The document outlines training programs for employees being sent to Spain, Australia, and Bangladesh to oversee operations in each country. It discusses key cultural differences in areas like hierarchy, decision making, communication, and business etiquette. For each country, training will cover appropriate meeting behavior, dress codes, the importance of titles, gift giving customs, and negotiating styles in order to help the employees adapt their behavior and work successfully with locals in each new environment. The training programs aim to educate the team on cultural norms so they can conduct business effectively in the three different continents.

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Management culture training program
for different country Like Bangladesh,
Spain and Australia
As a Manager of HR department of an MNC which has operations in various continents including
Asia-Pacific, Europe, Australia, America and Africa had to decide to send a team of 6 employees to
Bangladesh, Spain and Australia of three different continents to oversee operations. Beforehand I
have to consider designing the training program based on the differences of cultures among these
three countries as to enable the team to adapt their behavior accordingly as follows:
1.1 Training program for Spain
Training Area Detail Training Content
Hierarchy  In Spain, most companies are still hierarchically structured, although the
old mindset is changing at high speed. For instance family-owned
businesses as well as most government undertakings are run in a
traditional Spanish way, i.e. with strictly separated divisions and a strong
hierarchical system.
 However, the strong hierarchical and bureaucratic organisational culture
is changing due to a growing number of young managers educated
abroad and changes in Spanish society itself. Throughout the Spanish
economy, individualism is predominant in management, whereas
teamwork is not so much appreciated.
Strategy  In Spanish organisations, planning does not seem to be that important,
mainly “because no one can predict the future.” The strategy of an
organisation is the sole responsibility of the managing director or the
owner of the company, who trusts more on intuition than on systematic
research.
Meetings  Meetings are merely held to give instructions to and exchange ideas
with subordinates; making decisions or reaching consensus is not the
key activity.
 Spaniards are very social people. It is not uncommon to discuss matters
that are rather personal, even during a first meeting with someone.
 You may criticise certain Spanish customs, but do not under any
circumstances say anything that might be offending their personal
dignity or honour. The first meeting is generally formal and is used to
get to know each other. Non-verbal communication may tell you which
things are not being said out loud.
Negotiations  Catalans prefer a professional negotiation style, in which bargains are
not the main aim. In the South a more traditional, formal style of
negotiation is appreciated, in which bargaining is cherished.

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Training Area Detail Training Content
 In general, Spaniards consider it rude to answer a request negatively.
Generally, negotiations are a process that requires time. Getting
acquainted with your business partner is of great importance in order to
be successful.
Decisions  Despite the changes in Spanish society, decisions are still taken at senior
management level, often by the senior executive alone. Likewise, a
modest employee is more appreciated than an assertive employee.
 Many things are currently changing within Spain, but people still prefer
some clarity on who makes the decisions and who is the boss. If a
subordinate has a problem, he or she will expect his or her boss to take
care of it.
Time perception  To understand the Spanish conception of time, one needs to know that
for the Spaniards “time was created by god to meet people”. Often
jokes are made about the ‘mañana’ feeling in Spain. In fact, people do
make long days from 8.30/9.00 to 19.30/20.00, with a long lunch break
of two hours starting at approximately 13.30.
Appointments  Appointments are mandatory and should be made in advance due to
busy schedules. Do not try to arrange a meeting between 12.00 and
16.00, people will be out for lunch.
 Spanish people do appreciate others to be on time. However, some
patience is still required.
Meeting &
greeting
 Greeting is an extensive ritual. Hands are shaken with everybody
present. Kissing each other on both cheeks is only done between people
who know each other.
 Note that it is not uncommon to be interrupted while speaking. Most of
the time this simply means that the person is honestly interested in
what you are saying and is getting into a dialogue.
 It is important that you allow sufficient time in order to let your business
colleagues get to know you. If your Spanish partner is not wishing to
press business, be patient and wait till the second meeting comes up.
Dress code  The way you present yourself is of critical importance when dealing with
Spanish business people.
 Spaniards usually spend quite some time and money on their outfit and
appearance.
 Business dress is classic, professional and conventional. Suits usually
come in dark colours, although lighter colours are not necessarily
avoided.
 Women wear suits too, either with skirt or trousers. There can be an
emphasis on accessories and make up, yet it should never be flashy.
Wining & dining  Lunch and dinner are important when doing business in Spain. They are
used to getting to know people better. Spaniards rarely invite (business)
friends to their home; instead they prefer to meet in a restaurant or
café.
 Long lunch breaks and dinners are common. Even in a business context,
people generally will not start discussing business before coffee has
been served. First you enjoy the food and the company and talk about

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Training Area Detail Training Content
anything but serious matters
Use of business
cards
 Business cards are typically exchanged at the beginning of a meeting.
They contain first name and surname, job title, but no academic titles.
When presenting your card, having one side of your card translated into
Spanish, generally leaves an amazingly positive impression
1.2 Australia:
Training Area Detail Training Content
Australian Business
Structures
 A key Australian characteristic would be egalitarianism. It is very
important that people do not give the impression that they 'think they
are somebody'. It is much better to be seen as a 'good bloke' or a
'good mate' than somebody who is overtly proud of themselves and
their achievements.
 The combination of these two factors leads Australian organisations to
be fairly non-hierarchical in their structure. Little attention is paid to
titles and rankings within organisations, with status being ascribed
through achievement rather than organisational position - you are only
as good as your last decision or action!
 Thus any international organisation looking to set up operations in the
country would be well advised against introducing a mirror of the
hierarchical structure they may employ in the country of origin - this
could lead to annoyance on the part of Australian colleagues. Similarly,
do not be too surprised if Australian business contacts seem wilfully
disrespectful of hierarchy when working internationally - they are not
being rude, merely acting in a consistent Australian manner.
Australian
Management Style
Managers are not expected to see themselves as in any way superior to their
colleagues — people just have different jobs. Therefore an authoritarian style
of management will be received very badly by most Australians and such an
approach may provoke outright hostility.
It is much better to adopt a consultative style of management which is
inclusive of every person’s opinions and which encourages an open debate of
ideas. Indeed, challenging the ideas of the boss in open meetings is not seen as
rude or disrespectful but the sign of a fully committed, professional approach.
Pragmatism is seen as a key attribute; getting the job completed quickly is
more important than the niceties of protocol or hierarchy.
Communication  In keeping with the Australian direct style of communication, debates
between senior and junior executives may appear from the outside as
confrontational and occasionally acrimonious — they rarely are. This
style of interaction is merely viewed as the most effective way of
attaining the end goal.
 Australian managers to not remain aloof from members of their team
— they usually want to be ‘one of the boys’ and be seen as ‘a good
bloke’. The idea of managers only socialising with other managers
would be viewed as very affected and would be likely to result in
alienation.

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Training Area Detail Training Content
Australian
Meetings
 Punctuality is considered a virtue in Australia — but having said that
meetings often start five or ten minutes late. In addition, it is
customary to go through a few minutes small talk before getting down
to the key issues of the meeting (sport is a very common theme of
these discussions.)
 Australia can be classified as a ‘post-planning’ culture which means
that relatively little preparation is done for meetings (with the
exception of client-facing meetings). Meetings are often viewed as the
forum for the open debate of an issue and that, during that open
debate, a route forward will be found — this approach obviously sits
well with the Australian egalitarian approach. When the route forward
is agreed upon in the meeting, then a detailed work schedule will be
implemented for completion after the meeting. Being 'over-prepared'
for meetings can result in certain negative feelings towards those who
have prepared in advance as they can be seen to be trying to dictate
and force their ideas on other people.
 If agendas are produced, they tend to be followed loosely. If
something important arises during the open debate it will not be
excluded simply because it does not occur on the agenda.
Australian Team  Being seen to be a good team player is an extremely important part of
the Australian psyche — to be a maverick or a loner will invariably
ostracize a person from their colleagues. Creating a positive, collegiate
feel in a department or project group would be seen as a key
management function and ‘bonding’ sessions (often including food
and drink) are actively encouraged.
 It goes without saying that anyone who tries to make themselves out
to be better than their colleagues does not make a good team player
— nor does anyone who wishes to be successful at the expense of a
colleague. A competitive edge should be directed towards the other
‘team’ (the competition) rather than being internally focused
Australian
Communication
Styles
 Although Australia is a polyglot nation, with over 100 languages being
spoken by those sections of the population who have emigrated there
from all over the world, English is the official and by far the most
commonly spoken language.
 Australians tend to put directness before diplomacy and therefore can
be considered quite blunt on occasions — especially by people from
those cultures in which the majority are wary of speaking plainly for
fear of creating a negative emotional impact upon the people they are
talking to. Directness is cherished in Australia and failure to say what
you mean and mean what you say can be mistaken for evasiveness
and even hypocrisy.
 It is important not to be too self-promotional when presenting to
Australians. A hard sell approach can often be misconstrued as
bragging and can provoke a very negative response. Remember that
people do not like to make out that they are better than others — the
same probably applies to products and services. A factual description
of issues will be far better received than a more hyperbolic approach.
 Australia is one of the very few cultures in which humour is all
pervasive in business situations. Not only is humour acceptable in all

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Training Area Detail Training Content
situations, it is expected in all situations. Never underestimate an
Australian senior manager because he or she uses humour at what you
might feel to be an inappropriate time.
 First names are invariably used in all business situations in Australia. It
would be very unusual to call a business contact by their surname.
Similarly, educational titles play relatively little part in business
situations (other than in the medical or academic worlds.)
Australian Dress
Code
 In corporate Australia, standard business dress is still very much the
norm.
 Dark suits and ties are the standard dress for management level
businessmen with women wearing business suits with either skirts or
trousers. (More informal attire is often preferred if doing work outside
the major cities.)
 Remember that, for much of the year, Australia is a very hot country –
so make sure that your clothing is lightweight and cool during those
periods.
 Try to avoid excessive jewellery and accessories which may be viewed
as too 'flashy' and therefore unprofessional.
1.3 Bangladesh
Training Area Detail Training Content
Working practices
in Bangladesh
 Formal behaviour is expected when conducting business in
Bangladesh.
 Address your Bangladeshi counterparts as ‘Sir’ or ‘Madam’ unless
otherwise indicated.
 Greetings usually take place between members of the same sex.
 Only shake a woman’s hand if she offers it, otherwise it is acceptable
to nod.
 In general, age dictates how people are addressed.
Structure and
hierarchy in
Bangladeshi
companies
 Bangladesh is a hierarchical society where people are respected for
their age and position.
 Face and self-esteem are an essential part of Bangladeshi culture,
therefore any individual criticism in business situations must be done
carefully and with sensitivity.
 Within the Bangladeshi work place, senior colleagues and especially
elders are obeyed and respected. Discussions are almost always lead

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Training Area Detail Training Content
by the most senior person. Final decisions rest with the highest-
ranking executives, therefore it is important to maintain strong
relationships with senior figures in Bangladeshi business
Working
relationships in
Bangladesh
 Bangladeshis are usually polite and courteous and have a welcoming
attitude towards foreigners. It is important to establish personal
relationships on a one-to-one basis and to schedule many face-to-face
meetings.
 The display of affection in public is acceptable. However, negative
emotions are normally not shown.
 Qualities like education, experience and leadership are valued and you
should make sure to use a person’s title and surname when
communicating with Bangladeshis.
Dress  Dress is quite conservative for both men and women.
 For Men: conservative, dark colored suits. Wear shoes that are easy to
slip on and off if possible.
 For Women: conservative business suits or dresses and blouses are
appropriate. Avoid tight fitting and revealing clothing, as well
sleeveless attire. Dresses should not reveal too much of the legs.
 Jeans and less casual attire are not recommended for a first meeting.
Titles & Business
Cards
 Titles are important and it is best to address people directly by using
their professional title or Mr., Mrs., or Miss, followed by the surname.
 Many people refer to one another using the surname followed by the
suffix “ji”. This is used as a sign of respect.
 It's best to wait to be invited before using someone's first name.
 Business cards are usually handed out after the initial handshake
and/or greeting.
 Always present and receive business cards with your right hand.
 It is best to treat business cards with respect so avoid folding or
writing on them.
Negotiations  Avoid hard selling, pressure tactics and any sort of conflict or
confrontation. Saving face and maintaining the semblance of harmony
is important.
 Decisions usually come from the top down and tend to take some time
to be made.
Gift Giving  Gifts are not usually exchanged at a first business meeting.
 If invited to a Bengali home, it is appropriate to bring chocolates,
pastries or sweets. Avoid bringing wine or any liquor.
 Gifts are not to be opened when they are received. It is best to do
this in private.
 It is best to give and receive gifts with the both hands.
Communication
 Communication style with Bengali people usually depends on the
degree of acquaintance. For a close relative or friend, you usually

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Training Area Detail Training Content
speak directly. For a distant acquaintance or a professional contact, it
is more customary to speak indirectly.
 People generally avoid confrontation and being rude to one another,
so speaking indirectly helps facilitate this.
 When communicating it’s often the case that people will tell you what
you want to hear in order to be polite. It’s best to be patient and see
what non-verbal actions follow the communication. One Bengali
proverb to be aware of is "face is the index of mind".
 Most people show strong deference to elders and women.
Meetings
 Meetings are generally led by the most senior member of staff, who sets the
agenda, content and pace of the meeting.
Meetings usually begin with friendly small talk. This may include personal
questions regarding your health and family and are used to build a rapport.
1.4 Evaluation
 Instructor from selected country
 Case study
 Quiz
 Workshop
 Evaluation through Written and conceptual test