You are a young graduate with strong skills in Cultural Differences and International Negotiations, after having read the subject and the attached elements of the Bridgestone group and its cooperation with Michelin, answer the question asked.

Question: After analyzing these four excerpts, how could you help Masahiro Higashi be well prepared to deal with cultural signals in his scheduled negotiation. Argue your answer by indicating the main cultural dimensions that Masahiro Higashi should not ignore if he wants a sustainable partnership in the target markets of Europe & Africa in the field of e-commerce.

context :

Bridgestone Corporation is a Japanese industry that manufactures tires. Its head office is in Tokyo. A world leader in its industry (tires and rubber), Bridgestone was founded in 1931 by Shjir Ishibashi. Its factories (manufacturing and R&D facilities) are located in 178 countries and territories around the world. The Bridgestone Group employs approximately 144,000 people worldwide. Building on its expertise in providing solutions for safe and sustainable mobility, Bridgestone offers a diverse product portfolio of premium tires and advanced solutions supported by innovative technologies, improving the way people around the world move, live, work and play. M. H. Managing Director of Bridgestone's global operations plans to hold a negotiation meeting to increase his company's reach throughout their distribution networks around the world. He also intends to capitalize on Bridgestone and Michelin's collaboration to expand its global sales points, primarily in Europe and Africa. The anticipated future is a massive expansion of e-commerce. Accompanied, Masahiro Higashi organized a physical tour in order to develop a strategy of international negotiations that he intends to use for the success of his tire development project. Here are a few highlights from this first visit tour:

M H., in France Have you received the documentation on the e-commerce development project which is part of our joint project for sustainable development in our tire industries?

In France, the Business Manager, 55 years old, has been with Michelin for 22 years. After offering a coffee, she answers: "We work with a network of tire specialists which is Euromaster with 2,300 points of sale in 17 countries including Africa. We also have a partnership with two world leaders in tire e-commerce: Black Circles and Allopneus.

M. H., in Germany Your important company, Reiff Reifen und Autotechnik GmbH, we are happy to reach out to Germany with this partnership. We want to grow together with e-commerce.

In Germany, S. is a young American who works as a sales manager in one of the stores of Reiff Reifen und Autotechnik GmbH in southern Germany. After a handshake and eye contact, the two men start talking. Steven concludes the meeting by saying that he hopes he was genuine about the proposals for the development of e-commerce in the European market. He announced that he would send him the minutes of this long interview which lasted two hours.

Masahiro Higashi, in Morocco Apart from our presence in South Africa, we have very little presence on the African continent. We are planning to make international investments in Africa, especially in e-commerce.

In Morocco, M. is a businessman. He has two outlets in Morocco and two SME subsidiaries in the sub-region (Algeria and Nigeria). He says that African markets are very difficult (institutional, legal, cultural, etc.), and today very competitive. He asks Masahiro Higashi and his Japanese companion if they have contacts with local economic actors. Medhi ends his interview with "Inch'Allah" (God willing).

Masahiro Higashi, in Ivory Coast,

he arrived in addition to his Japanese guide, a local guide who works with Michelin. We have a project to develop e-commerce.

In Ivory Coast, D. has been an entrepreneur for 35 years. He receives Mr. Masahiro in his office. He is dressed in a suit and tie for the interview. He is an authorized distributor of many European, Asian and African suppliers. He does not sell Bridgestone tire brands. He is present on the internet to promote his activities. "With us here in Africa, we are like you actually. We are born to extend the family. The identity of my little structure is that it is a family business. We already know that some e-commerce brands have failed in Africa. The business context is difficult. Asia is imposing a new business model in Africa, we observe. For the moment, I do not believe too much in e-commerce, perhaps it will come with time.

info on Michelin :

Michelin is a tyre manufacturer based in Clermont-Ferrand in

the Auvergne rgion of France.

It is one of the three largest tyre manufacturers in the world along

with Bridgestone and GoodYear.

In addition to the Michelin brand, it also owns the BFGoodrich, Kleber, Riken, Kormoran and Uniroyal (in North America) tyre brands.

It is also notable for its Red and Green travel guides, its roadmaps, the Michelin stars that the Red Guide awards to restaurants for their cooking, and for its company mascot Bibendum, colloquially known as the Michelin Man.

Among Michelin's numerous inventions, there is the removable tyre:

- The"PNEURAIL"(atyrefortrainsmadetorunonrails),and

- The radial tyre technology now used in modern "GREEN TYRES" that reduce fuel consumption.