Doing Business In Brazil

Abstract

This paper explores Brazil and its culture and STERIS Corporation, a multinational corporation that is a leading provider of infection prevention, contamination prevention, microbial reduction, and therapy support systems, products, services, and technologies to health care, scientific, research, food and industrial customers throughout the world. It exams how the STERIS adapted to the Brazilian culture and its strategies to succeed in the Latin-American marked.

STERIS Corporation

Doing Business in Brazil

STERIS is a publicity traded company that has a stellar reputation in the Healthcare and life Sciences markets and is known for its customer focus, innovation and expertise in designing and building high performance environments within the sterile processing department as well as operating rooms and gastrointestinal suites. “While the corporation was founded as Innovative Medical Technologies in 1985 and renamed STERIS in 1987, our history dates back to 1894 with the founding of American Sterilizer Company, a long-time, global leading innovator of sterilization products” . The mission of STERIS Corporation is to provide a healthier today and safer tomorrow through knowledgeable people and innovative infection prevention, decontamination and health science technologies, products and services. The company as approximately 6,000 dedicated employees around the world working together to supply a broad array of solutions by offering a combination of equipment, consumables and services to healthcare, pharmaceutical, industrial and government customers.

STERIS Corporation has chosen Brazil as one of its business expansions, in my opinion, a great challenge considering the Brazilian’s decaying poor health care system. The national health policy is based on the Federal Constitution of 1988, which sets out the principles and directives for the delivery of health care in the country through the Unified Health System (SUS). Under the constitution, the activities of the federal government are to be based on multiyear plans approved by the national congress for four-year periods. The essential objectives for the health sector were improvement of the overall health situation, with emphasis on reduction of child mortality, and political-institutional reorganization of the sector, with a view to enhancing the operative capacity of the SUS. The plan for the next period (2000–2003) reinforces the previous objectives and prioritizes measures to ensure access at activities and services, improve care, and consolidate the decentralization of SUS management. A defining characteristic of the contemporary health sector reform in Brazil is that it was driven by civil society rather than by governments, political parties, or international organizations. The advent of the Unified Health System increased access to health care for a substantial proportion of the Brazilian population, at a time when the system was becoming increasingly privatized. Much is still to be done if universal health care is to be achieved. Over the past 20 years, there have been other advances, including investments in human resources, science and technology, and primary care, and a substantial decentralization process, widespread social participation, and growing public awareness of a right to health care.

In addition Brazil is a country of continental dimensions with widespread regional and social inequalities. Considered a Latin American country, Brazil has some characteristics that make it markedly different to manage as compared to other Latin American countries. It was colonized by Portugal and even though multicultural, it still demonstrates many attributes derived from its Portuguese heritage, including its official language.

On the positive side, Brazil is the biggest country in Latin America and its economy has been undergoing a continuous growth and development from 2004 which has led to a rise in employment and real wages. The economic system of Brazil is standing on a floating exchange rate, a regime that is inflation targeting and a compressed fiscal policy and by choosing Brazil for its first venture outside USA, Canada and Europe, STERIS is aiming to take over the entire Latin-American market with its products and services.

When it comes to work ethics, we notice that in Brazil it is completely different the one adopted in the USA, it tends to be relaxed, often respecting those who inherit wealth and have strong familial roots over those seeking entrepreneurial opportunities. They view time in a very relaxed manner, so punctuality is not a strong suit in this country. Brazilians are warm and welcoming people therefore physical contact is acceptable as a form of communication and face-to-face interaction is preferred as a way of communicate. They “tend not to trust others so be sure to form a strong relationship before bringing up business issues”. Being yourself and honest is the best option to build a close relationship as it is extremely important, since they will do anything