BUS 495 Module 2 Culture and Business Example

Scores Are Where the Conversation Starts: Preparing an Ohio Parts Distributor for a Sales Office in Wroclaw, Poland

Student Name

Business Administration Program, Aspen University

BUS 495: International Business

Instructor Name

Month Day, Year

Scores Are Where the Conversation Starts: Preparing an Ohio Parts Distributor for a Sales Office in Wroclaw, Poland

Buckeye Comfort Supply, a composite Columbus, Ohio, wholesaler of furnace, heat pump and air-conditioning parts, has shipped replacement compressors, controls and heat exchangers to installers in Poland for two years. Demand has grown as Polish homeowners replace coal-fired heating with heat pumps, and the company now plans to open a small sales and service office in Wroclaw. Its managers have successfully sold across the United States, but they know little about Polish business culture. This paper compares the two cultures, explains the limits of such comparisons and recommends how the company should hire, sell and manage in Poland.

Comparing the Two Cultures

Hofstede et al. (2010) describe national cultures on six dimensions derived from large surveys of employees and later replications. Power distance is the extent to which less powerful members accept unequal distribution of power. Individualism is the degree to which people are expected to look after themselves rather than belong to tight groups. Masculinity reflects the emphasis on achievement and competition rather than caring and quality of life. Uncertainty avoidance measures discomfort with ambiguity and unknown situations. Long-term orientation reflects a focus on future rewards and adaptation, and indulgence reflects the freedom to enjoy life and gratify desires. The table shows the published scores for the two countries.

What the Largest Gaps Might Mean

The widest gap is in uncertainty avoidance. A score of 93 suggests that, on average, Polish business culture values rules, detailed information and clear procedures more than American business culture does. For a parts distributor, this may mean that installers expect complete technical documentation, firm delivery dates and written terms, and that a casual promise to sort out details later would raise concern rather than reassure. The gap in indulgence suggests a more restrained and serious public style, which could make American sales enthusiasm seem out of place. The power distance gap suggests that decisions in some Polish firms may rest with the owner or director, so sales efforts aimed only at technicians might stall. The individualism gap, though large, still places both countries on the individualist side.

The Limits of National Scores

These interpretations must be held loosely. Kirkman et al. (2006), reviewing a quarter century of research using Hofstede's framework, found that the dimensions had been widely used and often useful, but that many studies applied them carelessly, for example by assuming that national scores describe individuals. Taras et al. (2016) went further, showing that most of the variation in cultural values lies within countries rather than between them, and that factors such as occupation, generation and socioeconomic status can predict values as well as or better than nationality. A young installer in Wroclaw who trained in Germany may resemble an Ohio installer more than a retired Polish executive. National scores are a reasonable place to begin preparing, but they are not a description of the customer.

Communication and Feedback

Meyer (2014) offers scales that translate cultural differences into everyday business behavior. Her communication scale runs from low-context cultures, where good communication is explicit and simple, to high-context cultures, where meaning is layered and implied. Her evaluating scale separates how directly people deliver negative feedback. On both scales, the United States sits at the explicit end of communication but uses relatively softened criticism, wrapping negative comments in positive ones. Meyer's practical advice is to ask how criticism is usually delivered in the other culture and to adjust, rather than assuming one's own habits are neutral.

What the Team Observed

Buckeye's export manager, who has visited Poland four times, reported observations that partly match the scores. Installers asked detailed technical questions and requested specifications in writing before placing first orders. Several asked for formal quotations even for small purchases. Directors of larger contracting firms expected to meet the company's senior managers before committing. Some observations did not match expectations: younger installers were quick to use the company's online ordering system and preferred informal messaging once a relationship existed. The export manager also noticed that Polish customers gave direct criticism about a late shipment, which she found blunt at first and later valued.

Selling to Polish Installers

The cultural comparison has direct implications for how the office sells. Installers who replace coal boilers with heat pumps take on financial and technical risk with every job, because a failed compressor in January can cost them a customer and a reputation. A supplier that reduces that uncertainty, through stocked parts, reliable delivery windows and clear warranty procedures, offers something these customers value. Sales materials should therefore emphasize documented performance, certifications and service guarantees rather than slogans. Training sessions for installers, held at the Wroclaw office with a Polish-speaking technician, would serve both as marketing and as a way to build the relationships that larger contractors expect before they change suppliers.

Managing the Wroclaw Office

Management practices also need adjustment. An American manager might invite staff to challenge decisions openly in meetings and expect them to take initiative without detailed instructions. Where power distance is higher, some employees may wait for clear direction and be reluctant to contradict a manager in front of others, at least until trust develops. The office manager should set clear roles and procedures from the start, explain the reasons behind decisions and create private channels for staff to raise concerns. None of this should be imposed rigidly; the first hires will show which practices fit this particular team.

Recommendations

First, the company should hire a Polish office manager with industry experience rather than relocate an American manager, because relationships and language matter more than product knowledge in the first years. Second, every proposal should include full technical specifications, delivery terms and warranty conditions in Polish, reflecting the strong preference for clear information. Third, contracts should be detailed, and promises should be made only when they can be kept. Fourth, senior managers from Columbus should visit major customers in person during the first year. Fifth, American managers should be coached on feedback, learning to receive direct criticism as useful and to give clear criticism without excessive softening.

Conclusion

The comparison suggests that Buckeye's Wroclaw office will succeed by offering clarity, documentation and personal relationships with decision-makers, and by hiring local talent. The published scores point to these needs, but research and the team's own experience show that individuals vary widely within any country. The company should use the scores as a starting point for questions, not as a script.

References

Hofstede, G., Hofstede, G. J., & Minkov, M. (2010). Cultures and organizations: Software of the mind (3rd ed.). McGraw-Hill.

Kirkman, B. L., Lowe, K. B., & Gibson, C. B. (2006). A quarter century of Culture's Consequences: A review of empirical research incorporating Hofstede's cultural values framework. Journal of International Business Studies, 37(3), 285-320. https://doi.org/10.1057/palgrave.jibs.8400202

Meyer, E. (2014). The culture map: Breaking through the invisible boundaries of global business. PublicAffairs.

Taras, V., Steel, P., & Kirkman, B. L. (2016). Does country equate with culture? Beyond geography in the search for cultural boundaries. Management International Review, 56(4), 455-487. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11575-016-0283-x