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10 Things Every Expat to Mexico Should Know
by Gary Wederspahn
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2. Identify the real decision-maker
Americans need to identify who the decision maker is among
their Mexican counterparts – and more often than not,
that decision maker is one man. This stems from a cultural and
historical emphasis on personalismo (personalism), which has
developed very strong political leaders in Mexico. Such leaders
are followed more because of who they are as people than for
their ideology or political affiliation. Consequently, those who
are not dealing with the decision maker are simply going through
an extra step in the negotiating process.
In the United States, there are often many people involved
in decision making – lawyers, technical specialists, line manage-
ment, factory representatives – and decisions are usually reached
by committee or group process. It is important for Americans not
to assume this is also the case on the Mexican side. Mexicans
decide whether to do business with you based on their assessment
of the negotiations, as well as their feelings about your company
and the individuals who represent it.
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