global competency

National Author’s Day

By |2023-11-01T08:53:20-05:00November 1st, 2023|Annual Monthly or Day Observance, Author Reviews and Profiles, book recommendations, Cross-Cultural, Culture, diversity, Global, Global Celebrations, global competency, Intercultural, intercultural competence, International History, International Holidays, International Observances, Language and Culture, Observances - Monthly & Daily, Relationship Building, Self-Awareness, Stress, U.S. Holidays, United States, US Observances|

National Author’s Day By Sharon Schweitzer The creator of National Author’s Day is still unknown. In 1928, Nellie Verne Burt McPherson, the president of the Bement, Illinois Women’s Club suggested setting aside a day to celebrate American authors. She was a teacher and an avid reader throughout her life. While she was recuperating in the [...]

Central & Eastern European Global Gift Giving Customs

By |2021-12-16T15:16:42-06:00December 16th, 2021|Business Etiquette, Cross-Cultural, gift-giving, global competency, Global Etiquette|

Prague castle in the Czech Republic, Hlavní město Praha, CzechiaImage by Julius Silver from Pexels As a frequent business traveler, I seek opportunities to bring thoughtful gifts from Austin when I travel to Central and Eastern Europe. My business counterparts enjoy original Texas products including AustinNuts, Lammes Candies Longhorns, and Texas Map linens. So, how do I [...]

The Culture Question Part II: International Negotiations 

By |2021-12-02T14:08:37-06:00December 2nd, 2021|Business Etiquette, Career Tips, Cross-Cultural, global competency|

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay When looking to expand abroad or partner with a multinational firm, even the most successful business professionals get blindsided by unexpected cross-cultural differences. The reality is that certain business practices- including regulation, contract mediation, and decision making- vary widely according to the cultures in negotiation. Before you [...]

Introducing Intercultural Competence

By |2019-02-21T10:18:05-06:00February 20th, 2019|Author Reviews and Profiles, book recommendations, Business and the Environment, Cross-Cultural, Culture, global competency, intercultural competence, Lifestyle, Relationship Building, Self-Awareness, Travel, Travel Book Recommendations|

Craig Storti, Sharon Schweitzer, and Alex Matveev by Sietar USA This 3-part blog series is a book review of Dr. Alex Matveev’s excellent book  Intercultural Competence in Organizations. Alex and I met during SIETAR USA in 2017 where we were featured as published authors. We immediately felt a Central-Eastern European bond since he [...]

National Human Trafficking Awareness Day

By |2019-02-03T15:22:03-06:00January 8th, 2019|Annual Monthly or Day Observance, Business and the Environment, Cross-Cultural, Culture, Culture and Commercialism, global competency, Goals, Intercultural, intercultural competence, International History, International Observances, International Travel Tips, Language and Culture, Legends and Myths, Lifestyle, Observances - Monthly & Daily, Self-Awareness, SXSW, Travel, United States, US Observances|

Afterglow by Pexels What You Need to Know on Human Trafficking Awareness Day When I learned that human trafficking occurs in Austin during SXSW I was stunned. How could this happen in our Texas city? Yes, our population has increased dramatically, yet I associated this problem with sprawling, urban metropolitan areas. I [...]

6 Colombian Christmas Customs shared by a Colombian Millennial

By |2018-12-11T14:44:00-06:00December 10th, 2018|Colombia, Cross-Cultural, Cultural Significance of Food, Culture, Global Celebrations, global competency, Global Traditions, Holiday Season, Indigenous Peoples, Intercultural, intercultural competence, International Toasts, Lifestyle, Relationships, U.S. Holidays|

Handmade Hammocks from Villa de Leyva, Colombia by Sophie Echeverry Today we are delighted to feature Sophie Echeverry, a guest blogger living and working in the U.S.A. who is from Bogota, Colombia.    As a Colombian, I cherish Christmas customs from my home country. I have celebrated 21 of my 22 Christmases [...]

Chuseok: How to Celebrate the Korean Way

By |2018-10-11T14:54:19-05:00September 17th, 2018|Annual Monthly or Day Observance, Asia, Bridging the Cultural Divide, Cross-Cultural Tips for Doing Business in, Global Celebrations, global competency, Global Traditions, Holiday Season, International Holidays, Korea, Korean Celebrations, Language and Culture, Lifestyle, Modern Manners, South Korea|

If your business travels in early October take you to Korea, knowledge of the following Chuseok customs will prepare you to engage in intelligent conversation about this traditional harvest festival.

Unlocking Zimbabwe’s Buzzing Business Culture

By |2018-10-11T14:54:27-05:00April 4th, 2018|Africa, Bridging the Cultural Divide, Business and the Environment, Business Etiquette, Career Tips, Cross-Cultural, Cross-Cultural Tips for Doing Business in, global competency, Intercultural, intercultural competence, International Travel Tips, Relationship Building, Self-Awareness, Workplace Etiquette, Zimbabwe|

As the African Cats are poised to overtake the Asian Tigers, Zimbabwe has gained international attention as a popular investment and expansion location. An English-speaking African nation with blossoming mining and manufacturing sectors, we discovered during our recent business travels that Zimbabwe's economy is a diamond in the rough.   Ten years ago, new promise [...]

Unlocking Estonia’s Thriving Business Culture: 3 Cross-Cultural Tips

By |2018-10-11T14:54:27-05:00March 30th, 2018|Business Etiquette, Career Tips, Cross-Cultural, Cross-Cultural Tips for Doing Business in, Estonia, global competency, Intercultural, intercultural competence, International Travel Tips, Technology/Gear, Travel|

Few people might expect the small Baltic nation of Estonia to become an international leader in technological and start-up sectors, but this northern European powerhouse has led the continent in tech development over the last decade. Not only does it have one of the highest ranked business environments (ranked 12th in the world by World [...]

Three Tips for Cross-Cultural Mastery in the UAE

By |2018-10-11T14:54:27-05:00March 28th, 2018|Bridging the Cultural Divide, Business Etiquette, Career Tips, Cross-Cultural, Cross-Cultural Tips for Doing Business in, Culture, global competency, Intercultural, intercultural competence, Middle East, Middle East Culture|

As we discovered during our January visit, from the dazzling city of Dubai, to the buzzing metropolis of Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates is rapidly climbing the ranks of the global business ladder, and investors worldwide are taking note. According to the Institute of International Finance, FDI into the UAE jumped from 8.9 billion [...]

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