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Do’s and Taboos: Cultural Aspects of International Business

游客2023-09-11  17
问题                   Do’s and Taboos: Cultural Aspects of International Business
                                                           —By M. Katherine Glover
    Understanding and heeding cultural variables is one of the most significant aspects of being successful in any international business endeavor. A lack of familiarity with the business practices, social customs, and etiquette of a country can weaken a company’s position in the market, prevent it from accomplishing its objectives, and ultimately lead to failure.
    As business has become increasingly international and communications technology continues to develop, the need for clearly understood communication between members of different cultures is even more crucial.
    Growing competition for international markets is another reason that companies must consider cultural distinctions. As Secretary of Commerce Robert Mosbacher indicated, "American companies have to rely on all available tactics for winning in the global marketplace today. Learning international business diplomacy should be the first step they take."
    Customs vary widely from one country to another. Something with one meaning in one area may mean the opposite somewhere else. Some of the cultural distinctions that firms most often face include differences in business styles, attitudes towards development of business relationships, attitudes to wards punctuality, negotiating styles, gift-giving customs, greetings, significance of gestures, meanings of colors and numbers, and customs regarding titles.
    American firms must pay close attention to different styles of doing business and the degree of importance placed on developing business relation ships. In some countries, business people have a very direct style, while in others they are much more subtle in style. Many nationalities value the personal relationship more than most Americans do in business. In these countries, long-term relationships based on trust are necessary for doing business. Many U.S. firms make the mistake of rushing into business discussions and "coming on too strong" instead of nurturing the relationship first. According to Roger Axtell in his book Do’s and Taboos of Hosting International Visitors, "There is much more to business than just business in many parts of the world. Socializing, friendships, etiquette, grace, and patience are integral parts of business. Jumping right into business discussions before a get-acquainted interlude can be a bad mistake."
    Charles Ford, Commercial Attach6 in Guatemala, cites this cultural distinction as the greatest difference between the American and Guatemalan styles of doing business. The inexperienced American visitor, he claims, of ten tries to force a business relationship. The abrupt "always watching the clock" style rarely works in Guatemala. A better informed business executive would, he advises, engage in small talk about Guatemala, indicate an interest in the families of his or her business associates, join them for lunch or dinner, and generally allow time for a personal relationship to develop. Solid business opportunities usually follow a strong personal relationship in Guatemala. This holds true for Latin America in general;
    Building a personal rapport is also important when doing business in Greece, according to Sondra Snowdon, President of Snowdon’s International Protocol, Inc., a firm that trains and prepares executives in cross-cultural communications. Business entertaining is usually done in the evening at a local taverna (咖啡厅), and spouses are often included. The relaxed atmosphere is important to building a business relationship based on friendship.
      Belgians, however, are the opposite, Snowdon says. They are likely to get down to business right away and are usually conservative and efficient in their approach to business meetings.
    Attitudes towards punctuality vary greatly from one culture to another and unless understood can cause confusion and misunderstanding. Romanians, Japanese, and Germans are very punctual, while many of the Latin countries have a more relaxed attitude toward time. The Japanese consider it rude to be late for a business meeting, but it is acceptable, even fashionable, to be late for a social occasion.
    In Guatemala on the other hand, according to Ford, a luncheon at a specified time means that some guests might be 10 minutes early, while others may be 45 minutes late.
    When crossing cultural lines, something as simple as a greeting can be misunderstood. The form of greeting differs from culture to culture. Traditional greetings may be a handshake, hug, nose rub, kiss, placing the hands in praying position, or various other gestures. Lack of awareness concerning the country’s accepted form of greeting can lead to awkward encounters.
    The Japanese bow is one of the most well-known forms of greeting. The bow symbolizes respect and humility and is a very important custom to ob serve when doing business with Japanese. There are also different levels of bowing, each with a significant meaning. Japanese and Americans often combine a handshake with a bow so that each culture may show the other respect.
    Handshakes are the accepted form of greeting in Italy. Italians use a handshake for greetings and goodbyes. Unlike the United States, men do not stand when a woman enters or leaves a room, and they do not kiss a woman’s hand. The latter is reserved for royalty.
    The traditional Thai greeting, the wai, is made by placing both hands together in a prayer position at the chin and bowing slightly. The higher the hands, the more respect is symbolized. The fingertips should never be raised above eye level. The gesture means "thank you" and "I’m sorry" as well as "hello." Failure to return a wai greeting is equivalent to refusing to shake hands in the West.
    According to Snowdon, American intentions are often misunderstood and Americans are sometimes perceived as not meaning what they say. For example, in Denmark the standard American greeting "Hi, how are you?" leads the Danes to think the U.S. business person really wants to know how they are. She suggests that, "Hi, I’m pleased to meet you" is preferable and conveys a more sincere message.
    People around the world use body movements or gestures to convey specific messages. Though countries sometimes use the same gestures, they often have very different meanings. Misunderstanding over gestures is a common occurrence in cross-cultural communication, and misinterpretation along these lines can lead to business complications and social embarrassment.
    The "OK" sign commonly used in the United States is a good example of a gesture that has several different meanings according to the country. In France, it means zero: in Japan, it is a symbol for money; and in Brazil, it carries a vulgar connotation.     Assistant Commercial Attach6 in the United Kingdom Thomas Kelsey ad vises that American businessmen should never sit with the ankle resting on the knees. They should instead cross their legs with one knee on top of the other. He also suggests avoiding their backslapping and putting an arm around a new acquaintance.
    In Thailand, it is considered offensive to place one’s arm over the back of the chair in which another person is sitting, and men and women should not show affection in public.
    The use of a palm-up hand and moving index finger signals "come here" in the United States and in some other countries is considered vulgar. In Ethiopia, holding out the hand palm down and repeatedly closing the hand means "come here."
    Proper use of names and titles is often a source of confusion in international business relations. In many countries (including the United Kingdom, France, and Denmark), ft is appropriate to use titles until use of first names is suggested.
    First names are seldom used when doing business in Germany. Visiting business people should use the surname preceded by the title. Titles such as "Herr Direktor’ are sometimes used to indicate prestige, status, and rank.
    Thais, on the other hand, address each other by first names and reserve last names for very formal occasions, or in writing. When using the first name, they often use the honorific "Khun" or a title preceding it. In Belgium, it is important to address French-speaking business contacts as "Monsieur’’ or "Madame," while Dutch-speaking contacts should be addressed "Mr." or "Mrs." According to Sondra Snowdon, to confuse the two is a great insult.
    Customs concerning gift-giving are extremely important to understand. In some cultures, gifts are expected, and failure to present them is considered an insult, whereas in other countries, offering a gift is considered offensive. Business executives also need to know when to present gifts—on the initial visit or afterwards; where to present gifts—in public or private; what type of gift to present; what color it should be; and how many to present.
    Gift-giving is an important part of doing business in Japan. Exchanging gifts symbolizes the depth and strength of a business relationship to the Japanese. Gifts are usually exchanged at the first meeting. When presented with a gift, companies are expected to respond by giving a gift.
    In sharp contrast, gifts are rarely exchanged in Germany and are usually not appropriate. Small gifts are fine, but expensive items are not a general practice.
    Gift-giving is not a normal custom in Belgium or the United Kingdom either, although in both countries, flowers are a suitable gift if invited to someone’s home. Even that is not as easy as it sounds. International executives must use caution to choose appropriate flowers. For example, avoid sending chrysanthemums (especially white) in Belgium and elsewhere in Europe since they are mainly used for funerals. In Europe, it is also considered 13ad luck to present an even number of flowers. Beware of white flowers in Japan where they are associated with death, and purple flowers in Mexico and Brazil.
    Negotiating can be a complex process between parties from the same nation. Negotiating across cultures is even more complicated because of the add ed chance of misunderstanding stemming from cultural differences. Negotia ting styles differ from nation to nation. In addition, a host of cultural variables must be dealt with all at once.
    For example, it is essential to understand the importance of rank in the other country and to know who the decision makers are. It is equally important to be familiar with the business style of the foreign company. Is it important to be direct or subtle? is it necessary to have an established relationship with the company before beginning negotiations? Executives negotiating with foreign companies must also understand the nature of agreements in the country, the importance of gestures, and negotiating etiquette.
    These cultural variables are examples of the things that U.S. executives involved in international business must be aware of. At times in the past, Americans have not had a good track record of being sensitive to cultural distinctions. However, as business has become more global, Americans have be come more sensitive to cultural difference, and the importance of dealing with them effectively. Still, some companies fail to do their homework and make fatal or near-fatal mistakes that could have easily been prevented. A number of firms have learned the hard way that successful domestic strategies do not necessarily work overseas and that business must be adapted to the culture. A company ultimately must not only have a sensitivity to other cultures but also have a good understanding of its own culture and how other countries see American culture. [br] Generally, negotiating is a complicated process by itself, and negotiating across cultures is even more intricate because of ______.
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答案 the added chance of misunderstanding resulting from cultural differences
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