How Outsourcing Can Bridge the Differences in Cultural Values in Business Practices

When we think of business, we mostly think about revenue, stocks, losses, and the like. Often, culture doesn’t come to mind when we talk about business—but really, it should.

Cultural differences and values play an important role in shaping business practices and operations. For example, though there might be worldwide trends, companies in Asian countries may tackle these differently from those in western countries. The difference between the two plays into their decision—what international, hot trend today would their people like the best, given their culture, and how would they enjoy it best? There’s also differences in socio-cultural factors between the two to consider, such as their people’s wages, lifestyles, different holidays celebrated, forms of media most consumed, religious beliefs, and overall social diversity.

Let’s look into the international market. Some cultures do not see the need for the English language—as they work fine with their own—while others have ingrained English into their daily lives. This doesn’t mean one is more superior or inferior to the other, though; they’re both capable of having great businesses and standing out internationally.

Although, it is likely that because of the language barrier, not everyone cannot interact with everyone. Depending on the businesses involved, this situation can be a dealbreaker as some attempts at translation can turn out awry, thus potentially negatively affecting sales.

This proves that cultural differences, no matter how small, can mean a lot. Businesses have to consider everything when it comes to knowing their market, such as knowing their age ranges, their likes and dislikes, and the cultures they grew up with—and this logic applies to getting to know other stakeholders and business partners as well.

In addition to cultural differences by geography, there’s also internal cultural values to consider. It’s likely that companies based in a country’s northern region may have different practices from companies based in the south. Even in the same city, different companies can have different cultures depending on their specialties and their branding!

Does this mean then that cultural differences are a bad thing? No! Instead of viewing cultural differences as a hindrance, we can view them as a push in a different direction, one that can encourage us to think out of the box and try out things we haven’t before.

It can be hard to grab a feel of cultural differences from the get-go though, especially as breaking into the international market can be more difficult than what it looks like. To simulate how to interact with different cultures, why not try outsourcing?

There are many reasons to outsource; for some, it’s a lot more cost and time efficient to do so rather than create their own dedicated teams for a task, and for others, it’s because it’s a quicker way to get things done. Outsourcing also provides more diverse talent pools, which can help companies also better understand differences in culture among smaller groups.

Some might see outsourcing as a threat to company culture, but outsourced employees won’t damage company culture if we don’t let it. The key is not to alienate the outsourced folks, but instead, to get to know them better and see the things both parties can agree and disagree on.

It may seem small, but outsourcing can lead to great, big things if used well. That way, you can get the most out of your partnership with your outsourced company as you will get the necessary manpower for your task, and you can get a feel for what it’s like to interact with cultures different from yours.