AMERICAN BUSINESS CULTURE

Meet and Greet

When you meet your future employers, co-workers, or business contacts for the first time, it is
obviously time for introductions. A firm handshake and friendly smile are appropriate in a
corporate setting, regardless of the other persons gender, age, or seniority in the company.
You should respect a "bubble" of personal space of two or three feet. However, while
encroaching on other peoples space or casual touching, like hugs, is out of place in the office,
maintaining eye contact while talking is a must. This applies even if it might not be respectful in
some other cultures.
The lack of formality is also noticeable when it comes to names and titles. Calling everyone by
their first name is standard in most American companies. Regarding your boss, you might err on
the side of caution and initially address them as "Mr. Smith", "Dr. Tyler", or "Ms. Jones". But
they usually do just the same as your co-workers, asking you to use their given name
immediately. Dont ignore such requests; it might be interpreted as distance or dislike.
If you arent officially introduced to everyone, its due to an oversight or a fairly casual
atmosphere, rather than a lack of courtesy. Simply take a moment to stand up and introduce
yourself with your full name and job position. If business cards are exchanged, people will do
this very casually.
In case you need to introduce other people (e.g. during a meeting or business trip), note that a
less important person is introduced to the more senior or higher-ranking one first, not the other
way round. Dont forget to add a few details about whomever youre introducing, like job title,
area of responsibility, or some personal information, like where they are from.
Small Talk
Once you start making small talk, you should come across as personable, social, and positive. In
the United States, it is considered good manners to "put on your happy face". If someone asks
you, "how are you?", the expected answer is "fine, and how about you?" Its mostly a rhetorical
question, and definitely not an invitation to discuss your digestive problems or marital crisis in
public.
Similarly, the suggestion "lets do lunch some time" when saying goodbye is frequently an
empty courtesy. If youre planning on staying in touch, you should rather follow up and make
specific arrangements.
Good small talk topics include hobbies and leisure, tips concerning local arts and entertainment,
or dining and nightlife, and popular US sports teams. If you already know a little about
someones personal life or family status, you can enquire after peoples spouse, partner, kids, or
relatives.
Politics and religion should be kept out of the workplace, especially controversial issues, like
abortion, capital punishment, or gun control. In general, social pleasantries keep things smooth
among those working together, but they arent necessarily a sign of close friendship.
Communication Style
In general, the dominant style of communication in US business culture is friendly and to the
point. "Yes", "no", and "maybe" normally mean just that; you dont have to read a lot between
the lines.

You are expected to express yourself politely, but clearly, and it is assumed that you will ask
directly if there is something you dont know or understand. Be prepared to be generous with
your compliments, though, and to word criticism carefully.
On the one hand, you should get to the point soon and not talk around the issue. In meetings, for
example, "getting down to business" is paramount. Theres normally a clear agenda and defined
goals.
On the other hand, you need to avoid being considered as overly negative or rude in your
conversations. Too much bluntness appears unprofessional, and so do big emotional displays in
a public setting, especially if you voice negative feelings like disappointment or anger.
Dress for Success
Dont forget about the dress code to make a good first impression! The key is to "sell yourself"
to your new employer and other employees. Your appearance is part of that.
However, dress codes vary widely among regions and fields of employment in the United
States. A Wall Street broker will wear a smart suit and shirt to work, while start-up employees in
Silicon Valley might show up in shorts and t-shirt during office hours.
As a rule of thumb, be slightly overdressed rather than underdressed for your job interview, an
initial meeting, or your first day at work. When you choose among conservative, smart casual,
and casual clothing, always go for one of the first two options, depending on how traditional the
company in question is. If your duties involve personal contact with customers or clients, more
formal attire is often expected.
For instance, if you schedule an appointment for a potential cooperation in finance and
insurance, the most conservative choice should be your first bet: dark suit, tie, and dress shoes
for men, or an understated blazer, blouse, and skirt, as well as pantyhose and pumps, for
women.
But if you are invited to a job interview in the creative industry, a "smart casual" outfit with a
polo shirt and khaki pants for male applicants and nice slacks and a fashionable top for female
candidates will go a long way. Just leave jeans, hoodies, and sneakers at home for the time
being!
Once you know the environment better, you may dress down, if appropriate. Even American
offices with a formal business culture often have "Casual Friday" when you are allowed to wear
a more relaxed outfit. If youre still not sure how to present yourself, your colleagues will be
happy to help.

BRITISH BUSINESS CULTURE

Attitudes and values form the basis of any culture. They reflect the ways people both think and
behave. Knowledge of attitudes and values can therefore be of significant importance if you
wish to communicate with your counterparts effectively. Ignorance can result in a cultural
barrier that may hinder the communication process and have a detrimental effect on the success
of your activities in a given country.
How important is the work-life balance in the UK? How do they value fairness in business?
Although seemingly unimportant and often neglected during the preparation phase, an
understanding of such issues may prove to be invaluable when doing business in the UK. The
following section will introduce you to the essential attitudes and values you will find in the UK
and highlight their implications for business practice.
Corporate and Social Responsibilities
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is becoming more important for businesses in the UK,
where there is strong growth in consumer activism thanks to the prevalence of social media and
grass roots organisations.
The three main themes for CSR in the UK are work place issues (work life balance, human
rights, employment); community contribution (big society/social justice) and the environment
(sustainability of resources, etc). The UK has subscribed to the Millennium Goals of the United
Nations and many business leaders are actively working towards achieving these. The UK
Government supports CSR through tax breaks and the encouragement of charitable giving.
There are several issues that currently represent sensitive topics for UK society. Most notable is
the tax avoidance of large online retailers and international chains exposed by the media in
2013. In times of austerity it is seen as distasteful that such profitable companies should be
seeking legal loopholes to reduce their tax liabilities when normal people and small businesses
are struggling to make ends meet.
Waste management is an important environmental topic, due to unsustainable consumption of
natural resources and environmental damage caused by excess waste. The sector is currently
undergoing a period of substantial change and extensive discussions are taking place in order to
find the best solutions to the problem. The United Kingdom is substantially reducing the
amount of industrial and commercial waste disposed of in landfill sites and increasingly a
growing percentage of household waste is being recycled or composted.
Genetically-modified (GM) food has become a major health and environmental issue in the UK.
Some authorities argue that people still do not have enough knowledge about the way genes
operate to be able to determine the potential long term effects of any modified crops.
The United Kingdom is also concerned with global warming and, as a signatory to the Kyoto
Protocol, continues to reduce greenhouse gasses. This issue is closely linked to another
problematic area, that of transport and its impact on the environment and air quality.
Corporate social responsibility in the Punctuality
In general, the British value time-keeping for business arrangements. If you set up a meeting for
two oclock, the chances are your counterparts will arrive on time or just before. Since the

British are so time conscious, sometimes you may feel their lives are very rushed. In fact,
however, they are only doing their best to avoid losing time, which is valued as an economic
resource. It is considered very impolite to arrive late for a business meeting. If your delay is
inevitable and you arrive late, it is usually sufficient to excuse yourself with an apology. If,
however, you are running more than a few minutes late, you should call ahead to apologise and
give an indication of how long you will be; in the case of a longer delay that would compromise
the value of attending the meeting, you should consider offering to postpone the meeting to a
new time and/or day. The busier people are, the greater the likelihood that they will have to
leave for another engagement, so respecting their time is very important.
Attending social events is slightly different, and guests may be expected to arrive about fifteen
minutes after the specified time, but this is contingent on the nature of the event and the number
of attendees. You need to be particularly careful when using public transport, as some journeys
may take significantly longer than advertised. Public transport, such as trains and buses, is
generally reliable although it is recommended to allow extra time, especially if travelling in
winter when the transport network is usually unable to cope with even the slightest flurry of
snow (unless you are travelling in Scotland). The golden rule is that the more important the
appointment, the more time you should allow for potential delays.
For further information visit:
Gift giving
Gift Giving is not a usual part of British business etiquette, although reciprocation is good
practice when gifts are received. Some organisations are encouraged not to accept any form of
gift and some are prevented from doing so on legal grounds. However, where a gift is offered, it
is important to ensure that it is not expensive enough to be considered a bribe or so inexpensive
as to be considered an insult.
There is a large range of suitable gifts to choose from: company greeting cards, pens, books,
diaries, alcohol, flowers, souvenirs from the visitors country or invitations to a cultural event
etc. If a gift is received in public, it is advisable to open it immediately and express your
gratitude to the giver.
Usually, the successful conclusion of negotiations presents an ideal opportunity for gift giving.
Here the meaning is an acknowledgement of the occasion. Ideally, such gifts will be gold, silver
or porcelain and it is important to consider the suitability of the gift and the taste of the
recipient. It is not usual to exchange business gifts at Christmas; however, it is still good
practice to send a greetings card to express thanks to your business counterparts.
If you receive an invitation to dinner or a party at the home of one of your business colleagues,
it is normal to bring a bottle of wine and possibly a small gift such as flowers or chocolates.
When giving flowers beware that red roses (which signify romantic intentions) and white lilies
(which express grief and are used for funerals) are best avoided.
For further information:
Business dress code

When it comes to business dress codes, classical conservative attire is the norm for both men
and women in British culture and dark colours such as black, dark blue and charcoal grey are
predominant. It is common for women to wear either trousers or a skirt in an office
environment, and head scarves are accepted as part of religious freedom. Many senior managers
are fond of quality and express their status through their choice of clothing. Shopping in
designer boutiques is popular among British society and bespoke suits, designer shirts, silk ties
and hand-made shoes are signs of affluence and status.
Denim is not normally acceptable for professional business meetings and the Scots do not wear
kilts to work. When in doubt about the dress code for a particular business event, it is advisable
to be overdressed rather than risk making a poor impression. It is always relatively easy to hire
suitable attire for special events; your efforts will be appreciated and you will feel that you are
fitting in.
Many organisations provide their non-professional employees with a work-based uniform,
which enables everyone to look corporate and reflects a certain image of the company. The
type of uniform, whether smart or more casual, will give you a good understanding of the type
of organisation and the culture to be found there. Many companies are adopting informal
smart casual uniforms, which are comfortable to wear, but still present a professional image for
the company.
Dress code inevitably varies across industries. In the creative sectors (e.g. digital marketing) a
more relaxed dress code is common just a shirt and trousers. Numerous office-based
organisations have introduced Casual Friday, Casual Day or Dress-Down Friday, where a more
relaxed dress code (and hopefully increased creativity) is encouraged based on the California
inspired Dot Com Business Culture.
If unsure of the dress code and what to wear, it is perfectly acceptable to ask a representative
from the company. It is often better to find out in advance, so you can make any necessary
changes before your introduction to the company. This will put you at ease and make you more
relaxed in your encounters with the company representatives.
Bribery and Corruption
A highly valued sense of fairness is probably the reason why the British are an honest nation
with relatively low levels of corruption. This has been confirmed in a recent report (2012) by
the Global Coalition against Corruption, Transparency International and the United Kingdom
has regularly ranked in the top 10% in the International Corruption Perception Index, which
compares countries from all over the world.
Bribery and corruption are generally taken very seriously in the United Kingdom and the
chances of a bribe being accepted are very low. The risks are too high and it is strongly
advisable not to try to bribe anyone.

JAPANESE BUSINESS CULTURE

Japanese business etiquette' is one of the most searched for Japan business related keywords
according to the Google and Overture search-engines and so I am including this Japanese
business etiquette section as a short introduction to its key aspects. Japanese business etiquette
is the subject of entire books - mostly written by people who have not been to Japan since the
1970s and want us to believe that Japanese business etiquette dictates that even the most trivial
business meeting here has levels of expected etiquette on a par with the tea ceremony!
In practice, Japanese business etiquette is not so different - politeness, sensitivity and good
manners are the pillars of Japanese business etiquette just as they are of business etiquette in
Europe or the US. The main difference is that Japanese business etiquette is more formal especially so at a first meeting when the exchanging of the infamous Japanese business card is
almost ritualistic.
There are certain aspects of Japanese business etiquette (for example business attire) that are
very traditional compared to business in the US and Europe and certain situations (most
especially when doing business with a company where an executive or senior manager has
recently died) where you must be very sensitive. For foreign company executives though,
Japanese business etiquette in 2004 is not too different from that of Germany, France or the UK
and while very different on the surface from US business etiquette, it is not so different once
you get to know the people you are dealing with.
Fortunately you will not be measured as strictly as local businesspeople and minor
transgressions will be tolerated and may even help break the ice. The key issues to be aware of
are almost all related to initial meetings - especially with senior executives of large companies.
As time passes and your relationship with a customer strengthens, the formalities will lessenalthough never to the same extent as in the US.
Here then are some key aspects of Japanese business etiquette:
Japanese business cards:
o In Japanese business etiquette, Japanese business cards are a 'must have'.
Carry at least 100 for a 1 week business trip to Japan and expect to give out 3 - 4
Japanese business cards at a small meeting and as many as 10 - 12 at a larger
meeting. Have double-sided Japanese business cards printed with the Japanese
language side being custom designed using the same elements as the English side.
If your original business card is not English (i.e. German, French, Spanish etc.)
then use double-sided English and Japanese business cards when doing business in
Japan.
o Never flick, throw, slide, lob or otherwise push your Japanese business
card across the table - always present your Japanese business card holding it with
both hands, Japanese-language side facing forward (having your company logo at
the top of the Japanese-language side will help you orientate it correctly!), to the
most senior member of the Japanese party first, bowing slightly as you do so and
then on down the corporate ladder.
o Accept a Japanese business card with respect, using both hands, saying 'Thank you'
or 'Hajimemashite' as you do so.
o Never write notes on a Japanese business card - never! Carry a small note book
to write down notes or enter them into your PDA.

Never fidget or play with a Japanese business card.

o Keep your Japanese business cards in a proper carrying case and treat them with
respect
o Remember to deliberately and carefully pick up all of the Japanese business cards
you receive and put them into your case at the end of the meeting. Forgetting his
business card is a slap in the face to a salaryman even in 2004 - it says you did not
consider him to be relevant. On this point - remember that many people here will
be with their company for life, the most junior employee you meet with today may
control a $50m budget in 10 years time - treat him with the same respect today that
you would then. A young man who served me with green tea at Toyota in 1991
now controls a $100m budget and still remembers that I treated him politely at that
1991 meeting.
o You probably get the idea that Japanese business cards are important!
Business attire:
o Men - Japanese business etiquette may be getting less formal but business attire
does not seem to be changing. Wear dark suits (navy or black) with white shirt and
subdued tie from October - April and gray suit from May - September. Japanese
summers are hot and humid and most Japanese men wear half-sleeve shirts during
the summer months. Do not wear black suit, white shirt and black tie because that
is funeral attire. Japanese men typically have well groomed short hairstyles but if
you are the President of a software, Internet, design or fashion company then a
pony-tail may be acceptable. Japanese companies do not allow male employees to
wear beards nor to shave their heads. Of course your attire is not complete without
your Japanese business cards!
o Women - although not so much an aspect of Japanese business etiquette as of
culture, many Japanese men do not relate easily to women with authority in
business and that can present problems for women executives from the US and
Europe. To avoid being treated as an 'office-lady', I recommend that you wear
shorter (or tied back) hair, trouser suits or longer skirt suits with seasonal colors as
for men. Japanese women are very fashion conscious and many wear Gucci,
Chanel, Prada etc. outfits to and from work (although most companies require their
female staff to wear company uniform while working). Most Japanese companies
do not allow female employees to wear jewelry, very short skirts or high-heeled
shoes. Women too are not properly attired without Japanese business cards!
Business meetings:
o Not strictly Japanese business etiquette but always telephone 1 - 2 hours prior to a
scheduled meeting to confirm that you are on your way.
o If you will be late arriving for a meeting then call at least 1 hour in advance to
allow the customer to reschedule.
o Always arrive 10 minutes early for a meeting, more if the meeting will be with
senior executives.
o Plan an exact agenda for the meeting - if the Japanese side say the meeting will
finish at 4pm then it probably will not be extended because employees and
facilities often run on tight schedules.
o

Wait to be seated in the meeting room because there is a custom regarding which
party sits on which physical side of the table (which supposedly dates back to the
samurai era)!
o It is good Japanese business etiquette to take lots of notes - it indicates interest and
Japanese are trained during induction to note down everything at meetings. If you
forget a discount that you promised in an early meeting, even a year later the
Japanese side will show you the note they made at the time!
o If you need a non-disclosure agreement signed send it well in advance of the
meeting. Many companies here do business without written contracts and are wary
of foreign company contracts because of horror-stories they hear about litigation. If
you suddenly slap a non-disclosure agreement on the table at a first meeting, the
Japanese side will be embarrassed, probably refuse to sign it until it has been
legally reviewed (which can take weeks!) and avoid meeting again.
o Don't forget your Japanese business cards!
Personal habits:
o Do not blow your nose in a public place (including meeting rooms).
o Do not grab your host's hand when first meeting and give it a hearty shake - many
Japanese seldom shake hands and can be so uncomfortable doing so as to avoid
meeting again!
o Never pat a Japanese man on the back or shoulder.
o Never make derogatory remarks about anyone, including your competitors and
own employees.
o Always smile, be pleasant, be willing to learn, ask a lot of questions about your
customer's company (and none about his/her private life).
o Remember to carry your Japanese business cards!.
o