ABSTRACT
The social relationships between management, staff, and client are of great significance for an international company. The professional who accepts an assignment abroad, without realizing that a culture in which he or she was not raised cannot be totally understood, will never be fully successful in the international arena. The main fallacy is in thinking that what works at home must eventually work anywhere. In overseas locations, the company quite often takes the place of friends, neighbors, and family, and is expected to provide services that no employee or dependent would otherwise request. The international community, including North American firms and employees, has been hard hit by kidnappings and extortion in South America. Consciously or unconsciously breaking a social taboo, wherever the unacceptable has been defined according to Islamic law, can lead to legal prosecution or jail. The United states Department of State emphasizes preparedness in a booklet, Countering Terrorism, which is quickly available to anyone requesting information.
