Cross-Cultural

Management and
Business Strategy
(GSGM7413)
‘ARTICLE REVIEW 4’

NAME : AHMAD ASLAN BIN AB AZIZ

STUDENT ID : MC170604734

SECTION : MC D10/PART TIME

NAME : ROWENA SHARMAINE SYLVESTER

STUDENT ID : SB1506MD0047

SECTION : MC/D10/PART TIME

Poland and Lithuania are neighbor but they have different culture. Lithuanians, Business Culture
in Poland is characterized through business communication, business etiquette, business meeting
etiquette, internship and student placements, cost of living, work-life-balance and social media
guide Poland lies at the center of the European continent, where eastern and western Europe
meet. Poland was one of the first ex-communist countries to adopt privatization and economic
liberalization. It has been successful because the government was able to privatize most of the
small and medium state-owned companies and encourage foreign direct investment.

Poland’s main export partners are Germany, the UK, the Czech Republic, France, Italy, the
Netherlands, and Russia. Poland’s main exports are machinery and transportation equipment,
intermediate manufactured goods, miscellaneous manufactured goods, foodstuffs, and live
animals.Poland is shaped by its long fight for independence and sovereignty which has created a
very strong population attached to their traditions and heritage. These qualities are considered to
be positive attributes of the Polish character but they can be a challenge for organizations keen to
establish business in Poland. Any organization considering a business venture in Poland could
benefit from a Communicaid cross cultural awareness training course such as doing business in
Poland which will develop the required knowledge, understanding and skills for doing business
in this unique environment. Below are some of the key challenges of doing business in Poland.

Organizations in Poland have a strong respect for hierarchy and authority, with structure and
delegation coming from above. This hierarchical style is reflected in many Polish business
formalities and settings, including the decision-making process and the use of professional titles.
Seniority in Polish organizations is acknowledged and respected and the corporate hierarchy is
often formed on the basis of age and educational background. For this reason, when negotiating,
it is advisable to send delegates of a similar status to those of Polish colleagues, both in age and
professional qualifications. Rules and regulations are an important part of the Polish business
environment so your Polish counterparts may expect their business partners to know and
appreciate established etiquette and business protocol. Poles are very patriotic and proud of their
national identity and great achievements in fighting their political enemies. Following centuries
of invasion from neighboring countries, Poles are proud to have maintained an unbroken cultural
identity and value their newly attained autonomy. Any foreigner who challenges or questions
these aspects of Polish national identity risks causing grave offence.
Doing business in Poland requires an understanding of the importance of relationships in Polish
business culture. Building individual relationships is essential to the success of business
objectives, especially in the long term. Polish people take time to establish relationships with
business partners and to build trust. Poland has a family-focused society, and Poles value
building and maintaining close personal relationships. This may be considered as a challenge for
many foreigners doing business in Poland Religion plays a very important role in Polish culture.
Religion also affects business so it is important for foreign investors doing business in Poland to
be familiar with the Polish religious calendar. This includes various religious holidays in addition
to the most common ones like Christmas. Knowledge of these celebrations is very important
especially when planning business trips to Poland.

Communicaid’s Intercultural Training Poland courses provide an in-depth understanding of

culture specific behavior patterns and perceptions and create awareness for possible challenges
you might face when doing business in Poland. By introducing strategies and solutions to deal
with cultural differences in Poland, this cultural awareness training Poland course is an ideal
preparation for any organization interested in doing business in Poland.

Most problems can be solved through effective communication as long as willing to discuss. It is
as simple as that. And yet, it is not as simple as it is made to seem. Effective communication is
thwarted at most times because of the many, many communication barriers that make way. The
reason is quite simple different setups and situations will give rise to different barriers and
therefore prevent effective and proper communication from taking place between two different
language and belief. As far as the professional work force is concerned, there are several barriers
that could emerge. In this article, we will focus on those very communication barriers in the
workplace. The success and growth of a company depends on how well people are able to
communicate with each other so that the work gets done. That is why, having an understanding
of the varied communication barriers will help.

Poland and Lithuanian Language can have its own special meaning. One develops jargon and
other catch words that denote a completely different meaning than what the word signifies, to
cite an example 'Going out' could mean the physical task of leaving a premise or in the colloquial
sense it could mean a couple that is dating. Things like these are shared within a group who has
common experiences and spaces. With this in mind, workplace communication can face major
barriers when there are so many people with so many languages and jargon, and a connotation
meaning something different for each of them possibly. So then the possibility of communication
barriers gets heightened. That is why one needs to understand the importance of communication
in business or the professional world. The best way to avoid miscommunication is to make use of
words that are simple and which cannot be interpreted in very many ways.

The communication process happens through a channel or a medium. It could be through the
word of mouth, through gadgets like phones, emails, faxes or through another person. As many
mediums as there are, those are the amount of miscommunication possibilities that can arise.
There might be disturbances on the phone or the tone of the email that was drafted and
consequently the message that you sent might be misinterpreted, the person through whom you
send the message might filter your message leaving out certain key pointers, the person to whom
you pass the message might not use effective listening skills and therefore there might be a
wrong message'. All these leads to only one thing that the final message is distorted
and that itself becomes a major communication barrier.

Cultural is anything that is influenced by cultures. With globalization, there is bound to be

cultural diversity in the workplace, and while we know of inter-cultural communication, it could
also lead to communication barriers. Several factors such as religion, body language, personal
space, status and hierarchy, gender roles and personal appearance are influenced by the culture
that one belongs to and this could lead to miscommunication at many fronts. Sometimes it's as
simple as the walls or cubicles that are set up in the office premises. When there are walls put up,
the communication cannot be as free-flowing as it would be if there were no physical barriers. Of
course, it depends on the policies of every individual workplace whether the no-cubicles, no-
walls set up can be brought into action, but if it can, it definitely gets everyone closer and the
chances of miscommunication are lessened considerably.

Overcoming communication barriers at work is not possible if one does not know what is
causing them. To avoid further problems of miscommunication, one should understand the
importance of communication in the workplace and strive to achieve it. Only then can one hope
to eradicate the problems in the workplace and achieve a healthy and successful working
environment.