Futbol Mania is very concerned about culture diversity, awareness, and the gifts that can arise as a result of integrating cultures and ideas. We are providing the following information in order to educate our managers, customers, and stakeholders as to the culture of Mexico.

Hofstede Value Dimensions
Power distance is the level of acceptance by a society of the unequal distribution of power in institutions. Mexico ranks high on power distance (Deresky, 2003, p. 95). The Mexican business culture respect status roles and value a top-down hierarchical structure. (Deresky, 2003, p. 457). Uncertainty avoidance refers to the extent to which people in a society feel threatened by ambiguous situations. (Deresky, 2003, p. 95). Mexico ranks high on uncertainty avoidance (Deresky, 2003, p. 457). Mexican business cultures tend to resist change. Collectivism is where a culture has tight social frameworks, emotional dependence on belonging and a strong belief in a group. (Deresky, 2003, p. 96). Mexican workers prefer collectivism because it values the good of the group, family or country over individual achievement. Value expectations are shared responsibility, moral obligation, paternalistic management, and harmony (Deresky, 2003, 455). Masculinity refers to the degree of traditionally "masculine" values like assertiveness, materialism and lack of concern for others. (Deresky, 2003, p. 96). Machismo is the sharp role differentiation based on gender. Machismo and prestige are important characteristics of the Mexican culture (Deresky, 2003, p. 455).

Trompenaars Value Dimensions
Particularism puts the first obligation on relationships and is more subjective. Affective is the focus on the emotional orientation of relationships. Mexicans will openly express emotions even in a business situation. Diffuse oriented cultures have a spillover from work into personal relationships and vice versa. (Deresky, 2003, p 97-99)

Styles of Negotiating, Decision Making, & Leadership
Styles of negotiation are as follows: Emotional sensitivity is valued. Mexicans are emotionally passionate, use great power plays; and use weaknesses. They express loyalty to their employer, and face-saving is crucial in decision making to preserve honor and dignity. Special interests are considered during decision execution; it is expected, and condoned. Mexicans can be argumentative when right or wrong, and are passionate. They are impatient with documentation as an obstacle to understanding general principles. They are impulsive, with a spontaneous decision making style. What is good for the group is good for the individual; personalism is necessary for good decision-making (Deresky, 2003, p 166). Most managers find that the management style that works best in Mexico is authoritative and paternal. Paternalism is expected; the manager is regarded as "el patron", or a father figure, whose role is to take care of the workers as an extended family (Deresky, 2003, p. 456).

Values and Attitudes
Emphasis is placed on materialism vs. relationships. Mexican workers place family or country over individual achievement. Family is of central importance; loyalty and commitment to the family frequently determines employment, promotion, or special treatment for contracts (Deresky, 2003, p. 455).

Hard Work vs. Leisure
Mexican workers allow time for socializing and appreciating their cultural artifacts, buildings and so forth.

Cultural Taboos
For the most part, Mexican workers expect that authority will not be abused, but rather that it will follow the family model where everyone works together in a dignified manner according to their designated roles (Deresky, 2003, p. 457).

Attitudes Towards Time
Mexican people are very warm and have a leisurely attitude toward time. Mexicans have a polychronic time system because they will many times put an important conversation ahead of being on time for a business meeting (Deresky, 2003, p. 136).

Attitudes Towards Work
Mexican males value work only in its ability to fulfill their culturally imposed responsibilities as head of household and breadwinner rather than to seek individual achievement. (Deresky, 2003, p. 455).

Strong vs. Weak Work Ethic
Mexicans will strive to work, but the managers are expected to be the authority and all power rests with them. For the most part, if not told to do it, the workers won't do it. Nor will they question the boss or make any decisions for the boss (Deresky, 2003, p. 456).

Opportunity For Success and Reward
Given that getting ahead is often associated with outside forces, rather than with one's own actions, the motivation of a reward system becomes difficult to structure in the usual ways. (Deresky, 2003, p. 456).

Impact of Technology
For those who can afford it, cellular phones aide in the communication between farmers and workers. Local malls offer the use of Internet at a low price.

Attitudes Toward Cultural Change
Mexican border facilities have boomed, and many of those jobs are now high tech, bringing training and a higher standard of living for many Mexicans.

Attitudes Toward Foreign Companies
Latin Americans have a high-context culture because they expect others to understand unarticulated moods, subtle gestures, and environmental clues resulting in misunderstanding (Deresky, 2003, p. 137).

Appropriate Behavior, Speech, and Dress
In the city, dress codes for business and leisure are usually the same as those of Europe ("Mexico: Country Profile," 2003).

Suitable Circumstances For Conducting Business
Mexican workers need more communication, more relationship building and more reassurance than US employees. (Deresky, 2003, p. 455). Mexican workers are now motivated with higher wages because they highly value the enjoyment of life. Many companies in Mexico provide recreational facilities like a picnic area, a soccer field and so forth (Deresky, 2003, p. 458).

Important Customs
Mexicans are very proud and patriotic; respeto is important to them and slights against personal dignity are regarded as a grave provocation. They like to take time to celebrate birthdays and anniversaries. This will increase loyalty and effort (Deresky, 2003, p. 454).

Gift-giving Customs
Bonuses are expected regardless of productivity. In fact, it is the law to give Christmas bonuses of 15 days pay to each worker. Fringe benefits are also important because most Mexicans are poor. Benefits are also important because they help to manage family related issues. They are positive motivators for employees to at lease show up to work (Deresky, 2003, 458).

Social Structure Classes of the Society
Companies must understand the local infrastructure problems and can provide a bus to minimize absenteeism and tardiness. The also can provide onsite health care facilities for workers and their families, nurseries, free meals and even small loans in crisis situation. There is a burgeoning middle class in some areas, and there are other areas where extreme poverty and environmental pollution prevail (Deresky, 2003, p. 458).

Rigidity of Social Strata & the Potential For Mobility
Mexican business culture value expectations are to respect status roles and top-down hierarchical structure.

Religion - Dominant Faiths and Belief Systems
The main religion in Mexico is Christianity. It includes Roman Catholic - 89%, Protestant 6%, and other 5% (The World Factbook Mexico, 2003).

Influence on Cultural Values
Generally speaking, many Mexican workers doubt their ability to personally influence the outcome of their lives. They are apt to attribute events to the will of God, or to luck, timing or relationships with higher authority figures (Deresky, 2003, p. 456).

Influence on Business Practices/Product Offerings
For many, decisions are made on the basis of ideals, emotions, and intuition rather than objective information.

Personal Communication
The main spoken language or official language in Mexico is Spanish. Native languages also include Mayan, and Nahuati. The main language of the largest ethnic group is Spanish (The World Factbook Mexico, 2003).

Key traits of body language
Face to face interaction is best for any kind of business. Mexicans often speak loudly and rapidly. They speak with their hands and have no problems with close spaces. This makes them a high-contact culture. Mexican employees and managers also use object language (Deresky, 2003, p. 134). Managers are advised to take time out to show appreciation for surrounding architecture, which is prized by Mexicans. (Deresky, 2003, p. 135).

Education
The literacy of the general population, which is defined as those over age 15 who can read and write is rated at 92.2% (The World Factbook Mexico, 2003). The average level of educational attainment is 7.2 years.

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