Culture

Cultural differences are the major obstacles to business success and communications at global marketplaces
You may need to study the history, background of the development of the host countries, and understand their cultures, what their customs, norms, values, attitude and behaviors are, and that what you should do and what shouldn't do, and what your counterpart likes or dislikes finally.

For instances, when dealing business in France, if you don't speak French, apologize for your lack of knowledge.

Germans are also sticklers for titles; you have to introduce German people using their full, correct title no matter how long it is. Germans shake hands at both the beginning and the end of business meetings.

Your Japanese business counterparts need to know what will be discussed at a meeting, so some information for a meeting need to be studied beforehand, the purpose of a meeting is just to reach consensus rather than explore new ideas. A flexible agenda is necessary for freely discussion flow.
Korean business people are sensitive to Korea's historical relationship with Japan, which made a virtual colony of Korean Peninsula. You mustn't assume that their culture is the same as Japan.

Dealing business with Mainlander Chinese is often at socializing, drinking and eating events and with gift donation that may be the stimulators of business success.

So
You need to research the cultural diversity of each country in the world, A Dutch scholar, Geert Hofstede in 1980 had laid the ground of the cross cultural differences for the 40 countries in the world under the 4 dimensions in classification

The four dimensions are:
(1) Power Distance: the extent to which a society accept the fact that power in organizations is distributed equally (large PD in HK, Japan, Sin)
(2) Individualism versus Collectivism: the extent to which people act on their own or as a part of a group
(3) Uncertainty avoidance: the extent to which people in a society feel threatened by uncertain and ambiguous situations
(4)Masculinity versus Femininity: the extent to which a society values quantity of life. For example
(Accomplishment, money) versus quality of life (compassion, beauty), which are their preferences

Different countries would have different combinations of the four, Hofstede has indicated the 40 countries it in a chart which can inspire you how to managing cultural differences or diversity. It may need to understand what a culture shock is. For example, Mainlanders’ spitting, trashing and sitting on ground at public place that HK people think it is a matter of culture shock. Japanese has large power distance, every time subordinate make bowing to his/her superiors and seniors that is a culture shock to westerners who has small power distance.

2006-11-15 19:08:05 補充：
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External:
Of coruse you need to address to the value of local people. For example, there was a computer 'Power 4400' being launched in China. However, '4' is kind of a taboo among Chinese, implying death, who else would really want to buy a computer with '44'? So the computer was doing well in Europe but not in China.

Internatl:
Management style is crucial to success. The operations of JIT (Just In Time) is a huge success for Toyota in Japan but may not work so well in American and European firms. It could be the employers share different values in different countries.

Products:
Unilever is selling their products in smaller packages in Ghana than in other developed countries. As the general consumers earn relatively low income and prefer smaller package.