This is the presentation of my partner and I for my Cross Cultural Management Class. It discuss the metaphor of the Brazilian Samba and how it correlates to the country

1. The Brazilian Samba
By: Kathy Gargiulo & Diana Genovese

2. Overview
 186 million people
 Almost equal size to
U.S.
 BRIC member
 Contains many
aspects of grandeur
 Division between
North & South
 Tremendous spirit
in the face of
adversity
 Beginning to
emphasize future

3. Brazilian Samba
 Demonstrates passion for life
 “a binary, percussive rhythm in which the first beat is never
sounded, causing a continual, hesitant urgency”
 1st
appeared on plantation farms

4. Small-Step Circularity
 Grew with small, controlled steps in a circular pattern
 Government formulation
 Military to civilian & back
 Monarchy dead, Brazil created in 1889
 Complex business process

5.  Currency formulation
 Since 1940, used five different currencies
 Hesitant to bring about change
 Circularity
 Lax & controlled education simultaneously
 Early stages are relaxed
 Vestibular
 Rigid like tight control of the torso and movement in samba
 Colegas & Business
 Colegas- Acquaintance
 Want to be considered family
 First establish solid friendship

6.  Family relationship
 Most important institution
 Father is final decision
 Younger family takes care as older members age
& respect
 Gender relations
 Direct responses
ALP #1: Careful advancement

7. Strategies:
• Implement changes slowly, not rapidly
• Allocate extra time
• Build strong and close relationships
• Facesaving
• Be prepared to hear “No”

8. Physical Touch
 Samba is danced in close proximity with
others
 Family Ties
 Establish homes in same geographic area
 Communicate daily
 Sunday Meal
 Family is social network

9.  The Self and Collectivism
 Sense of equality and freedom to pursue dreams
 Idea of self in close-knit group
 Concern for outcome of others; groups over
personal goals
 Human Warmth
 Facial grazing and touching
ALP #2: Caring Individuals

10. Strategies
• Formulate personal relationships
• Be aware and sensitive of family ties
• Understand everyone is individual but treat as one group
• Be comfortable with closeness and physical touch

11. Undulation
 “A distinctive moving of the hips”
 Shortcut to a solution
 Accomplish by circumventing rules and obstacles
 This act is traced to original Portuguese
 Saci
 Impact of status
 Hierarchical structure of respect
 Cordialidade
 Jeitinho

12. Navigating business
 Despachante
 No faith in personal signatures, need
notarized
ALP #3: Dancing Around

13. strategies
• Respect social status
• Expect an unconventional business style
• Expect favors to families
• Hire temporary workers

14. Spontaneous Escape
 Escape from reality of everyday life
 Lose track of time and the environment (polychronic)
 Monochronatic behavior
 Spontaneous activities mixing social classes
 Sambodromo
 Create Samba beat in universities
 Samba soccer

15.  Rich or Poor
 Most favelas (ghettos) in Latin America
 Tudo bom: everything turns out good in some way or
another
 Delay of business practices
 Individualism/collectivism
 Mixing Business and Pleasure
 High correlation between personal and work lives
 Business lunches: 1.5 - 3 hours long
 Few rules
ALP #4: Escape Hardships

16. Strategies:
 Take time less seriously
 Make work fun
 Be prepared for personal and informal
conversations and negotiations
 Positive attitude
 Rewards should benefit the family rather than just
the employee
Understand their way of
literally “dancing around things.”

17. Paradox of Dancers
 Dancers are full of contrasts
 Different costumes
 Represents diverse backgrounds of
the people
 Mesticos: mixed races
 Importance of race and social
class
 Poverty is concentrated among
those with darker skin
 Brazilian rainbow

18.  Importance of religion
 Great tolerance for contradiction
 Conservative traditions Catholicism are adapted to ideas of
witchcraft and supernatural powers
 Brazilian Flag
 “Ordem e Progresso”
 Each color has a meaning
ALP #5: Diversity

19. Strategies
Be aware and comfortable of racial and
social differences
Not difficult to integrate yourself into
culture
Be patient

20. Hofstede’s Dimension
Power Distance: 69
Individualism: 38
Uncertainty Avoidance: 76
Masculinity: 49
Confucian Dynamism: 65