Mkt 6003 - Cultural Analysis Brazil

...

Economic Structure - GDP

There has been an economic decline over the last few years as Brazil has decreased to the 7th largest economy in the world. Many who believe that the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics had the opposite effect upon the economy as a whole as more emphasis had been made on the infrastructure surrounding these events as well as the security levels that surround this type of world stage. With a lessening emphasis upon the economy Brazil has seen this decline.

Brazil Exchange Rate

Currently $1 USD is equivalent to 3.87 Brazilian Real

Brazil Unemployment Rate

According to the Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE) the jobless rate in Brazil rose to 7.9 percent in October of 2015 from 7.6 percent in the previous two months, reaching the highest since August of 2009. Unemployment increased, employment fell and the labor force touched the lowest in nearly 13 years. Unemployment Rate in Brazil averaged 8.36 percent from 2001 until 2015, reaching an all-time high of 13.10 percent in August of 2003 and a record low of 4.30 percent in December of 2013. (Tabonda, 2015)

[pic 2]

Brazil Crime Statistics

The crime rate in Brazil is a direct result of the government’s infrastructure and unwillingness to put the needed attention on the crime issues of the country. The staggering crime rates are a deterrent for smaller businesses from setting up business dealings in Brazil. According to Brazil Crime Report 2015, “Crime is a major concern, especially in the larger cities. The police and the press report that crime is becoming more widespread. Street crime is a problem especially in the evenings and late at night. In Rio, robbery, assault, burglary and theft are concerns for foreigners and Brazilians alike. Criminals are determined and sophisticated, which requires visitors to be alert to their surroundings. Violent crimes (murder, kidnapping, carjacking, armed assault, and burglary) occur regularly. The consolidation of power among a few large criminal gangs has led to a decrease in gang-on-gang violence; however, this has resulted in an increased focus on civilian targets. Many criminals use weapons and often gratuitous violence. Foreign visitors may be susceptible to targeting for certain crimes in part because visitors may be less likely to file a police report and/or return to testify at criminal proceedings should perpetrators be apprehended by police. Organized crime in Rio is controlled by major drug gangs, operating mainly in the favelas. The crime in Rio’s favelas is certainly a product of organized crime, mostly centered on narcotics trafficking. In Rio, a systematic “favela pacification program” has begun to bring favelas under government and police control. The security services secured the symbolically criminally-hardened Mare favela (which straddles two major traffic thoroughfares: Avenida Brasil and Linha Vermelha) and have occupied over 30 smaller favelas. There have been instances of large-scale gun battles in/around the favelas during some of the police operations. In addition, criminal elements located in certain favelas have specifically targeted police officers.” ("Brazil 2015 Crime and Safety Report: Rio de Janeiro," n.d.)

Tourism in Brazil

Tourism is fast becoming a major industry in the country. Sao Paulo and Rio are the destinations of choice for the region and with the upcoming Olympic Games being held in Rio this will undoubtedly help to further expose the worl to the many attractions, spectacles and heritage of the country. Brazil is coveted as the most visited country in South America based on its beauty and the uniqueness of its cultural identity.

Some on the major natural attractions include:

• The Amazon Jungle

• The Amazon River

• The many other rainforests of this tropical and subtropical region

• The extensive beaches and bays that line the coast

• The many unique and fascinating plant and animal species in Brazil

("Brazil Tourism," 2015)

A comparison of Brazil with United States culture and business

United States vs. Brazil

In the United States there have long been laws which were designed to protect against the discrimination against race, age, religious beliefs and sex. The understanding must be considered that Brazil does not have this same type of makeup. In fact according to NewsOne, “The numbers clearly tell a story of economic segregation as well: Not a single one of the companies listed on Brazil’s primary stock exchange has a Black CEO. Further, a survey done this year by research institute IBGE found that Black or mixed-race Brazilian workers earn around half (about $862 per month) of what their White counterparts make. Many argue that this difference in economic self-sufficiency is what’s really at the heart of prejudice in Brazil. The assumption is often that Blacks, or negaos, do not have money, Brazilians say, which manifests itself in other aspects of society. On the country’s very popular soap operas, stars are almost always White. In a country where 51 percent of the population is Black or mixed race, just 12 percent of the cast of the country’s most-popular prime-time novela, “Em Familia,” is Black or mixed.” (Rabouin, 2015)

In contrast African Americans are extremely popular on TV, music, and culture. With many of the world’s top athletes of African American descent and also many CEOs and high level executives, the African American is no longer seen as much a second class decision as he or she was some 40 years ago. In addition with the election of President Obama, the United States first President of black descent, this further exemplifies the differences in the attitudes towards Blacks in the two countries.

Business customs in Brazil

Brazilians are known to be extremely affectionate in business dealings and personal space is not the same issue as it might be in the United States. A Brazilian has a certain expectation to truly get to know an individual in their business dealings and for an American business person this may be a difficult adjustment. Brazilians much