We love to look at different takes on cultural differences.

Understanding culture, and how it impacts your business, isnt just about dos and dont's.

Recently, expert on global leadership, Erin Meyer, published a new book that aims to help managers lead global teams.

By using an eight-scale framework, team leaders can guide their teams to a more effective method of working.

According to new research, the cultural divide between the West and the East can be explained by the type of farming methods used between the regions.

As rice requires more human labour, researchers say it’s no wonder that people in the East are more interdependent.

Recent studies on facial expressions have destroyed any suggestions that facial expressions convey the same emotions or meanings all over the world.

In an article on Al Jazeera America, Matthew Hutson states that when it comes to facial expressions, the general assumption is that people all over the world express the same emotion with the same facial expression.

However, according to Hutson, a number of psychologists have recently refuted this view.

Chances are you have been to an airport at least once in your life: thus, the fact that airports can be characterised as culturally diverse places is probably nothing new to you.

Of course, airport staff should be prepared to cope with people from all over the world. But how should they handle all these different cultures?

In January 2014 I participated at the event ‘Doing Business in Germany’ hosted by UKTI (UK Trade & Investment) in Bristol.

This event was held due to the upcoming German trade fair Hannover Messe and CeBIT to enable UK businesses to see the export opportunities available.

The winter Olympics have just started in Sochi and Russia expects a lot from it as the Olympic Games always represent the opportunity to shine in the world.

The international attention that this event draws to 'the Motherland' will be an excellent opportunity to share some of its culture.

The 18th annual Corporate Relocation Conference and Exhibition took place on the 3rd of February this year, in London.

We attended the conference to gain further insight about the latest discussions in the field of global mobility.

Conflicts are never beneficial for a working environment – cultural conflicts are one of many challenges that need to be avoided at all costs.

A recent study, however, revealed that avoiding cultural clashes in the workplace does not only result in a more peaceful environment, but can aid the creative process within companies as well.

Have you heard those nightmare stories of foreigners working abroad and causing offence?

Well, strap yourself in because this is one hell of a tale!

Students and graduates, pack your bags!

Studying or working abroad is not only an experience of a lifetime, the lessons you learn when you spend time in another country might benefit you later in life as well.

Most of the reputable global relocation companies conduct annual surveys whereby they gather data on global mobility trends in international companies.

Plus Relocation – a company operating in corporate relocation for the past 40 years, just published the results of their Planning for International Mobility Survey.

Maps are a great source of information – but they can also become points of contention as maps, by their very nature, draw political, cultural and historical boundaries.

When these boundaries are incorrect it can lead to negative consequences.

Global Real Estate advisor Jones Lang LaSalle have carried out some research into the difficulties that can be encountered by western companies when they enter the Indian market.

The result? Cultural differences are a major obstacle.

Cultural awareness is important in today's day and age.

Businesses, government bodies, the third sector and public services all realise the need to understand and embrace cultural diversity at many levels.

E-commerce companies that wish to go international need to focus on cultural awareness as part of their global marketing and sales strategies.

Not enough companies are applying localisation at every level, leaving gaps in their global goals.

If you were planning on taking your business to the Nigerian market, you might want to prepare your staff for a trip to the African continent, as Nigerian merchants apparently favour real-life conversations over business talk via email.

Different cultures prefer different ways of communication: according to online shopping and price comparison directory PriceCheck, Nigerians working in retail preferably handle their communication in face to face meetings, website HumanIPO says.

All week, in Ghana, we have reached out to a broad spectrum of successful  Ghanaian businessmen to help determine how they have managed to attain success. 

Our meetings focused on hearing their experiences, their challenges, as well as their formula for breaking out of the crowd.

According to culture awareness expert Andy Molinsky, 'global dexterity' is key to successful cross-cultural understanding.

Awareness of culture and cross cultural differences are increasingly important in our global economy; Molinsky explains more in an interview with Forbes.

We focus a lot on this website about cultural differences in business; however for us it's all about culture and understanding that culture influences who we are and what we do.

Only when you understand your own "self" and the cultural programming your have received, can you move towards understanding the "other".