising scheme---or the product in general---was firmly rejected because of some belief/value/cultural perspective
Critical Thinkers?
How is it that two critical thinkers can argue converse sides of a question? (Think more or less the debate about 6 years ago over whether Hewlett-Packard should acquire Compaq.) Do question have a right answer?Carly Fiorina the CEO of HP looked-for to buy Compaq because Compaq was established within a market niche that HP needed. Walter Hewlett, board contestant, large shareholder, and son of the founder, opposed the getting hold of as it would destroy the corporate culture that his house had nurtured. Fiorina won, Hewlett resigned his board form in protest, the purchase did not perform resourcefully, and a couple of years later, the HP board fired Fiorina.
Answers: That could be considered bias due to the reality that Hewlett had "family's name" involved. They hold been competitors for low completion computers for 6 years. If they were to buy respectively other out, that could have drastic effect on the flea market positive or negative. Either route a very big risk for both companies. There would be deeply of job cuts and profoundly of "FAT" due to merging the two companies. Apple was contained by the same boat as these two companies but tried a different strategy, by investing contained by R and D and creating the Ipod. also creating software and a vast array of complementing products. That is what respectively of these companies should focus on in my belief. There is no more room for strictly basic workstation manufacturers. It have become global competative flea market, where respectively company must specialize on their "niche" product. intersting question though.
What are the pros and cons between registering a business a business and registering an association?
Answers: Not much information to go on.
You will be easier to locate if you register.