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The culture of business
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If you are just a traveller with clear plans of just sightseeing and shopping, reading some travel guides and maps is sufficient. But, for an executive on a business trip, one should have a thorough cultural and business orientation of the country to be visited.
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THERE IS an Old Spanish proverb, which says, "He, who would bring home the wealth of the Indies, must carry the wealth of the Indies with him." The interpretation of this proverb can be a little tricky. When I first came across this proverb, my understanding of it was very literal indeed! It went something like this — if I am going to shop, I better lug all the stuff back!
The more worldly and mature I became, I understood and appreciated the true meaning of these lines.
If you want to benefit from the bounty of the Indies, you better take their cultural wealth with you before you go! How true! One realises extraordinary benefits from a foreign country and its people only when they do their homework before the journey and carry with them a wealth of understanding and knowledge about that culture, its people and how they think.
In the new world, economic co-dependence and cooperation are the reality and the life support of many nations, businesses and individuals. So what does one have to know before the business travel? Just looking at maps and reading some travel guides are sufficient, if your plans are basically sight seeing, beaches and shopping. Hardly the activities of a bleary eyed, jet lagged businessman who most probably is going to see only his hotel room and conference room in many exotic cities around the world.So what is the wealth of knowledge you should be carrying with you, along with your passport, visa and tickets?
Their cultural orientation — which gives you an excellent idea as to what makes them tick as individuals and groups.
Here are some major points on which you need to be aware of.
* Be aware of their business culture. Are they hierarchical or egalitarian in their decision making process?
* Their management styles.
* Their negotiating styles.
* Their sensitivity level for taking risks.
* Their views of time and time lines of decisions.
* What is the behaviour pattern they follow before any active discussion can start? For example, in many cultures there is no rushing them. It might take a couple of meetings at least, before any active business discussion takes place.
* Does the culture foster a rule-oriented or relationship-oriented decision-making?
* Topics that are okay and not okay to talk about.
* Their physical gestures and facial expressions in comparison to what you are used to the similarities and differences. The last thing you want is to inadvertently do or say something to confuse or offend them.
* Be aware of seating plans in a meeting. Gives you a clue as to the power structure. Unlike the western style where the most important person sits at the head of the table in a meeting, in the Far East, the most important person is seated at the side of the table with people seated in descending order of importance on either side of him.
* Appropriate gifts to give. For example, in Korea and Japan, anything with four numbers is inappropriate because the number four is considered unlucky.
This list, which is far from exhaustive, is just to get you started to take the time and effort to understand the cultural nuances of doing business or living in another country. In short, a man must carry knowledge with him if he wants to bring home success.
(The writer is the Director of ProEt Centre for International Protocol and Etiquette. Ph: 3372004/ 6503605, e-mail:proetique@yahoo.co.in)
CHITRA DANGER
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