Amazon.com
In a global economy, it is crucial for business people to be sensitive to cultural differences. And although the best reason for doing so may be ethical, it's great for business as well! This is an invaluable book for "doing well while doing good" in your intercultural relations, covering the protocols of appointments, business entertaining, greetings, forms of address, gestures, dress, and gifts in 60 of the nations you're most likely to be doing business. Some interesting excerpts:
- Australia: The "thumbs-up" sign, which in the U.S. indicates "O.K." is considered rude.
- Brazil: The colors of the Brazilian flag are green and yellow, so avoid wearing this combination in any fashion.
- China: Avoid making exaggerated gestures or using dramatic facial expressions. The Chinese do not generally use their hands when speaking, and become distracted by a speaker who does.
- Indonesia: Since it is impolite to disagree with someone, Indonesians rarely say "no"...a clear way to indicate "no" is to suck in air through the teeth.
The authors are very aware that no generalizations apply to all residents of a nation, and are careful not to stereotype or judge. Highly recommended to any business traveler--or any student of the diversity of human cultures.
(Note: a great companion volume for this book is Gestures, which is devoted entirely to explaining the varieties of hand gestures in 82 countries!)
With GATT, NAFTA, and the globalization of business, there is a growing interest in the way cultural differences affect business transactions. A few guides do exist, notably Roger Axtell's
Do's and Taboos around the World (1993) and
The Do's and Taboos of International Trade (1994), but usually the information must be compiled or searched for country by country, and it is not always conveniently or consistently classified. The authors of this encyclopedic resource have put together "cultural" profiles for 60 countries that will be of value to anyone involved with international business. Brief information regarding the history of the country, the type of government, languages, religions, and demographics are included. The authors then provide what they call a cultural orientation for each country, identifying "cognitive styles, negotiation strategies, and value systems." A summary of business practices (appointment scheduling, negotiating do's and don'ts, business entertaining, and time zone information) follows. Finally, "protocol" considerations, such as greetings, titles and forms of address, gestures, gift giving, and appropriate dress, are offered. Although often running the risk of being stereotypical, observations regarding unique cultural differences are highlighted throughout.
David Rouse
