Orlando Kelm

Orlando Kelm
Associate Director, Business Language Education - Center for International Business Education and Research
McCombs School of Business, The University of Texas at Austin

Orlando R. Kelm (柯安良) holds degrees from Brigham Young and UC Berkeley, and his professional interests include the teaching of foreign language and culture for professional purposes, focusing mainly on Latin America and Brazil. He has been one of the most prolific developers of online foreign language learning content, including projects in Spanish, Portuguese, German, Japanese, Chinese, and Turkish. He currently serves as the Associate Director of Business Language Education for the UT CIBER (Center for International Business Education and Research). He teaches MBA elective courses, usually taught in Spanish, on the cultural aspects of doing business abroad. He has also led a number of the MBA Global Connections trips, both to South America and China.

http://orlandokelm.wordpress.com/

Posts by Orlando Kelm

National Culture vs. Corporate Culture

Which set of values carries more weight in shaping a company’s identity?

Are Americans Culturally Clueless?

To be successful in international business, Americans need to start showing interest in other cultures.

When We Are the Foreigners: Book Guides Americans Who Work with Chinese

Through case scenarios, a new book shows better cross-cultural understanding is needed to avoid mishaps.

Americans Embrace 'Culturally Weird' Contracts

Because Americans tend to be litigious, our contracts are very detailed, giving everyone a clear sense of their obligations and protections. In other cultures, contracts are much simpler and more flexible.

Americans Hate Silence, But They Love Words

Americans rely on spoken and written words to provide context in most situations, because these help form the foundation for our behavior. But other cultures require less verbal feedback because they store information over time, which then becomes the context for their communication in the future.

When 'I Don’t Know' Becomes 'How Can I Help?'

American culture places a lot of value on information. If someone asks us a question and we know the answer, we give it. If we don’t have the information, we say, “Sorry, I don’t know.” Many other cultures, however, don’t focus on the information as much as they focus on the person who needs it.

The Culture of Negotiation

Americans have a reputation for putting their cards out on the table in negotiations. Executives from other countries say European negotiators follow different strategies.

Preparing for Negotiations with North Americans

What does the "Art of War" advise on negotiating with North Americans?

Americans are 'Exigente'

Americans are demanding negotiators. That's a good thing.
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Posts about Orlando Kelm

Finding a Common Language in Intercultural Negotiation
Friday, June 3, 2011

The reluctance to engage with people from another country is not uncommon. Language barriers may be just the tip of the iceberg in an international negotiation. Because each culture has its own customs for communicating in business and social situations, it can be difficult for members from different groups to bridge those gaps in a short amount of time.