Basic Rule #2: Eat, Drink,and Be Wary.
Away from home, eating is alanguage all its own. No words can match it for saying "glad to meet you... glad to be doing business with you . . . glad to have-you here."Mealtime is no time for a thanks-but-no-thanks response. Accepting what is onyour plate is tantamount to accepting host, country, and company. So no matterhow tough things may be to swallow, swallow. Often what is offered constitutesyour host jj country's proudest culinary achievements. Squeamishness comes notso much from the thing itself as from, your unfamiliarity with it. After all,an oyster has | remarkably the same look and consistency as a sheep’s eye (adelicacy in Saudi Arabia).
Is there anypolite way out besides the back door? Most business travelers say no, at leastnot before taking a few bites. It helps to slice unfamiliar food very thin.This way, you minimize the texture and the reminder of where it came from.Another useful dodge is not knowing what you are eating. What's for dinner?Don't ask.
BasicRule #3: Clothes Can Make You or Break You
Wherever you are, you should not lookout of place. Wear something you look natural in, something you know how towear, and something that fits in with your surroundings. For example, a womandressed in a tailored suit, even with high heels and flowery blouse, looksstartlingly masculine in a country full of diaphanous saris. More appropriateattire might be a silky, loose-fitting dress in a bright color. With fewexceptions, the general rule everywhere, whether for business, for eating out,or even for visiting people at home, is that you should be very buttoned up:conservative suit and tie for men, dress or skirt-suit for women.
BasicRule #4: American Spoken Here— You Hope.
We should be grateful that so many peopleoutside the United States speak English. Even where Americans aren'tunderstood, their language often is. It's when we try to speak someone else'slanguage that the most dramatic failures of communication seem to occur. Attimes, the way we speak is as misinterpreted as what we are trying to say; somelanguages are incomprehensible as pronounced by outsiders. But no matter howyou twist most native tongues, some meaning gets through—or at least you get anA for effort even if it doesn't. Memorizing a toast or greeting nearlyalways serves to break the ice, if not the communication barrier.
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Rules ofetiquette may be formal or informal. Formal rules are the specifically taught"rights" and "wrongs" of how to behave in commonsituations, such as table manners at meals. Members of a culture can put intowords the formal rule being violated. Informal social rules are much moredifficult to identify and are usually learned by watching how people behave andthen imitating that behaviour. Informal rules govern how men and women are supposedto behave, how and when people may touch each other, when it is appropriate touse a person's first name, and so on. Violations of these rules cause a greatdeal of discomfort to the members of the culture, but they usually cannotverbalize what it is that bothers them.
ETHNOCENTRICREACTIONS
Althoughlanguage and cultural differences are significant barriers to communication,these problems can be resolved if people maintain an open mind. Unfortunately,however, many of us have an ethnocentric reaction to people from othercultures—that is, we judge all other groups according to our own standards.
Whenwe react ethnocentrically, we ignore the distinctions between our own cultureand the other person's culture. We assume that others will react the same waywe do, that they will operate from the same assumptions, and that they will uselanguage and symbols in the "American" way. An ethnocentric reactionmakes us lose sight of the possibility that our words and actions will bemisunderstood, and it makes us more likely to misunderstand the behaviour offoreigners.
Generally,ethnocentric people are prone to stereotyping and prejudice:
Theygeneralize about an entire group of people on the basis of sketchy evidenceand then develop biased attitudes toward the group. As a consequence, they failto see people as they really are. Instead of talking with Abdul Kar-hum, uniquehuman being, they talk to an Arab. Although they have never met an Arab before,they may already believe that all Arabs are, say, hagglers.The personal qualities of Abdul Kar-hum become insignificant in the face ofsuch preconceptions. Everything he says and does will be forced to fit thepreconceived image.
Bearin mind that Americans are not the only people in the world who are prone toethnocentrism. Often, both parties are guilty of stereotyping and prejudice.Neither is open-minded about the other. Little wonder, then, thatmisunderstandings arise. Fortunately, a healthy dose of tolerance can prevent alot of problems.
TIPSFOR COMMUNICATING WITH PEOPLE FROM OTHER CULTURES
Wemay never completely overcome linguistic and cultural barriers or totally eraseethnocentric tendencies, but we can communicate effectively with people fromother cultures if we work at it.
LEARNINGABOUT A CULTURE
Thebest way to prepare yourself to do business with people from another culture isto study their culture in advance. If you plan to live in another country or todo business there repeatedly, learn the language. The same holds true if youmust work closely with a subculture that has its own language, such asVietnamese Americans or the Hispanic Americans that Vons is trying to reach.Even if you end up transacting business in English, you show respect by makingthe effort to learn the language. In addition, you will learn something aboutthe culture and its customs in the process. If you do not have the time oropportunity to learn the language, at least learn a few words.
Alsoreading books and articles about the culture and talking to people who havedealt with its members, preferably people who have done business with them veryhelpful. Concentrating on learning something about their history, religion,politics, and customs, without ignoring the practical details either. In thatregard, you should know something about another country's weather conditions,health-care facilities, money, transportation, communications, and customsregulations.
Also find out about a country's subcultures,especially its business subculture. Does the business world have its own rulesand protocol? Who makes decisions? How are negotiations usually conducted? Isgift giving expected? What is the etiquette for exchanging business cards? Whatis the appropriate attire for attending a business meeting? Seasoned businesstravellers suggest the following:
•In Spain, let a handshake last five to seven strokes; pulling away too soon maybe interpreted as a sign of rejection. In France, however, the preferredhandshake is a single stroke.
•Never give a gift of liquor in Arab countries.
•In England, never stick pens or other objects in your front suit pocket.;
doingso is considered gauche.
•In Pakistan, don't be surprised when businesspeople excuse themselves in themidst of a meeting to conduct prayers. Moslems pray five times a day.
•Allow plenty of time to get to know the people you're dealing with in Africa.They're suspicious of people who are in a hurry. If you concentrate solely onthe task at hand, Africans will distrust you and avoid doing business with you.
•In Arab countries, never turn down food or drink; it's an insult to refusehospitality of any kind. But don't be too quick to accept, either. A ritualrefusal ("I don't want to put you to any trouble" or "I don'twant to be a bother") is expected before you finally accept.
•Stress the longevity of your companywhen dealing with the Germans, Dutch, and Swiss. If your company has beenaround for a while, the founding date should be printed on your business cards.
Theseare just a few examples of the variations in customs that make interculturalbusiness so interesting.
HANDLINGWRITTEN COMMUNICATION
Interculturalbusiness writing falls into the same general categories as other forms ofbusiness writing. How you handle these categories depends on the subject andpurpose of your message, the relationship between you and the reader, and thecustoms of the person to whom the message is addressed.
Letters
Letters are themost common form of intercultural business correspondence. They serve the samepurposes and follow the same basic organizational plans (direct and indirect)as letters you would send within your own country. Unless you are personallyfluent in the language of the intended readers, you should ordinarily writeyour letters in English or have them translated by a professional translator.If you and the reader speak different languages, be especially concerned withachieving clarity:
• Use short,precise words that say exactly what you mean.
• Rely onspecific terms to explain your points. Avoid abstractions altogether, orillustrate them with concrete examples.
• Stay awayfrom slang, jargon, and buzz words. Such words rarely translate well. Nor doidioms and figurative expressions. Abbreviations, tscfo-nyms (such as NOKAI) and CAD/CAM), and NorthAmerican product names may also lead to confusion.
• Constructsentences that are shorter and simpler than those you might use when writing tosomeone fluent in English.
• Useshort paragraphs. Each paragraph should stick to one topic and be no more thaneight to ten lines.
• Help readersfollow your train of thought by using transitional devices. Precede related pointswith expressions like in addition and first, second, third.
• Use numbers,visual aids, and pre-printed forms to clarify your message. These devices aregenerally understood in most cultures.
Your wordchoice should also reflect the relationship between you and the reader. Ingeneral, be somewhat more formal than you would be in writing to people in yourown culture. In many other cultures, people use a more elaborate, old-fashionedstyle, and you should gear your letters to their expectations. However, do notcarry formality to extremes, or you will sound unnatural.
Interms of format, the two most common approaches for intercultural businessletters are the block style (with blocked paragraphs) and the modified blockstyle (with indented paragraphs). You may use either the American format fordates (with the month, day, and year, in that order) or the European style(with the day before the month and year). For the salutation, use Dear(Title/Last Name). Close the letter with Sincerely or Sincerely yours,and sign it personally.
Ifyou correspond frequently with people in foreign countries, your letterheadshould include the name of your country and cable or telex information. Sendyour letters by air mail, and ask that responses be sent that way as well.
Check thepostage too; rates for sending mail to most other countries are not the same asrates for sending it within your own.
Inthe letters you receive, you will notice that people in other countries usedifferent techniques for their correspondence. If you are aware of some ofthese practices, you will be able to concentrate on the message without passingjudgement on the writers. Their approaches are not good or bad, just different.
TheJapanese, for example, are slow to come to the point. Their letters typicallybegin with a remark about the season or weather. This is followed by an inquiryabout your health or congratulations on your prosperity. A note of thanks foryour patronage might come next. After these preliminaries, the main idea is introduced.If the letter contains bad news, the Japanese begin not with a buffer, but withapologies for disappointing you.
Lettersfrom Latin America look different too. Instead of using letterhead stationery,Latin American companies use a cover page with their printed seal in thecentre. Their letters appear to be longer, because they use much wider margins.
Memosand reports
Memos andreports sent overseas fall into two general categories: those written to andfrom subsidiaries, branches, or joint venture partners and those written toclients or other outsiders. When the memo or report has an internal audience,the style may differ only slightly from that of a memo or report written forinternal use in North America. Because sender and recipient have a workingrelationship and share a common frame of reference, many of the language andcultural barriers that lead to misunderstandings have already been overcome.However, if the reader's native language is not English, you should take extracare to ensure clarity: Use concrete and explicit words, simple and directsentences, short paragraphs, headings, and many transitional devices.
Ifthe memo or report is written for an external audience, the style of thedocument should be relatively formal and impersonal. If possible, the formatshould be like that of reports typically prepared or received by the audience.In the case of long, formal reports, it is also useful to discuss reportingrequirements and expectations with the recipient beforehand and to submit apreliminary draft for comments before delivering the final report.
Otherdocuments
Manyinternational transactions involve shipping and receiving goods. A number ofspecial-purpose documents are required to handle these transactions:
pricequotations, invoices, bills of lading, time drafts, letters of credit, correspondencewith international freight forwarders, packing lists, shipping documents, andcollection documents. Many of these documents are standard forms; you simplyfill in the data as clearly and accurately as possible in the spaces provided.Samples are ordinarily available in a company's files if it frequently doesbusiness abroad. If not, you may obtain descriptions of the necessarydocumentation from the United States Department of Commerce, InternationalTrade Administration, Washington, D.C., 20230. (For Canadian information,contact the Department of External Affairs, Trade Division, Ottawa, Ontario,K1A OG2.)
When preparingforms, pay particular attention to the method you use for stating weights andmeasures and money values. The preferred method is to use the other country'ssystem of measurement and its currency values for documenting the transaction;however, if your company uses U.S. or Canadian weights, measures, and dollars,you should follow that policy. Check any conversion calculations carefully.
HANDLING ORALCOMMUNICATION
Oralcommunication with people from other cultures is more difficult to handle thanwritten communication, but it can also be more rewarding, from both a businessand a personal standpoint. Some transactions simply cannot be handled withoutface-to-face contact.
Whenengaging in oral communication, be alert to the possibilities for misunderstanding.Recognize that you may be sending signals you are unaware of and that you maybe misreading cues sent by the other person. To overcome language and culturalbarriers, follow these suggestions:
• Keep an openmind. Don't stereotype the other person or react with preconceived ideas.Regard the person as an individual first, not as a representative of anotherculture.
• Be alert tothe other person's customs. Expect him or her to have different values,beliefs, expectations, and mannerisms.
• Try to beaware of unintentional meanings that may be read into your message. Clarifyyour true intent by repetition and examples.
• Listencarefully and patiently. If you do not understand a comment, ask the person torepeat it.
• Be aware thatthe other person's body language may mislead you. Gestures and expressionsmean different things in different cultures. Rely more on words than onnon-verbal communication to interpret the message.
•Adapt your style to the other person's. If the other person appears to bedirect and straightforward, follow suit. If not, adjust your behaviour tomatch.
• At the end ofa conversation, be sure that you and the other person both agree on what hasbeen said and decided. Clarify what will happen next.
• Ifappropriate, follow up by writing a letter or memo summarizing the conversationand thanking the person for meeting with you.
In short, takeadvantage of the other person's presence to make sure that your message isgetting across and that you understand his or her message too.
Speechesare both harder and simpler to deal with than personal conversations. On theone hand, speeches don't provide much of an opportunity for exchangingfeedback; on the other, you may either use a translator or prepare your remarksin advance and have someone who is familiar with the culture check them over.If you use a translator, however, be sure to use someone who is familiar notonly with both languages but also with the terminology of your field ofbusiness. Experts recommend that the translator be given a copy of the speechat least a day in advance. Furthermore, a written translation given to membersof the audience to accompany the English speech can help reduce communicationbarriers. The extra effort will be appreciated and will help you get your pointacross.