Slides

1. Cultural Perspective on Doing Business in
Brazil
Brazil: An Inside View
Charles Kirschbaum
November 26th, 2012
Cultural Perspective Omnium 9 Charles Kirschbaum

2. Some major themes in the Brazilian Studies of Culture
 Clientelism
 Formalism
 “Jeitinho” (cut some slack)
Cultural Perspective Omnium 9 Charles Kirschbaum

3. Hofstede Benchmark...
Cultural Perspective Omnium 9 Charles Kirschbaum

4. CAVEAT: IT IS A BIG COUNTRY!!!
Cultural Perspective Omnium 9 Charles Kirschbaum

5. Topics
 Power and Authority
 Conflict
 Individualism and Collectivism
 Formality, Informality, and Ambiguity
 Planning and Improvisation
Cultural Perspective Omnium 9 Charles Kirschbaum

6. Topics
 Power and Authority
 Conflict
 Individualism and Collectivism
 Formality, Informality, and Ambiguity
 Planning and Improvisation
Cultural Perspective Omnium 9 Charles Kirschbaum

7. Cultural Perspective Omnium 9 Charles Kirschbaum

8. Cultural Perspective Omnium 9 Charles Kirschbaum

9. Cultural Perspective Omnium 9 Charles Kirschbaum

10. Cultural Perspective Omnium 9 Charles Kirschbaum

11. Cultural Perspective Omnium 9 Charles Kirschbaum

12. Topics
 Power and Authority
 Conflict
 Individualism and Collectivism
 Formality, Informality, and Ambiguity
 Planning and Improvisation
Cultural Perspective Omnium 9 Charles Kirschbaum

13. Cultural Perspective Omnium 9 Charles Kirschbaum

14. Cultural Perspective Omnium 9 Charles Kirschbaum

15. Cultural Perspective Omnium 9 Charles Kirschbaum

16. Topics
 Power and Authority
 Conflict
 Individualism and Collectivism
 Formality, Informality, and Ambiguity
 Planning and Improvisation
Cultural Perspective Omnium 9 Charles Kirschbaum

17. Cultural Perspective Omnium 9 Charles Kirschbaum

18. Brazilian Strong Collective Ties
 Family
 Neighborhood
Cultural Perspective Omnium 9 Charles Kirschbaum

19. Connection with “Clientelism”
 Clientelism: individuals are able to access resources via
personal relationships, beyond and in spite of the formal
rules
 Family and friends are needed for emotional support, but
also for securing access to resources
 Success is due to collective support
 Strong personal ties criss-cross economic domain
Cultural Perspective Omnium 9 Charles Kirschbaum

20. Topics
 Power and Authority
 Conflict
 Individualism and Collectivism
 Formality, Informality, and Ambiguity
 Planning and Improvisation
Cultural Perspective Omnium 9 Charles Kirschbaum

21. Cultural Perspective Omnium 9 Charles Kirschbaum

22. Cultural Perspective Omnium 9 Charles Kirschbaum

23. Cultural Perspective Omnium 9 Charles Kirschbaum

24. Marble...
Cultural Perspective Omnium 9 Charles Kirschbaum

25. ...or Myrtle?
Pe. Antonio Vieira, Sermão do Espírito Santo, 1657 (cited by Viveiros de Castro)
Cultural Perspective Omnium 9 Charles Kirschbaum

26. Exploring “Formalism”: two ideas
 Formalism: production of laws and formal rules prior to the concrete
situation, resulting in institutions disconnected from reality
 First idea: formalism emerges as a way of sustaining social
inequality, as individuals with better access to resources are able to
receive more flexible treatment
 Second idea: formalism emerges as developing countries try to copy
practices, anticipating social conflict
– Hence, in the long run it should disappear
Cultural Perspective Omnium 9 Charles Kirschbaum

27. Exploring Ambiguity and Formalism
 Skepticim towards formal institutions and rules might be surprinsingly be
accompanied by easy acceptance but difficult conformity
 If it is possible to decouple practice from discourse, it is also possible to change
discourse without affecting daily life
Cultural Perspective Omnium 9 Charles Kirschbaum

28. Topics
 Power and Authority
 Conflict
 Individualism and Collectivism
 Formality, Informality, and Ambiguity
 Planning and Improvisation
Cultural Perspective Omnium 9 Charles Kirschbaum

29. Cultural Perspective Omnium 9 Charles Kirschbaum

30. Cultural Perspective Omnium 9 Charles Kirschbaum

31. Connection with “Jeitinho”
 Jeitinho: act of asking for a favour, specially
related to bending rules
 If in order to survive a “rigid” system one must
employ “jeitinho”, then Brazilian culture
fosters improvisation
Cultural Perspective Omnium 9 Charles Kirschbaum

32. Current Trends
Cultural Perspective Omnium 9 Charles Kirschbaum

33. Is it changing? Outsiders’ peeping...
Chu & Wood  “Brazilians are too seduced by power” “They never defy hierarchical
(2008)
superiors” “They hate conflict”
 “You make decisions really fast. Brazilians are used to change; they
love cutting corners”
 “They are really respectful to whatever comes from abroad... Although
they are at the same time a bit skeptical that it will really work here”
 “There is no way in advancing here without some politics”
 “I love the working habits here. So many things are decided over a
coffee, in a very informal way; I think it really improves my
productivity”
 “In Brazil, everything is informal; it is pretty much a bumpy road”
“Message is never clear”
 “Nowadays, Brazilians are much more results oriented”
 “Planning is becoming stronger”
 “Brazilians do not delay for meetings, as before. But meetings have no
ending time”
Cultural Perspective Omnium 9 Charles Kirschbaum

34. Thanks!
charlesk1@insper.edu.br
Cultural Perspective Omnium 9 Charles Kirschbaum