Now it’s time to explore the world’s second largest and second-most-populated continent: Africa. In many parts of the continent, African weddings are an event that simply can’t be missed. Let’s take a look at a few! Nigerians love to celebrate such an important day, and this is seen the most in the fact that they have …
Last time, we explored weddings in Asia, highlighting the unique ways brides dress for their special day across the continent. Today we’re taking a look at Latin America and the traditions they hold. Venezuela absorbs customs from all over, including Hispanic, African, Italian, Portuguese culture and more. By taking from these cultures, you’ll find Venezuelan …
Instructor-Led and Electronic-Led Training: A Blended Learning Approach for Success in Today’s Global Workplace How should training and development adapt to reflect the growing diversity in our globally mobile workforce? When our workforce no longer comes from a homogeneous culture, how should the training adapt? Today’s workforce needs personalized training, as well as just-in-time resources …
Last week we covered European wedding traditions. Spring festivals around the world are starting soon and with that comes wedding bells. This week, let’s explore Asian wedding traditions. A common tradition in India and many other countries is the henna, or Mehndi, tattoo for the bride before the ceremony. There are slight variations amongst regions …
It is about that time of year again. Soon Facebook and calendars will be filled with wedding invitations and pictures of elaborate ceremonies. Over the years, many countries have all conformed to a basic wedding structure, but many countries still maintain centuries-old traditions. This week, we look into Europe . . . German traditions start …
For the first time, women in Saudi Arabia have the right to vote and run for election. Saudi is the last country in the world to grant women suffrage. Nine hundred women and nearly 6,000 men ran for the competitive 284 open seats. Eighteen women won seats. Many were not running to win but merely …
WARNING: SANTA SPOILER ALERT! Many of the traditions that Westerners hold so dear during the holiday season actually stem from German folklore. A Christmas tree, commonly the evergreen fir tree, has been used to celebrate winter festivals (both Christian and Pagan) for thousands of years. Some pagans would use the tree or its branches as …
Diwali (Deepavali) is one of the biggest festivals for Hindus, celebrated with great enthusiasm and happiness all across India. The festival is celebrated for five continuous days, with the third day celebrated as the main Diwali festival or ‘Festival of Lights.’ Different colorful varieties of fireworks are always associated with the holiday. On this auspicious …
Culture Shock! The mere thought of leaving the known and launching oneself into the unknown congers up strong feelings. When one is exposed to a new, strange or foreign social and cultural environment, they experience a state of bewilderment and distress. This is culture shock. Travel to another culture and you will find yourself out …
Ghosts, goblins, witches, and zombies usually dominate this time of year for the Halloween holiday in the U.S. However, around the world November 1st is acknowledged as a holiday to remember those who have passed. The most famous celebration occurs in Latin America, specifically Dia de Muertos (Day of the Dead) in Mexico. The festival …
In survey after survey, business leaders (CEO’s, CHRO’s, and Directors of Mobility) identify that there is an urgency to search aggressively for competent cross-cultural business professionals. Why is it that some leaders seem to be so much more effective working cross-culturally than others? Paula Caliguiri helps us understand that cultural agility is a key indicator …
Wouldn’t communicating across cultural divides be easier if we were like the character in Star Trek, Dr. Spock, and had the ability to mind meld and read other’s thoughts? The art of communicating goes well beyond the actual words spoken as is seen in the gap between Individualistic and Collectivist cultures. This gap was difficult …
Success in an overseas work assignment or the ability to drive business performance in others who differ culturally is directly correlated to having higher levels of cultural awareness, whether one has “boots on the ground” or is working virtually. Today we have a radically different world than ten years ago. Today’s marketplace can be defined …
The Ghost Festival is a traditional Buddhist and Taoist festival held in many Asian countries. Taiwan is celebrating the Ghost Festival on Friday, August 28th, though in some countries the date is different. Traditionally, locals believed that ghosts haunt the island of Taiwan for the entire seventh lunar month, when the mid-summer Ghost Festival …
Singapore is 50 years old! In just 50 years, this city-state has gone from swamp land to skyscrapers, and its booming economic structure has created one of the world’s wealthiest populations. In such a short time, and without having natural resources, Singapore has become a worldwide business center that has brought many expats into the …
This past Tuesday was Bastille Day, a French holiday celebrating the country’s independence. The French National Day is celebrated on July 14 and is celebrated to commemorate the storming of the Bastille prison in 1789, which helped spark the French Revolution. This was the culmination in Paris of a violent revolution that had begun two …
This week the annual Running of the Bulls took place in Pamplona, Spain. Every year from the 6th to the 14th of July the fiestas of San Fermin are celebrated in Pamplona. These fiestas are celebrated in honor of San Fermin, a patron saint of Navarra, the region of Spain where Pamplona is located. Though …
The joyous activities that many people experience from recreational sports such as rollerblading and biking are often taken for granted. In Afghanistan, however, there has been a recent emergence of skateboarders, typically females. Afghanistan inhibits a very traditional culture where women often stay within the home. In fact, often, Afghan girls are restricted from participating …
The world rotates around a variety of calendars: most people follow the Gregorian calendar which is used widely throughout the continents; the Chinese follow their own lunisolar calendar, while Jewish people follow a calendar that shares similarities with the Chinese one. Meanwhile, Muslims follow the Islamic calendar. Within this calendar, a variety of events occur, …
Singapore is considered by many to be an expat metropolis. Companies from all around the world are sending their employees to Singapore, where four main ethnicities (Chinese, Malay, Indian, and Eurasian) co-exist in tropical tolerance. A large community of foreigners lives and raises their children in the country without fear of crime or even impolite …