ABSTRACT
The FIFA World Cup in Brazil, as any sports mega-event, showed the paradox of transnational culture contacts. Transcultural challenges in an organization, on the one side, come along with national stereotypes and nationalist tendencies, on the other. The government's policy of developmentalism inherited from former President Lula and the investor's nervousness have led to shrinking trust, which expresses itself in reduced investment and success of the big industry. The close connection between friendship and business relations is one attribute of Brazilian management culture which can be traced back various centuries. Product marketing and branding represent one of the most culture-sensitive areas of business administration. The risk of brand failures that may occur while launching a new product makes previous analysis of the cultural context indispensable. While a basic attitude of optimism, friendly humor, and relationship-based, extensive small-talk, with the aim of a long-term personal commitment of negotiating partners, is common, things can get accelerated and quite competitive at times.
