International sales force development: Cultural congruence and acculturation

Abstract

American expatriate salespersons' performance is inadequate when compared to the Japanese and European expatriates. This ineffective sales performance is costly to American multinationals. Cultural congruence is a key component in a successful expatriate salesperson's training program. A training program which develops congruence between the corporate culture and the local culture will enhance the performance of the expatriate salesperson and improve the overall performance of the U.S. multinational corporations.