Kristine Menn
International business consultant

T

 
he daughter of former TLU President Joe Menn, Kristine Menn translated her early interests into her life’s work. The Torch catches up with her during her recent visit to Texas when she spoke to an international business class on the TLU campus.

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When did you become interested in international cultures?

When I started my undergraduate work at Austin College, I took a lot of Spanish classes and studied in Madrid for a year. This experience opened up my eyes to various cultures of the world. Upon returning to the U.S., I transferred to TLU and decided it would be more practical to major in business. I became very interested in international business, especially after taking Dr. Lockard’s class. Still, I always wanted to tie the two areas, language and business, together. This opportunity came about when I earned a master’s degree from Thunderbird – The American Graduate School of International Management in Glendale, Ariz. This degree is three-fold: international business, languages and cultures, and international relations.

While there, I met my husband, Luis Henrique Meirelles Reis, and we were married at TLU in the Chapel of the Abiding Presence. Luis was working in Miami, so I moved there after the wedding and did international marketing

Kristine Menn and her husband Luis Henrique Meorelles Reis.

research. Within a few years, we moved to São Paulo, and last September we moved to Rio de Janeiro. It’s a dream come true, because Rio is probably the most beautiful city I’ve ever seen. And besides that, Luis’ family lives here!


Were you a professor before you began consulting?

Yes, I taught in the department of International Relations at the University of São Paulo, giving English classes for Intercultural Communication and Intercultural Negotiations and at the University’s Language Center. Since moving to Rio I am consulting and working with my team, the KEM Group, an association of professionals I put together that focuses on both intercultural communication and professional language communication. Among my clients are companies involved in the upcoming Olympics, and a few months ago I took part in a presentation about Brazilian culture for the U.S. Olympic Committee. It’s very exciting to be in Rio at this time – there’s lots of energy in the air!


What is the most difficult part about teaching Americans to do business in Brazil?

Most people would assume that the most difficult part about living and doing business in another culture is the language. However, although it may be one of the most obvious differences, I can assure you that language is not the main problem. There are cultural aspects that are so deeply hidden, no one is aware that they exist until the business deal doesn’t go through and people start looking for reasons. One of the main components of culture that is so different between the U.S. and Brazil is the way of communicating. In Brazil, people are very polite, and would never want to say anything that might embarrass you. In their minds, saying “no” to someone is an insult and may offend a person. So, even after living here for 15 years, I still don’t always know when a “yes” means “yes” and when a “yes” means “no.” Brazilians know through other clues – nonverbal communication such as silences, pauses, body language, past experiences, etc. that they have subconsciously learned. Americans are very direct and may become suspicious of someone who we feel isn’t straight with us; Brazilians, on the other hand, find Americans’ directness as rude and insensitive. This difference can have serious implications in the workplace, for example, if an American company and Brazilian company are trying to work together or come to a decision on an issue.

Another big difference concerns the attitude toward time. Americans feel that time is money – we have to schedule everything in neat little time slots according to the clock; if we are not really finished with one thing, but have another scheduled, we feel we have to “stick to the schedule.” Brazilians have a more flexible attitude toward time. If something doesn’t get done on time, that’s OK – they feel it’s important to take as much time as necessary to have the best outcome possible. In Brazil, business and social events have a tendency to start a little late, and it’s considered all right, especially in the social context. Here’s one example – if someone invites you to a party at around 9 p.m., you can be sure that people will begin arriving around 10:30 (if you get there at 9, the host will probably still be in the shower!)

ADDITIONAL ON-LINE CONTENT Read about Menn's memories growing up on the TLU campus.

These are only two examples – there are so many! And of course, I am really making big cultural generalizations – obviously, some Americans behave more “Brazilian-like” and vice versa.


What one thing do you wish Americans would better understand about Brazil?

Brazil is a huge, diverse, rich country of great contrasts – it’s bigger than the continental U.S. – and has so many subcultures. For example, São Paulo has the largest Japanese population outside of Japan (1 million Japanese or people of Japanese descent live there), and there are communities in the South where only German is spoken still today (that’s the area where most of the Lutheran population lives). There are also many blacks; in fact about half the population has some degree of African ancestry.

Another is that the media portrays only the negative – the crime and violence. It’s true that we do have our problems here, based largely on an extremely uneven distribution of wealth, but the things one sees on TV or reads about are largely not reality for most Brazilians. A recent study reported by the Economic Intelligence Unit measured the level of peace in 212 countries. The results showed that Brazil is classified as the 83rd most peaceful country, but the U.S. ranked 96th. So, according to this study, Brazil is more peaceful than the U.S.


What is your favorite part of living in Brazil?

Many things! One of the best things about this country is its people. They are warm and personable, and would bend over backwards to try to help out or do a favor. My other favorite thing about Brazil is nature. It is so beautiful – the beaches, mountains, rivers and so many interesting types of plants and animals. We even had little monkeys that showed up in our backyard almost every day to eat the mangoes and bananas from our trees when we lived out in the suburbs of São Paulo. ♦

Kristine Menn speaks to a TLU international business class about Brazil.