The Cultural Challenges Of Doing Business Overseas
The Cultural Challenges of Doing Business Overseas
There are many debates ongoing in regards to when and who invented pizza. There are many debates on the appropriate pizza toppings to use. There are also many debates on which type of crust should be used. Despite all these debates, pizza is thoroughly enjoyed internationally. In fact, opening a pizza parlor in any country is probably the easiest business to start. Well, maybe not. This paper will look at opening a pizza parlor in the Czech Republic and will discuss the major differences and incompatibilities between the United States and Czech cultures, comparative advantages within the Czech culture, the business impact using Geert Hofstede's four primary dimensions of culture, trade barriers, and demand and the cost structure.
The first item to discuss is the major differences and incompatibilities between the United States and Czech cultures. One of these differences are most Czechs do not dine out often (ProQuest-CSA LLC and Brigham Young University, 2007). Currently in the United States, pizza is a food item typically eaten in a casual dining room at the restaurant or an item to be taken back home to be shared. Overcoming cultural differences of dining out would be an item that needs to be considered when opening a restaurant in the Czech Republic. In addition, in the Czech Republic few items are eaten with the hands (Country Watch, n.d.). In the United States, it is not uncommon to eat pizza without aid of a utensil. Both of these differences of culture impacts the way a pizza parlor in the Czech Republic needs to operate. These trends in the Czech culture will not make major business impact if addressed at the onset. In addition, pizza is consumed in the Czech Republic, but currently it is from street vendors. "Hotdogs and pizza are popular snack foods that can be purchased from sidewalk vendors" (ProQuest-CSA LLC and Brigham Young University, 2007). Establishing a restaurant that serves...
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