nment increases the potential for miscommunications, gaffes, embarrassments, and a loss of business for the corporation. For anyone, or any business for that matter, to succeed in a global market, he must understand the culture, values, and customs of where he is going.
             One significant factor contributing to the increased globalization of markets is the passage of favorable trade agreements. The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) promotes open trade globally, and the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) expands free trade between Canada, the United States, and Mexico.
             Another important factor is the growth of the middle class in parts of the world once considered underdeveloped. However, the development of transportation and information technologies is considered the most important factor in the rise of the Global Markets (Guffey, 2000, p.69).
             Culture is defined as "the ways of living built up by a human group and transmitted to succeeding generations" (Webster's, 2001, p.172). Cultural values establish what is proper and improper behavior. Values are learned by interactions you have with family, educators, and religious leaders. What you hear, read, or even watch on television also influences your value system. Any way you look at it, you are identified by your cultural values, just as people in other countries are identified by theirs.
             Because people in other cultures do not share some of the values we share within the United States, it becomes imperative that before we begin conducting business in another country, we make sure we understand how their culture differs from ours. Providing adequate cultural training for personnel traveling abroad is necessary for effective company representation. We must remember that what is considered customary and appropriate in one country may be considered unusual or even offensive in another. For example, "when I came to America I had to learn how to respect tim...