Cultural Competence: Knowledge

KNOWLEDGE OF CULTURAL PRACTICES AND VIEWS OF THE WORLD

A Survival Guide to International Etiquette When You Arrive Completely Unprepared

The Netherlands' Prince Willem-Alexander gets a hongi greeting from Kaumatua (Maori elder) Peter Love on his arrival with Princess Maxima to their official welcome at Government House in Wellington October 31, 2006.

The Netherlands’ Prince Willem-Alexander gets a hongi greeting from Kaumatua (Maori elder) Peter Love on his arrival with Princess Maxima to their official welcome at Government House in Wellington October 31, 2006.

The best thing to do when doing business with someone from another culture is to do research, but sometimes there simply isn’t enough time.  A prospective client from Dubai may arrive announced, or perhaps you barely had time to pack and board the 12-hour flight to Tokyo.  There are some tips which will help you in almost any business situation in any part of the world.

Before moving further, there are two important pieces of advice for the business traveler:

  1. Relax.  This may be difficult, because you could be suffering from jet lag, disoriented, and not performing at your best.  You could also me nervous about the negotiation.  Keep in mind that in most cases people understand that both sides of an intercultural negotiation will commit at least one cultural gaffe so almost all is automatically forgiven.  If it’s a social engagement, things may be different, but hopefully many of the guests will have some knowledge of other cultures and have travelled.
  2. Pay close attention to your host.  Take your cues from him or her.  Wait to see what he or she does first.

Greetings

  • Don’t know if who should extend his or her hand first?  Try to wait to see what happens.  In most cultures, the more important person begins. 
  • If you’re from the United States and offer to shake hands with another man, it’s probably safe.  However, be prepared for it to last a little longer than expected in some cultures, such as Saudi Arabia and around the Persian Gulf.  Try to take cues from the host.
  • Don’t know if you should shake hands with the woman?  Take the cue from her.  Let her extend her hand first to see if she wishes to shake hands. 
  • After several meetings, in some countries don’t be surprised if you receive a hug or a kiss on one or both cheeks.  Again, take your cues from the host.

Business Card Etiquette

  • Always be ready with business cards, and present them when meeting someone. 
  • When you receive someone else’s business card, look at the card and keep it out while conducting the meeting. 
  • Save the business card. Don’t discard it.

Personal Space

  • Personal space is different in different cultures.  As someone from the United States, be prepared for someone to stand a little closer than usual.
  • Be aware of the issue of personal space, and try to remain in place.  Don’t move forward or backwards.
  • Someone else touching is not always a sign of affection.  Some cultures are more tactile.

Gift-Giving

  • If at all possible, try to do even the minimal research ahead of time to find out what types of gift are proper or improper depending on the situation.

Communication

  • Ask opened-ended questions to confirm that the other person correctly understands.  Avoid questions which can be answered with “yes” or “no”.
  • Remember that communication can be direct and to the point, as it often is the United States.  However, it can also be indirect.
  • Not sure when or where to broach the subject of business?  In the beginning of your meeting, stick to neutral topics, such as your trip, how you like the country, how happy you are to be there, and let the host guide the conversation. 

Punctuality

  • Be punctual, but don’t expect the same.

Business Attire

  • It’s safer to be modest and conservative. 

Alcohol

  • Not sure what to drink or not?  When asked, try telling your host, “I’ll have what you’re having” or “I’ll have the same thing.” or “What do you recommend?”

HELPFUL APPS AND WEB SITES FOR DOING BUSINESS AROUND THE WORLD

 dfa-icon  Click here for a complete list of Dean Foster Associates CultureGuides for Mobile Apps.
 Yale  In order to understand more about other culture values, take a look at Yale University’s summary of American values which has been created for its interntational students.
 Asia  Doing business in Asia? Click her for apps for your iPhone or iPad for Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, Japan and China.
 Chinese  Click here for an iPhone or iPad app for doing Business in China.

__________________

References:

eDiplomat (2012). Cultural Etiquette Around the World. eDiplomat. Retrieved December 2, 2012 from http://www.ediplomat.com/np/cultural_etiquette/cultural_etiquette.htm

InternationalBusinessCenter.org (2012). International Business Etiquette, Manners, & Culture. InternationalBusinessCenter.org.  Retrieved December 2, 2012 from http://www.cyborlink.com/

Leave a comment