Impact of Culture on Global Business

Posted by Nesma on November 27th, 2019

Having at least some background information about a certain country is a requirement of any professional language services because of the huge impact culture has on global business. Language services, translation in particular, needs to bridge cultures in order to make your finished projects usable in another country. It is also important for the business professionals to familiarize themselves with the local culture; a foundational and necessary step ahead of reviewing projects, communicateing and negotiating deals so that businesses are driven to a much greater global success. Read on while we give practical advice and explain how you can benefit from the impact of culture on global business.

Higher Language Standards Speak to Cultural Differences Not Just Syntax

The increasing number of freelance and in-house professional translators puts more competition into the language industry and gives prospective clients a much bigger pool to choose from. This has also led business executives and entrepreneurs to raise their standards and require better language services. One of the things that makes translation better is when it is transparent, or reads as if a native of the country prepared it. All translated projects should be accurate and grammatically correct, but preserving meaning while speaking to a new culture is a much harder task.

A Step Beyond Accuracy

A felt trend in the language services industry is a much greater demand for human translation. Business professionals know that AI software such as computer-assisted translation tools is as useful in the translation business as it is in any other in demand industry that requires speed and high output. Clients are becoming aware of the need to address an audience member’s culture and requesting human translation done by experienced linguists who have in-depth subject and much-needed cultural knowledge.

After researching the topic, we found that more than half of all existing companies as well as those started just this year are expanding into the global market sooner. In other words, a startup might start marketing to foreign audiences during its first year. This highlights the impact of culture on global business when reaching prospective customers if the focus is on language translation alone. Businesses can overcome these challenges and more by considering some points.

What Modern Language Services Clients Should Consider

Challenges to Language Barriers

Businesses that decide to expand into new markets need to include two key actions in their marketing plans: identifying a culture’s needs and translating material accurately. For example, if you want to build a strong relationship with foreign audiences make sure you have some idea about their social customs through one of the following ways:

• Reading current popular culture trends
• Read what your clients are reading (for example, a translated Chinese business magazine)
• Invite client to a business dinner
• Talk to natives
• Watch a few popular movies in subtitles
• Join a group on Facebook that discusses relevant topics

Familiarizing yourself with the target culture will help you develop a whole new perspective of and respect for that audience that will become obvious through your work with them.