Reference no: EM131130097

Following is an excerpt from a New York Times article about the difficulties American businesses are having as they attempt to establish trade with Cuba. Read the excerpt and choose the best advice you might give to Mr. Ellis from those listed below. In interviews, American entrepreneurs, business lawyers and consultants described a culture gap that often seems the size of the Florida Straits, with Americans expecting swift decisions and baffled by the time and meetings required to get answers from Cuban officials. Kevin Ellis, the chief executive of Cayuga Milk Ingredients, a dairy company in Auburn, N.Y., met with officials at Alimport, a state import company, in Havana in April about selling milk powder. The officials were polite, said Mr. Ellis, who was part of a whirlwind delegation led by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo of New York. But they seemed more interested in talking about the embargo than about milk, he said. On his return, Mr. Ellis twice emailed Alimport, in Spanish, about sending samples, but did not get a response.

a. Life in Cuba tends to be the mañana philosophy. Things can always get done tomorrow (mañana) if they don't get done today. Business people like to proceed at a relaxed pace. Mr. Ellis should be patient and wait to hear back from Alimport.

b. Mr. Ellis should recognize that Cubans and Americans have different time orientations and communication styles. Because Cubans value education, Mr. Ellis should offer to hold a workshop for Cuban executives to learn American ways of doing business.

c. Cuba tends to have a high-context communication style. Mr. Ellis should spend significant time building a relationship with the executives at Alimport before getting into the details of his products.

d. Mr. Ellis, realizing that there are some differences in the ways of conducting business, should discuss this with the Cuban executives and ask them outright for a plan on how the two companies could conduct business together.