When the East Meets the West: A Comparative Study of Belize’s and

Taiwan’s Business Culture for Effective and Successful Business

Communication and Opportunities in Belize

Cheng-Lung Li

and Nicole A. Carballo

Department of Business Administration, Kun Shan University, Tainan, Taiwan R.O.C.

Department of Business Administration, Kun Shan University, Belize City, Belize

Keywords: Business Culture, Cross-cultural Communication, Intercultural Communication, Effective Business

Communication, Taiwan, Belize.

Abstract: In global business, cultural differences influence effective communication and any misunderstanding may

directly affect business relationships. Therefore, countries of different cultural backgrounds should aim to

understand each other. This thesis is a guide for Belizean and Taiwanese corporations and individuals who

intend to work or do business in Belize. Qualitative research, interviews, is used to gather information to

support or disprove theoretical research from Hofstede and Lewis mentioned in this study. The findings

show the explanations of cultural differences and similarities between Belize and Taiwan, as well as

suggestions for breaking cultural barriers between them. The results collected can inform readers on

Belizean and Taiwanese culture, and therefore, be applied to the Belizean and Taiwanese business

community.

1 INTRODUCTION

Belize, almost the size of Taiwan, is a Caribbean

country located on the north-eastern coast of Central

America with English as its official language. Belize

has a population of 387,879 compared to Taiwan’s

23,550,077. With a $3 billion gross domestic

product (GDP) (The World Factbook, 2018) and the

second-highest per capita income in Central

America, Belize may offer tremendous business

opportunities in the near future with its “hungry”

business culture. This market aims to service and

high technology, so collaboration between Belize

and Taiwan must be reinforced in the future to

improve Belize’s economy. Also, with more and

more Taiwanese migrating to Belize to live and

work, a gap exists between Taiwanese and Belizeans;

different race, habits, customs, business styles. Thus,

the concept of culture helps to explain all of these

phenomena and to normalize them. If we understand

the dynamics of culture, we will be less likely

puzzled, irritated, and anxious when we encounter

the unfamiliar and seemingly irrational behavior of

people in organizations. Identifying and

understanding the cultural differences in the national

and business cultures of Belize and Taiwan can

build and foster business relationships between them

for mutual benefit. This research aims to build that

bridge and serve as a guide mainly for Taiwanese

working and living in Belize so that they are able to

communicate and collaborate with Belizeans more

effectively in business.

2 LITERATURE

In order to come up with the research framework

presented in the following chapter, this study looks

into previous scholars’ research.

2.1 Culture and Business Culture

When a group of people share more or less

homogenous thinking patterns that is different from

other groups, these people form a culture (Hofstede

et al., 2010, pp. 6). The effect culture has on

thinking is often not consciously recognized by the

people doing the thinking, and is more comprised of

“less conscious conventions and taboos” (Jacques,

1952, pp. 251). Every group of people creates a set

Li, C. and Carballo, N.

When the East Meets the West: A Comparative Study of Belize’s and Taiwan’s Business Culture for Effective and Successful Business Communication and Opportunities in Belize.

DOI: 10.5220/0008489001130118

In Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Entrepreneurship and Business Management (ICEBM Untar 2018), pages 113-118

ISBN: 978-989-758-363-6

113

of rules of appropriate behavior within the group and

is in fact a precondition for it to exist (Hofstede et al.,

2010, pp. 12). Every level of association has a

cultural dimension. Furthermore, culture is a key

component in business and has an impact on the

strategic direction of business. A business culture

will encompass as organization’s values, visions,

working style, beliefs and habits (Vaughn, 2010).

This thesis will focus on the national and business

cultures of Belize and Taiwan.

2.2 Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions

“The world is full of confrontations between people,

groups, and nations who think, feel, and act

differently.” (Hofstede et al., 2010, pp. 23). With

this being mentioned, Hofstede describes the way

people think, feel, and act as mental programs built

and created through a lifetime, made and sometimes

changed. If we want to understand international

colleagues, we need to understand their societies

first. There are some common features that resemble

due to living in the same society; and from this, we

understand their behavior (Hofstede et al., 2010, pp.

42).

Because Belize has not been studied with the

cultural dimensions, Dr. Vega-Rosado (2006)

suggests making an inference assuming Caribbean

countries have a heritage from European countries

and the United States; so Belize’s Hofstede’s

inference is drawn from Jamaica, representing the

Caribbean, United Kingdom, representing the ruling

over Belize, and the United States, representing the

modern lifestyle Belizeans take on. Belize’s and

Taiwan’s Hofstede’s dimensions are depicted as

follows:

Figure 1: Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions for Taiwan and

Belize.

From this, we gather that Taiwan (58) has a

higher power index than Belize (40), which means

Taiwan has a more clearly defined hierarchical

system that is accepting superiors having privileges

and a huge salary gap without challenging or

questioning compared to Belizeans. For

individualism, Taiwan (17) shows that it is a

collective society compared to Belize’s (73) high

individualistic society. Therefore, Taiwanese are

more obedient and can be good followers to finish

what superiors have ordered, whereas Belizeans are

more assertive and challenging, and personal gain is

of interest. Moreover, Taiwan (45) leans towards a

more feminine culture suggesting they prefer peace

compared to Belize’s (65) masculine culture being

more competitive. For uncertainty avoidance,

Taiwan (69) prefers to take things in their control

and easily feel nervous with the unexpected things.

Belize (31) suggests it is a fairly practical culture

that means there might be a focus on planning but it

can also change in short notice, which means

Belizeans are more likely to tackle problems more

easily, are fairly relaxed and are not opposed to

taking risks. Furthermore, Taiwan (93) suggests

them being extremely long-term oriented so they

work hard and save for the future. Belize (38.5)

suggests they like immediate benefits and influences

their consensus in business making them short-term

oriented. Finally, the indulgence dimension suggests

that Taiwan (49) enjoys life but there is no dominant

preference on this dimension compared to Belize

(68.5), which suggests Belizeans show more

willingness to realize their impulses and desires to

enjoying life and having fun.

2.3 Richard D. Lewis’s Theory of

Communication Profile

According to Lewis (2006), culture is “what parents

and teachers teach children the social regulations

which normal and abnormal, good and bad, to

successfully blend into their own society.” Lewis

came to the conclusion that humans can be divided

into three categories which are based not on

nationality or religion but on behavior, which are the

linear-active, multi-active, and reactive cultures.

The regulations mentioned gradually become a

person’s values and core beliefs, which are difficult

to abandon or even change. Each society, however,

inherits different concepts and applies it to the

children, which in turn bring cultural differences,

referred to culture shock (Lewis, 2006, pp. 17–19).

Based on Lewis’s model, Belizeans are

categorized with a multi-active culture, which is

considered the dialogue-oriented culture. They do

many things at once without order and think

schedules restrict their work so time is flexible and

easily manipulated (Lewis, 2006, pp. 55 – 57). Due

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to the multicultural aspect of Belize, it is more of a

mix of linear and multi-active characteristics since

no culture is the same. On the other hand, Taiwan,

like most of Asia countries, is characterized as a

reactive culture, which is a listening culture. For

Taiwanese, time is cyclical and not linear and event

related. Time is precious which makes the people

punctual and usually thank their business partners or

colleagues to join their valuable time at the end of a

meeting by going to dinner or going to a karaoke

room (Lewis, 2006, pp. 57–59).

2.4 Cross-cultural and Intercultural

Communication

Today we live in a world with a globalized

workforce where organizations have teams that span

over different offices, time zones and continents,

which mean cultural diversity is becoming a normal

aspect of the workplace. Success and high-

performance is due to accepting cultural diversity

and having an inclusive outlook. Cross-cultural

communication is defined by Gotland University as

“a process of exchanging, negotiating, and

mediating one's cultural differences through

language, non-verbal gestures, and space

relationships.” According to Karlfried Knapp (1987),

“Intercultural communication can be defined as the

interpersonal interaction between members of

different groups, which differ from each other in

respect of the knowledge shared by their members

and in respect of their linguistic forms of symbolic

behaviour.” Although cross-cultural and intercultural

communication is similar, this thesis links cross-

cultural communication to the initial encounter of

business partners or employees from different

cultures to see if collaboration can be established.

Intercultural communication is connected to an

established ongoing business relationship between

business partners and employees with different

cultures. Some of the barriers to cross-cultural

communication include language, culture, and

company culture. Thus, in order to overcome such

barriers we must consider having cross-cultural and

intercultural competence. According to the models

from Abbe and Halpin (2009) and Deardorff (2006),

the fundamental elements for cross-cultural and

intercultural competence are communication skills,

cultural knowledge and awareness, and attitudes

and behaviors.

2.5 Business Culture of Belize and

Taiwan

According to Christian Burn (2014), Belize has a

free market, capitalist economic system. Moreover,

the government does not get involved with an

entrepreneur who comes to Belize to establish a

business as long as the entrepreneur works hard and

involves local people. Ultimately because Belize has

a small market, there are no big box stores or chains,

meaning more monopolies; thus, Belize is import-

driven (Wrobel, 2015). Burn (2014) explains that

doing business in Belize tends to be done at a lower

and more personal level. Knowing your competitors

and customers is probable. The management style is

situational so roles tend to change and when they do

what’s needed in teams. When meeting, a handshake

and small talk are usually held at the beginning; also,

dress code is typically casual due to hot and humid

weather. Personal entertainment is done in privacy

of Belizean homes and business occurs otherwise;

and gift-giving is not typical and expected.

Furthermore, Belize’s communication style is in

English, and sometimes, Spanish and Kriol (dialect).

Belizeans say what they mean but try to avoid

confrontation in business. Lastly, Belizean

businesses are still male dominated but women

efforts in business continue to rise.

Taiwan is a highly successful value-add

economy dependent on foreign trade for survival.

Taiwan’s success can be attributed to its people’s

attitudes influenced from the Confucian philosophies

of obedience, hard work and respect for education.

Taiwan does not have a relaxed approach to business

for their will to succeed is all-consuming and

loyalties to the group (mainly family) produce a high

level of inter-group competition (Warburton, 2017).

Furthermore, Taiwanese are known to be friendly

due to “Ren Qing Wei” which translates into English

as “the flavor of human emotions”. It is the mix of

enthusiasm, friendliness and amiability (Bates and

Wu, 2008, pp. 43 – 44). Taiwan is a high text

country so one must notice subtle cues in order to

understand them (Bates & Wu, 2008, pp. 63 – 64).

Moreover, “Face” is an important Taiwanese

cultural element. It refers to a type of self-esteem

closely related to shame. Taiwanese act proper and

accordingly in order to “save face” and not “lose

face” (Bates and Wu, 2008, pp. 38 – 39). Also,

“Guanxi” (關係) (networking) is a general Chinese

term used to describe relationships that may result in

the exchanges of favors or "connections" that are

beneficial for the parties involved. Thus, in business,

if there is good “Guanxi” then doors and

When the East Meets the West: A Comparative Study of Belize’s and Taiwan’s Business Culture for Effective and Successful Business

Communication and Opportunities in Belize

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opportunities are opened, otherwise closed (“World

Learner Chinese”, 2018). Taiwanese management

style is authoritarian, so they are expected to obey

superiors without question; also, they make effective

group members since Taiwanese are group-oriented.

When meeting, business cards are very important as

well as the ritual giving and receiving them.

Meetings are very formal and communication

patterns may be vague or coded due to the inability

of foreign language skills (Warburton, 2017). Their

dress code varies by sector but standard, smart

business attire is safe. Gift giving is common, as

well as the ritual of giving and receiving. Gifts to

never give include, a white package unless it’s a

funeral, a clock as it sounds like “put someone to the

end” in Chinese, knives or scissors as it portrays an

image of cutting communication (Bates and Wu,

2008, pp. 44 – 46). Furthermore, Taiwanese

communication style is Mandarin or Taiwanese,

with few levels or no English at all in small to

medium-sized businesses (Warburton, 2017). Lastly,

Taiwan is heavily male-dominated in business and

women play little part in business life. Foreign

businesswomen will be treated with respect and

courtesy but Taiwanese will think the male

colleague will have the final decision or say

(Warburton, 2017).

3 RESEARCH FRAMEWORK

AND METHODOLOGY

From the literature, some variables that can directly

affect effective business communication, firstly, are

cultural awareness, attitudes, and values. Through

this, Belizeans and Taiwanese can have a greater

understanding of each other’s culture. A lack of

cultural awareness can cost a business a contract or

create stress in the workplace. Secondly, good

communication skills including language ensure

better job performance and relationship building

strategies. Poor communication affects bottom-line

so it is needed to have better business. Lastly,

businesses that succeed in the global economy are

willing to learn about foreign cultures and prepared

to view cross-cultural and intercultural

communication as a necessary skill. The cultural

dimensions that affect our values, beliefs, attitudes

and behaviours are what ultimately set cultures apart.

Therefore, people need to develop a deep

understanding of these culture dimensions to be able

to develop cultural sensitivity and adaptability to

communicate effectively in a cross-cultural and

intercultural setting. With these variables, effective

business communication can be reached and

ultimately ensuring successful business

opportunities and collaboration between Taiwanese

and Belizeans in Belize.

Furthermore, networking and technology are

moderating variables that may influence business

opportunities and collaborations in Belize. Grosse

(2002) considers that use of technology gives

companies a competitive advantage in the

international environment. Moreover, one of the

most common means of communication is email,

which removes formality and language barrier that

often leading to misunderstandings in cross-cultural

communication. Therefore, through networking and

technology, business opportunities and collaboration

between Belizeans and Taiwanese can either be

improved or limited for successful business in Belize.

This study uses the qualitative research method

in the form of interviews. A total of 9 interviewees

(3 Belizeans and 6 Taiwanese) were interviewed.

Interviewees 1 and 4 were interviewed in Taiwan by

the researcher and interviewees 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9

were interviewed in Belize City by Dr. Rosella

Cuellar, on behalf of the researcher of this study.

Furthermore, this thesis contains multiple sources of

data showing reliability; literature review containing

facts taken from official government almanacs and

directories, participant observations from

researcher’s personal experience living and working

in Taiwan, and in-depth interviews containing

official documents and observations from diplomats,

such as official agendas and embassy poll records.

4 EMPIRICAL FINDINGS

According to the interviews, one of the major

findings this study takes into consideration is the

idea of “small talk” between the two cultures. As

stated in the literature, Taiwanese tend to put an

importance on building and maintaining

relationships, so small talk in business is considered

important. Taiwanese interviewee 1 stated that small

talk and social interaction plays a big role in her

business as a restaurant owner, which proves the

literature review. However, Taiwanese interviewees

2 and 3 thought of it as not common among

Taiwanese in business but more common in personal

relationships, possibly due to lack of verbal skills

and “face”, they are taught to listen more. Another

interesting finding was “family” in small talk.

Taiwanese interviewee 3 stated that Taiwanese

considered family to be a “private issue so

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Taiwanese usually don’t talk that much unless they

are asked and won’t share too much.”. Interviewee

2 agrees that most Asian families “will try to protect

their family more so they will keep private.” In

addition, Belizean interviewee 5 feels small talk is

not based entirely on one’s culture but more about

one’s self. She expresses, “I don’t do small talk. I

have to be at a familiar level to do that. It really

depends on the scenario.” Small talk is considered a

communication skill in “breaking the ice” as the

Belizean interviewees see it.

Another finding that can add to the business

culture of Belize is the “lack of body language”

professionally. From the literature, it can be assumed

that Belizeans are very good in expressing body

language, since they are a multi active culture, but

interviewees 5 and 6 state Belizeans are very

informal in business. Some people are well educated

verbally, but nonverbally they have zero tactics, they

are unprofessional and they do not represent Belize

well.” says interviewee 5. Furthermore, the normal

procedure in Belizean meetings is a handshake but

according to interviewee 6, “Sometimes, they don’t

even do a handshake. With my colleagues they come

and just sit down and ‘let’s start’. I think we have a

very informal way of interaction.” With this finding,

it can be seen that Belize has an informal business

setting. For Belizeans, to effectively build business

relationships, they have to improve nonverbal

communication.

In addition, Taiwan’s Indulgence score was

lower than Belize. The interviews disprove this.

Taiwanese are more indulgent than Belizeans, who

welcome the idea, though. From the Belizean

interviewees, Belizeans indulge only on personal

relationships but not business relationships, whereas

Taiwanese indulge on both business and personal

relationships. Having more social interaction

promotes a better understanding of each other’s

culture. Thus, it ensures an effective business

relationship and communication between the two.

Furthermore, education was not mentioned

previously. According to all Belizean interviewees,

education is not the focus of the people, and it is

expensive, so poverty in Belize plays a big role in

business. “A lot of people that may have intellectual

capacity don’t get education because they are being

forced to help the family and be an economic

generator for the family.” says interviewee 6.

Also, new findings related to “Ren Qing Wei”

and “Guanxi” for Belizeans were found. Belizean

interviewees think Belizeans are placing more

importance on business, and interviewee 3 considers

Belizeans “very friendly” so it is “very natural and

easygoing to communicate with them.” Furthermore,

for the people (networking) variable, interviewee 4

thought of Belize to be going through a

“bureaucracy of processing” for hiring, which was

not mentioned in the literature. Also, it was found

that Belizeans are now using “Guanxi” for employee

recruitment. Interviewee 5 explains, “Our first

strategy is to ask if you know someone that has that

skill set and if we don’t find somebody from our pool

then we go through the normal process of

advertising and seeing who applies.” Therefore, it

can be said Belize is adapting to Taiwan’s form of

networking for business. Furthermore, the literature

only states that Taiwanese use “Guanxi” for hiring

but interviewees 2 and 3 mentions an “online

recruitment process for private sector” and “oral

and training examinations for the government

sector”; so, this is a new finding for Taiwanese

networking culture.

When asked how to ensure effective

communication for business, all Belizean

interviewees stated that it’s important to be

diplomatic, professional and be able to learn how to

respect Taiwanese cultural differences. It should be

kept in mind that Taiwanese are “sensitive” and “do

not like conflicts.” As for the Taiwanese

interviewees, interviewee 3 said the “secret” is to

talk about family to “break the ice” and to “relax”

when doing business with Belizeans. Also,

interviewee 3 recommends adjusting to “Belize

time”, when they show up half an hour or an hour

late.

5 CONCLUSION

Based on the analysis of the research findings, the

major communication bottlenecks were connected to:

(1)Difference in verbal communication- insufficient

knowledge of English, (2)Difference in nonverbal

communication- body distance and body language,

(3)Difference in cultural values- insufficient or no

knowledge of “Face”, and (4)Difference in cultural

attitudes- punctuality (“Belize Time”).

In conclusion, in the globalized business world,

it is important to note that international business

partners and managers must not only acknowledge

the differences in communication ways and styles,

but also to learn how to communicate with

multicultural partners. Understanding, respecting

and embracing these cultural differences between

Belize and Taiwan paves the way for effective

business communication, which opens up plenty

When the East Meets the West: A Comparative Study of Belize’s and Taiwan’s Business Culture for Effective and Successful Business

Communication and Opportunities in Belize

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successful opportunities for mutual benefit for

Belizeans and Taiwanese in Belize.

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