ACROSS CULTURES

1. BUSINESS INTERACTIONS ACROSS CULTURES

2. Local Culture • When doing business abroad it is important to understand the local culture. • Culture includes a country's norms, values, behaviours, food, architecture, fashion and art.

3. Business Etiquette • Understanding business etiquette allows you to feel comfortable in your dealings with foreign friends, colleagues, customers or clients.

4. Some Areas to Consider: • Greeting - Kiss, Bow or Shake Hands • Business Cards • Dressing and Appearance • Time • Pace

5. Some Areas to Consider: • Lateness and Respect • Business Relationships • Dining • Cross Cultural Advertising

6. Greeting - Kiss, Bow or Shake Hands • Greetings vary throughout the world. • A hand shake is the only acceptable public touch a man and woman can share in India; • In Argentina, a man will not participate in a handshake unless the woman initiates it. • In China, greetings are formal and the oldest person is always greeted first.   • Many Chinese will look towards the ground when greeting someone.

7. Business Cards • In Japan, examine the card for a long amount of time to convey respect. • In China, when you receive a business card, accept it with both hands, and DON'T immediately put it in your pocket. • In North America or Europe, the business card etiquette is relaxed and involves no ceremony. • They typically do not exchange business cards at social occasions though it is the norm at business meetings.

8. Dressing and Appearance • Show Values/Affect Our Jugdement • Filipinos dress correctly to reflect status • Germans are very conservative in manners and dress: the male business attire consists of a freshly pressed, dark suit and tie with a plain shirt and dark shoes and socks. • The Spanish link appearance to one’s rank. People of high status would wear suit and tie in very hot weather. • Arab men’s correct business attire include a long loose robe called a ‘dishdasha’ and a white headpiece “kaffiya” secured by a black band “egal”.

9. Time can be polychronic or monochronic: • Polychronic concept of time: • People engage in many tasks at any given moment (multitasking) • People are highly involved in their tasks (workaholics) • Emphasis is on the activity happening at that given moment • People are more spontaneous and appointments can be broken or changed at the last minute • Emphasis is on people, not schedules

10. Time can be polychronic or monochronic: • Monochronic concept of time: • One task at any one time • Time is fixed, saved, lost, made up, crawl, run out and wasted • Schedules and procedures, not people, are treated with great importance • Appointments are viewed as sacred and thus cannot be broken

11. Mark true or false next to the questions to find out if you/your culture are polychronic or monochronic: • T / F You can change appointments anytime you like. • T / F Time can be wasted. • T / F A colleague’s feeling is more important than getting the job done on time. • T / F It is best to concentrate on doing one thing at a time. • T / F It is important to spend time making small talk and other social niceties. • T / F It is best to do one thing at a time and finish it before starting on the next task. • T / F Being spontaneous and flexible is good and encouraged. • T / F It is insulting to be kept waiting. • T / F A task can always be finished tomorrow. • T / F Time equals money.

12. Mark true or false next to the questions to find out if you/your culture are polychronic or monochronic: • If you answered TRUE for most of the odd numbers and FALSE for the rest, you have a polychronic view of time. If you answered TRUE for even numbers and FALSE for the rest, you have a monochronic view of time.

13. Time • People who see time in a polychronic manner are more concerned with the activity and will not let it go once they get involved. • They are less focused on the outcome or product. • People who view time monochronically, invest less time in the activity but are more concerned with the final product or outcome.

14. Pace • When surveying the pace of walking and how fast customers are served, the Japanese are the fastest, followed by the English and then the Americans. • Europeans tend to be slower, with the Italians being the slowest. The Indonesians are also rather slow in pace. • However, the Japanese are slower in decision making as they are a communal society.

15. Lateness and Respect • In cultures that equate time with money, “wasting” someone’s time is a sign of disrespect. • In America, if you keep someone waiting, you are insulting that person. Being punctual is a sign of respect. • In China, being early is a sign of respect. • in Latin America, you should arrive late rather than be early or on time.

16. Business Relationships • Americans and some Europeans quickly establish business relationships, but their relationships are generally superficial and not particularly long lasting. • Throughout the Orient, it takes time to develop the relationship, but once it's developed, it tends to last for a very long time.

17. Cultural Values expressed during meetings between Western and Eastern Society

18. Cultural Values expressed during meetings between Western and Eastern Society

19. Cultural Values expressed during meetings between Western and Eastern Society

20. Dining • In some cultures, business is actually discussed over meals; • In others, meals are used only as a means of getting to know a potential business partner.

21. Cross cultural dining etiquette involves considering the following points: • Seating • Utensils • How to sit? • Conversation • Food. How to eat? • Give compliments? • Finish everything. Ask for more?

22. Dining Etiquette in Japan: • An honoured guest sits at the centre of the table furthest from the door and begins eating first. • Learn to use chopsticks - never point them, never pierce food with them, and rest them on the chopstick rest when breaking for drink or chat. • It is good etiquette to try a bit of everything. • Conversation is subdued.

23. Dining Etiquette in the USA: • The fork is held in the right hand and is used for eating. • To use the knife, the fork is switched to the left hand. To continue eating, the fork is switched back to the right hand. • Foods or drinks can be refused without causing offense. • Many foods are eaten by hand.

24. Dining Etiquette in the Middle East: • Meals are a social affair. Conversations are animate and loud. • Guests are honoured with prime choice of meats such as the head. • Meat is torn by holding down the piece against the dish and ripping off a desired amount with forefinger and thumb pressed together • Eat with your right hand only and do not be afraid of making a mess. • If you have finished, leave food on your plate otherwise it will be filled immediately. • It is proper etiquette to compliment the host on the food and his hospitality.

25. Dining Etiquette in China: • The host starts eating first and also offers the first toast. • Hold the rice bowl close to your mouth while eating. • Do not put bones in your bowl. Place them on the table or in a special bowl for that purpose. • Do not put chopsticks vertically in rice in a bowl since it resembles incense sticks for the dead. • Do not be offended if a Chinese person makes slurping or belching sounds; it merely indicates that they are enjoying their food.

26. Cross Cultural Advertising • When advertising abroad, the cultural values of a society must be analysed carefully. • For example, advertising that focuses on individual success, independence and stressing the word "I" would be received negatively in countries where teamwork is considered a positive quality.

27. Cross Cultural Advertising • Colours: There are lucky colours, such as red in China and unlucky colours, such as black in Japan. Green is considered a special colour in Islam. • Numbers: Hotels in USA/UK do not have a room 13/13th floor. 4 is considered an unlucky number in some Chinese cultures. • Images: Common to see pictures of women in bikinis on advertising posters in London, but such images would cause outrage in the Middle East.