International Business Etiquette

"To have respect for ourselves guides our morals;When you exchange business cards (even if you
and to have a deference for others governs ourexchange them) do you simply pass it over and
manners." Lawrence Sterne, Irish novelist &forget about it? In many countries the business card
satirist (1713 - 1768)has certain etiquette rules. For example in the Arab
Etiquette, or good manners, is an important part ofworld you would never give or receive a business
our day to day lives. Whether we realise it or not wecard with your left hand. In China and Japan you
are always subconsciously adhering to rules ofshould try and use both hands to give and receive. In
etiquette. Much of the time these are unwritten; foraddition it is always good etiquette to examine the
example giving up your seat to a lady or elderlycard and make a positive comment on it. Whereas in
person, queuing for a bus in an orderly fashionthe UK it may be OK to sling the business card into a
according to who arrived first or simply sayingpocket, in many countries you should always treat it
"please" or "thank you". All are examples of etiquette;with much more respect such as storing it in a
complex unwritten rules that reflect a culture's values.business card holder.
Etiquette accomplishes many tasks. However, theThe Etiquette of Personal Space:
one noteworthy function that etiquette doesHow close do you stand to people? Is it impolite to
perform is that it shows respect and deference totouch somebody? What about gender differences?
another. By doing so it maintains good interpersonalIn the Middle East you may get very touchy-feely
relationships. Ultimately, it could be argued, etiquettewith the men, yet one should never touch a woman.
is about making sure that when people mix togetherA slap on the back may be OK in Mexico but in China
there are rules of interaction in place that ensureit is a serious no-no. Touch someone on the head in
their communication, transaction or whatever it mayThailand or Indonesia and you would have caused
be goes smoothly.great insult. Without an appreciation of international
We all now how we or others feel when a lack ofbusiness etiquette, these things would never be
etiquette is shown. If someone jumps the queue,known.
does not thank you for holding the door open forThe Etiquette of Gift Giving:
them or forgets to shake your hand, we naturallyMany countries such as China and Japan have many
feel disrespected and perturbed.etiquette rules surrounding the exchange of business
International Business Etiquettegifts. International business etiquette allows you an
Keeping the above points in mind, now consider theinsight into what to buy, how to give a gift, how to
complexities of working on the international stage.receive, whether to open in front of the giver and
Modern business is global and demands people travelwhat gifts not to buy. Great examples of gifts to
to foreign countries and mix with foreign clients,avoid are anything alcoholic in Muslim countries,
colleagues or customers. Each one of those culturesanything with four of anything in Japan and clocks in
will also have their own etiquette rules, many ofChina.
them unwritten. When two or more different culturesThe Etiquette of Communication:
mix, it is easy for small etiquette mistakes to beSome cultures like to talk loudly (US and Germany),
made that could have negative consequences. Justsome softly (India and China); some speak directly
as you may have felt annoyed when a foreign(Holland and Denmark) others indirectly (UK and
businessman did not shake your hands upon greetingJapan); some tolerate interrupting others while
you, imagine how your Chinese client must have feltspeaking (Brazil) others not (Canada); some are very
when you wrote on his business card or your Indianblunt (Greece) and some very flowery (Middle East).
colleague reacted when you flatly rejected an offerAll will believe the way they are communicating is
of a meal. Sometimes, not understanding thefine, but when transferred into an international
etiquette of another culture means you show a lackcontext this no longer applies. Without the right
of manners and as Lawrence Sterne said, a lack ofinternational business etiquette it is easy to offend.
deference. This can and does lead to souredBy way of conclusion we can state that etiquette
relationships, lost deals and in the end poor businesshelps maintain good relations with people. When
results. Anyone working on the international stagedealing with people from a shared culture, everyone
needs to understand international business etiquette.knows the rules and there is not much to think
International business etiquette manifests in manyabout. Those that lack etiquette are branded as
shapes and sizes. Throughout the world people fromuncouth and rude. However, this is not the same
different cultures have varying etiquette rules aroundwhen working on the international stage. Someone
areas such as personal space, communication, giftmay very well come across as being rude through a
giving, food, business meetings and much more. Forlack of etiquette but this may be because in their
those wanting to make a good impression andculture that behaviour is normal. As a result
understanding of international business etiquette isinternational business etiquette is a key skill for those
crucial. By way of introducing some of the key areaswanting to be successful when working abroad.
within international business etiquette we shall look atThrough a great appreciation and understanding of
the following common areas...others' cultures you build stronger and longer lasting
Business Card Etiquette:business relationships.