Brazil Country Profile and Management Styles

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Economy
Culture
Politics
Management in Brazil compared to China
References

Introduction

Brazil is located in Latin America and is the number one in terms of geographical size and population. Its people speak Portuguese, and it is the only country in the South America where people speak Portuguese. It is fifth in the world among the countries in terms of population and land size.

It is a founding member of many unions across the world, for example, the G20 and is among the countries that are classified under the BRIC. It is a mega diverse country (one of the few in the world) with a variety of natural features, wildlife and habitat (Wagley 2003). Its total area is 8,514,877 km2, and its population is 191,376,496 (a 2011 estimate).

Economy

It is number six in the list of the world’s largest economies in terms of nominal GDP and number seven in terms of purchasing power parity. This is according to an analysis done for 2011; it is among the world’s economies, which are developing at a fast rate. According to a 2011 estimate of the purchasing power parity, the total GDP is 2,294 trillion dollars, and GDP per capita is 11,796 dollars.

According to another estimate of 2011 for nominal GDP, the total GDP is 2,493 trillion dollars, and GDP per capita is 12,788 dollars. It has many sectors which are developed and sizeable like manufacture, agriculture, mining and service. The large population provides a ready pool of labor which helps in driving forward the economy of the country.

It is one of the major exporters in the world, and this sector is rapidly growing due to the large foreign demand for their products. They mainly export food products (like coffee), textiles, metals (like iron ore), electrical appliances, vehicles, and aircrafts. It is number three in the list of exporters of agricultural products. Investment into the country from foreign entities is growing and is expected to continue soaring, thus, lifting the economy further.

Mergers and acquisitions are common things in Brazil and are seen to be the norm among big and expanding enterprises. The economy has a variety of sectors providing diverse products and services to its population. It is number ten among the countries which are large consumers of energy. It is indicative of its economic growth which translates to increased demand for energy. This energy is from both renewable and non renewable sources.

Among the renewable sources are ethanol and hydroelectricity, and the non renewable source is primarily oil (Schneyer, 2011). Recent discoveries of oil which are in huge amounts are projected to make it a major producer and exporter of the product in the coming years. Over the past thirty years, the economy has grown to make it a major part of the world market (Bradford, 2003).

Culture

The Brazilian culture has been influenced by Portuguese who colonized them. They were introduced to their colonial power’s language, religion and architecture. There are also other cultures and traditions which greatly shaped the current Brazilian culture like the indigenous traditions.

The landing of the Europeans, Japanese and Arabs on the land also played a role in the outcome of their existing culture. The cuisine and language were impacted greatly by the Africans and indigenous people (Amerindians); the religion, music and dance were shaped by the Africans. Samba is among Brazil’s most popular styles of music together with brega and maracatu.

Each region has its own unique cuisine stressing on varieties of population who inhabit the land. Football is the most common and popular sport; their team is top ten in the world rankings of national teams. There are other common sports which are practiced like martial arts and volleyball (Fausto, 2009).

Politics

Their Government is made of three spheres: the states, the federal district, and the union. Three entities being political ones, form a union which is Brazilian Federation. These entities are the Federal District, the municipalities, and the states; this union cannot be dissolved.

The constitution is the foundation for the three arms of Government that exist, namely, legislative, executive, judicial. It is a multi party democracy which has existed for many years; this allows for representation that is equal and proportional. Those who are literate and are between the age of 18 and 70.

There are four mina political parties in the country: Brazilian Democratic Movement Party, Worker’s Party, Democrats, and Brazilian Social Democratic Party (Wagley 2003). The Government utilizes Presidential system where the president heads both the Government and the state.

The presidential term is four years and the president can run for re-election for the maximum of two terms. The law of the country has its origin in the Roman-German laws. The civil law is the primary law that is practiced in the country, which is codified. The Federal Constitution, which was brought into action in 1988, is the foundation of the legal system.

In the ranking of the courts, the one on top is the Supreme Federal Court; there are other existing courts which are specialized like the electoral courts. In South America, it is a powerhouse and a leader in terms of politics, does not intervene in other country’s affairs. The Brazilian armed forces have three branches which are the Brazilian Navy, Brazilian Army, and Brazilian Air Force. They are the biggest in terms of numbers in South America (Martinez-Lara, 2005).

Management in Brazil compared to China

There are different types of management styles existing which are applied differently in these two countries. In Brazil the person who is a manager is looked at as the one being of utmost importance. According to its culture, Brazilians highly value relationships striving to foster good and strong ones.

The manager or head is willing to be in good terms with the subordinates to ensure trust and respect among the team. Instructions which come from the top of the hierarchy are expected to be followed without too much questioning. When there is any question or argument raised, it is expected to be done in private to avoid any public displays of disagreement.

Decisions are made, therefore, by those who are ranked the highest. Advice that is helpful to a manager in Brazil is to be clear, comprehensive and accurate when instructing the subordinates. When tasks are still not done after asking for this, the manager should begin by analyzing where they made a mistake. This will help identify any vagueness or lack of clarity that was there when giving the instructions.

When incomplete instructions are provided to the subordinates, they only do what they were instructed to do and no more. This is because it is a hierarchical system and subordinates see doing more than they are asked of might be a disobedience to the manager. I would follow this advice to ensure a healthy relationship is created between me and my subordinates. This will be in addition to allowing them to air their views and ask questions where instructions are not clear, or they do not agree with the decisions.

In China, the style of management takes after the Confucian philosophy. Relationships are not valued, and people are not equal, the status quo is, therefore, expected to be respected by the ethical behaviors displayed. The younger people by default show respect to the older, while the junior to the senior (Edward, 2009).

Empowerment and equal access to any information is scorned by Chinese who view it as being Western. Management is directed downwards with the senior passing directives. Juniors are not allowed to question decisions made by managers. According to the management style employed in China, an important advice to learn is that a manager should portray the image of a father figure who asks and gets obedience and loyalty from coworkers.

The manager should reciprocate this by ensuring the well being of the coworkers, this will mutually benefit both these parties. Usually the Communist party keeps close ties with managers and influence many decisions made concerning these businesses. They are seen as the ones who control these businesses behind the scenes. It is thought that quality, experienced managers are lacking in China partly because it is a fast growing economy.

The few who are available are too costly; this makes the recruitment and retention process difficult. As a manager, I will avoid outside influence from members of the Communist party to ensure there is no conflict in running the business, and in the relationship with my subordinates. I will also follow the advice above and look after the well being of my coworkers to build a beneficial mutual relationship.

References

Bradford, EB 2003, A History of Brazil, Columbia University Press, New York.

Edward, L 2009, Management Styles: U.S., Europe, Japan, China, India, Brazil, Russia, Journal of Management, vol. 5, pp. 112-115.

Fausto, B 2009, A Concise History of Brazi, CUP, Cambridge.

Martinez-Lara, J 2005, Building Democracy in Brazil: The Politics of Constitutional Change, Macmillan, UK.

Schneyer, J 2011, “Brazil, the New Oil Superpower”, Business Journal, vol. 4, pp. 118-124.

Wagley, C 2003, An Introduction to Brazil, Columbia University Press, New York.

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