Business Ethics Abroad

             Making the first steps in business abroad and establishing business relations with partners, for example, in Germany or China, one should take into consideration the cultural, economic, and social peculiarities of this country. Even if a businessperson has a feeling that German or Chinese culture is close to him and the new means of communication help him/her to communicate quickly and easily, he should not forget about the fact that there are differences. Of course, the intuition can help to a certain extent, but it is important to remember about the consequences of the chosen strategy. There are countries where business laws are only starting to develop or do not exist at all - they are called "gray areas ". In such countries, a businessperson has to negotiate a deal he/she wants to lead there and try to understand what the partners expect from running business together. Sometimes it must be put down in written form.
             Cultural knowledge of the partners' country and the modern preparation for it will contribute to the overall success of the firm overseas. Moreover, to make sure that it is a right decision to start a business abroad, one just needs to see what goods and services the companies of this country offer, what kind of philosophy and history do they have. For example, a businessperson from the USA wants to import furniture from India. First, he has to find out what kind of timber uses the manufacturer. If it is taken from doubtful source and has some endangered species that are cut down illegally, one should consider if he/she really need such a purchase. Alternatively, another example: a company in Africa produces perfume. An entrepreneur from the developed country wants to buy a big batch of the ware but he finds out that the perfumes are tested on animals or, what is worse, on children. If it is unethical for the buyer, he will stop running business with such partners.
             As a rule, a strategy of a long-term development should take into account above mentioned details and other sides of international business.