And most of the problem was due to a cultural misunderstanding. As an international attorney who has traveled to over 50 countries, I have to say that most deals don't live or die by the law. If they can kill Fortune 500 billion-dollar deals, they can certainly kill much smaller ones. Yet Most U.S. executives still think that if you hire the biggest guy around and throw a lot of money at a project, it will automatically work. What happened to them in Bombay was a political party change, after decades of one party control.
All hell breaks loose regarding future appointments, etc.
Yet, our executives weren't expecting it, nor the ramifications. And all you really wanted to do was get some sleep at 35,000 feet somewhere over the Pacific. So you have people who know how to please their corporate superiors, but who don't know a damn thing about treating a German or Mexican executive the proper respect necessary to win his favor for a multi-million dollar check. Please understand that the reason for this is not to knock Americans. How well or how poorly we do depends on how well we know the global game, both culturally and legally.