Question

What are some of the miscellaneous cultural customs/traditions that may be of interest to a new manager or person doing business in Ghana/West Africa (or with people from that culture). (This question is from the 4th edition of Cross-Cultural Management Essential Concepts. Editors: David C. Thomas and Mark F. Peterson)

Answer 1

Ghana is one of the world’s top producers in gold and cocoa and is home to a stable democratic environment and an economy with a lot of potential thanks to the introduction of a multi-party system. Ghana has recently started its offshore oil production and the sector is expected to boost economic growth. Ghana is often viewed as the ideal gateway for people who are interested in doing business in the Sub-Saharan area.

GHANAIAN CULTURE - KEY CONCEPTS AND VALUES

Family – Kinship, loyalty and family pride are central to Ghanaian society. Family defines social status and can determine values and behaviors.

Ethnic Diversity – Ghana is extremely diverse with more than 100 different ethnicities. Country’s ethnic diversity there is around 250 languages and dialects spoken in Ghana.

Religion – A result of the influence of the British colonization, Christianity is the most important religion in Ghana and is practiced by around 70% of the population.

As we are knowing that Ghanaians spend time getting to know their business partners so is sure to allow time for relationship building with your counterparts in Ghana. The first few meetings are often spent getting to know the counterparts and then business can be discussed.

Silence is a common way of responding to a question that cannot be answered without causing discomfort or causing a loss of face. Do not try to fill the silence and if something is sensitive ask your counterpart in private. These traditions and customs will create interest of new manager with working with Ghanaians. Relation building customs will make the manager more and more mature in country.