what are social/ cultural risks when entering a foreign market?

[dannad]

I just need generalizations of social/ cultural risks that a business can receive when they enter a foreign market.

[Ed Atun]

When American corporations first did business in Japan, they expected to get straight answers when they asked questions of their Japanese partners. But the custom in Japan is not to create conflict. Do not openly disagree with someone else's ideas. So the Americans would propose an idea that the Japanese knew would not work. But the Americans only saw the Japanese smiling and nodding their heads. So they saw that as acceptance. When the idea failed, the Americans were shocked that the Japanese always knew that it would fail.