ABSTRACT
Time represents something else for an American than for a Mexican. If you have a meeting at 1:30, for a Mexican that could mean 1:45 or 2:00. It’s a normal thing, everyone is late in Mexico, but it takes time for U.S. managers to understand this. In Mexico, we begin working at 9:00 or 9:30. We have breakfast meetings, with lots of food. Then we have a big lunch and siesta from 3:00 to 5:00. We are back at 5:00, then work until 9:00 or 10:00 at night. Similarly, the concept of law is different in Mexico. We try to tell our U.S. counterparts that here, when you handle relationships with the government, you invite their representatives for the weekend or you take them to dinner. To handle the union leader, it is the same thing. It is not written anywhere, but it is something you just do.
