When you start to do business with different countries, you
can easily notice that some countries have unique business etiquette. Typical example
that I remember immediately is formal and highly ceremonious exchange of
business cards in Japanese culture. When receiving a card, a Japanese person takes
it with both hands, reads it over carefully with keeping eye contact with you. The
business card exchange is a way of expressing the importance one places on an
encounter. There are many different examples like this in cultural behaviours
in doing business internationally. Globalization may decrease differences in
business etiquette of cultures, but it may not eliminate totally. I believe lack of familiarity with a country's cultural
business etiquette remains an important issue. So I would like to share quick
useful tips for some countries with you.
France :
1- In France it is vital to ensure that you make
appointments for both business and social occasions. It is not acceptable in
France to ‘drop in’ on someone unannounced and such conduct will be taken as an
act of rudeness, whatever the occasion. But this can be different in South
France and North France. South France is more casual on punctuality.
2- Fashion and appearance are much more important
in France than in most other countries in the world. The concept of ‘Casual
Friday’ is not widely known in the French workplace. So don’t automatically
turn up to work in your nice weekend sweater and sneakers.
3- The French business lunch is an experience in
itself. Be ready for a style of dining that is formal and long. A very
important rule in French dining etiquette is to keep your hands resting on the
table, never on your lap.
Korea:
1- Avoid
saying 'no' directly. Instead, indicate disagreement or reluctance by
inhaling air through closed teeth, tipping your head backwards and/or saying
'maybe.'
2-
A 'yes' answer is often an acknowledgement of
something being discussed or conveyed, and does not necessarily mean agreement.
3-
Don't write anything with red ink as it's
considered bad luck.
4-
Collectivity and teamwork are valued in Korean
business transactions.
Japan:
1- Bowing which is a standard Japanese greeting is
common when businesspeople meet each other. When bowing you should always bow
deepest to the most senior man. Japanese business culture values its elders for
the wisdom and experience they provide to the company.
2- You should stand at your seat and wait for the
top level person to tell you to be seated. Then, when the meeting is finished,
wait until he has stood up before standing up yourself.
3- Keep your hands out of your pockets while
speaking to someone.
4- Avoid pointing at people with a finger to make a
point. Pointing, whether with fingers or chopsticks, is considered especially
rude in Japan.
Brazil:
1- First names should normally be used,
but titles are important. When meeting and greeting expect a firm handshake,
often for a long time, combined with strong eye contact.
2- There is a relationship based
business. The individual they deal with is more important than the company.
3- Communication is often informal and
does not rely on strict rules of protocol. Anyone who feels they have something
to say will generally add their opinion.
4- Good conversation topics include football, family, children and
music. Bad conversation topics include politics,
poverty, religion and the rainforest.
China:
1- When
you present your own card or receive someone else's, hold the card with both
hands. Grabbing a card with one hand and putting in a pocket without examining
it will give the impression that you are not taking the meeting seriously.
2- The
seating is typically arranged by rank. The host should escort the senior-most
guest to his or her seat as well as any VIP guests.
3- During
any conversation, the Chinese will often nod their heads or make affirmative
utterances. These are signals that they are listening to what is being said and
understand what is being said. These are not agreements to what is being said.
Russia :
1- Always be punctual when doing
business in Russia. However do not take offense if your Russian counterpart is
not.
2- Russians will greet strangers with a
firm, almost bone-crushing handshake (when men shake hands with women, the
handshake is less firm) while maintaining direct eye contact. Until invited to
do so, don’t use first names, as it is important to respect authority and
formality.
3- There is an old Russian proverb:
“They meet you depending on how you’re dressed and they say good-bye depending on how wise you
seem.” Russian people generally pay a lot of attention to their clothing.
These are some of typical behaviours based on observations
and experiences, but I think we should not generalize them too much for
countries, sometimes we see big differences in cultural norms within different profiles
in countries like South-North or new-old generations. I will continue to add tips for other countries
in my further posts.
Resources :
Based on an old tradition, people dress bearskin and dance
at streets. This helps to remove devil around.
In front of each houses, people burn puppets which are made
from wood and paper and represent bad souls. With this, they believe they start
to a fresh year without any harm or danger.
