“Foreign cultural policy is in itself vital for establishing and maintaining long lasting and deep relations between countries in international membership”
THE PEOPLE
Customs and Ways
Do’s and Don’ts
Conducting Business
Subcultures
Class Distinctions
Language
Religion
POLITICAL WAYS
Local Administration
Parties
PASSING LEISURE TIME
Festivals
Sports
Each country has distinguishing National and Regional cultural characteristics. The success of any prospective foreign business partnership hinges on awareness of and respect for those distinctions.
Although culture encompasses more than etiquette, manners assume heightened importance on the international stage.
Handshake practices for example in Muslim countries a women is never approached with a handshake from a male, expected dress standards and acceptable physical distance during conversation require sensitivity to avoid misunderstandings.
Attitudes toward humour, punctuality and gestures, when unknown, can create deal-threatening confusion.
Differences in forms of address and name order can lead to unintended insults from greeting people incorrectly, negotiating challenges a business person’s communication skills at home.
The process becomes more complex when dealing with parties from different countries. Developing trust requires cross-cultural understanding helped by some ability to speak the language for example translation can be mis-understood.
Risk-taking and decision-making customs that steer negotiations relate to status and, at times, religious beliefs. Familiarity with a foreign colleague’s cultural background enables a negotiator to understand how he/she arrives at a conclusion and what he/she considers to be important.
The negotiator can avoid misunderstandings by learning how people in a country use body language, time and protocol to communicate unspoken messages.
If we have a problem with one of our existing members at times we as the board need to evaluate who is the best person to handle this situation, looking at language and cultural understanding.
