Business Diplomat: Know the Country

If the investor carries his state’s interests with him, what must he know? In this part of its interview series, Business Diplomat presents Prof. Dr. Ragıp Kutay Karaca’s answer.

First observation: five things to know
“From this perspective, such business people need to know the sociological and psychological levels of that country, how its economy works, the people’s approach, and how the politics of that country works.”
The list moves from society to the individual to the economy to public opinion to politics. A business person must therefore understand how a society is composed, how its people think and feel, how its economy functions, what the public expects, and how political decisions are made.

Second observation: investment becomes diplomacy
“Therefore, the investments made by business people are becoming more and more a matter of diplomacy.”
The words “more and more” describe a trend. Investment is not only a financial decision; it is increasingly an act with diplomatic meaning. The knowledge the previous sentence lists is the knowledge a diplomat is expected to have.

The logic of the assessment
Investors carry their state’s interests. To act well, they must know the host country at every level. And as a result, investment is increasingly diplomacy.

The role of Business Diplomat
The platform’s mission is to give young people experience, bring a diplomatic order to the business world, and benefit states by revitalising the economy. Karaca’s list can serve as a curriculum outline: society, psychology, economy, public attitudes and politics. Business Diplomat can help young professionals build that knowledge before they invest.

Conclusion
Investors need a diplomat’s knowledge of the host country because their investments increasingly have diplomatic weight. Business Diplomat aims to help young professionals acquire it.