跨文化交際禮儀-Chapter Five Cross-cu

ChapterFiveCross-cultureCommunicationEtiquette跨文化交際禮儀AmericanCountries美洲國(guó)家Part21.AbriefintroductiontoNorthAmericaHowtogreetThehandshakeisthecommongreeting.Handshakesarefirm,briefandconfident.Maintaineyecontactduringthegreeting.Informalcircumstances,youmaywanttousetitlesandsurnamesasacourtesyuntilyouareinvitedtomovetoafirstnamebasis.GreetingsThecontinentofNorthAmericaincludestheUnitedStates,aswellasCanadaandMexico,andcustomsinthesethreecountriesarequitesimilar.BuildingatrustworthyrelationshipwithprofessionalsinMexicoisthebestwaytobeginnegotiations.Negotiationmanners1.AbriefintroductiontoNorthAmericaNegotiationmannersItisbestnottobeoverlypersuasive,andtoavoidanysortofconflictduringpointsofdisagreementbecausethismakesabadimpression.EngaginginafewminutesofsmalltalkwithMexicanbusinesspeopleafterthenegotiationshaveendedisalwaysrecommended.1.AbriefintroductiontoNorthAmericaGenerallyspeaking,intheUnitedStatestheworkingweekconsistsofMondaytoFriday,9am.–5pm.However,duetothestrongworkethicthemajorityofAmericansworkslonghoursandovertimeiscommonpractice.Itisalsocustomarytotakeasfewastendaysholidayperyear.Workinghours1.AbriefintroductiontoNorthAmericaIntheNorthAmerica,businesspeoplevaluepunctuality,anditisappropriatetoarriveafewminutesbeforethemeetingbegins.Thereisnotmuchtimeforsmalltalk,althoughpleasantrieswillbeexchanged,becausethepeoplethereliketogettothebusinessofthemeetingquickly.Time1.AbriefintroductiontoNorthAmericaInMexico,anamountoftimeisspentinsmalltalkbeforethemeeting,anditisnotuncommonforMexicanprofessionalstoarriveupto30minutesaftertheinternationalprofessionalhasmadeittothemeetingsite.Time1.AbriefintroductiontoNorthAmericaDuringbusinessmeetingsinCanada,itiscommonforindividualsintheFrenchareastousegesturesandtouchoneanother’sarmswhenspeaking.IntheEnglishregionsofthecountry,bodylanguageismuchmorereservedinaprofessionalsetting.Bodylanguage1.AbriefintroductiontoNorthAmericaItisnotrequiredtogiveagiftatthefirstbusinessmeetinginNorthAmerica;however,itisacceptabletogiveaninitialgiftintheUnitedStatesorMexico—asmalltoken,suchasapresentwithacompanylogo,isappropriate.GiftsareoftengivenattheendofnegotiationsinCanada—aqualitybottleofwineorliquorisanacceptablegift.Gifts1.AbriefintroductiontoNorthAmericaIfinvitedtothehomeofaprofessionalinMexicoortheUnitedStates,itiscustomarytobringflowersorchocolatestothehost;Canadiansdon’tofteninvitecolleaguestotheirhomes.Americanssocializeintheirhomesand“backyards”,alsoinrestaurantsandinotherpublicplaces.It’snotatallunusualforsocialeventstobeascasualasabackyardbarbecueorapicnicinthepark.2.UnitedStatesArriveontimeifinvitedfordinner;nomorethan10minuteslaterthaninvitedtoasmallgathering.Ifitisalargeparty,itisacceptabletoarriveupto30minuteslaterthaninvited.2.UnitedStates2.UnitedStatesAmericansaredirect.Theyvaluelogicandlinearthinkingandexpectpeopletospeakclearlyandinastraightforwardmanner.Tothemifyoudon’t“tellithowitis”yousimplywastetime,andtimeismoney.Ifyoumarefromaculturethatismoresubtleincommunicationstyle,trynottobeinsultedbytheindirectness.3.AbriefintroductiontoSouthAmericaAmericanswillusethetelephonetoconductbusinessthatwouldrequireaface-to-facemeetinginmostothercountries.Theydonotinsistuponseeingorgettingtoknowthepeoplewithwhomtheydobusiness.Trytogettoyourpointmorequicklyanddon’tbeafraidtobemoredirectandhonestthanyouareusedto.3.AbriefintroductiontoSouthAmericaGreetingsWhengreetingbusinesscounterpartsinSouthAmerica,thereareseveralcommoncharacteristics.Inmostcountries,youshouldwaitforyourhosttointroduceyoutoothers.Firstgreetthepersonwhoistheeldestorwhohasthehighestposition.Ahandshakeandeyecontactisusuallytheappropriategreeting.Useformalnamesandhonorificsuntilyourcounterpartbeginstouseamoreinformalnamewithyou.3.AbriefintroductiontoSouthAmericaBusinesscardsInBrazil,youshouldhaveEnglishandPortugueseonthecard.Itisrecommendedthatyoupresentthebusinesscardwiththenativespeaker’slanguagefacingup.IncountriessuchasVenezuela,youshouldincludeyoureducationandprofessionalstatusonthebusinesscard.Itiscommonforbusinesscardstobeexchangedduringthefirstmeeting.Inmostcases,youshouldhavetwosidestoyourbusinesscard:EnglishandSpanish.3.AbriefintroductiontoSouthAmericaInalmostallofSouthAmerica,punctualityisonlyexpectedofyou.YourSouthAmericancounterpartswillusuallybelatetomeetings,althoughtheywillseethemselvesasbeingontime.Venezuelaisanexceptiontothisrule.MostVenezuelanbusinessprofessionalsarriveontimetomeetings.Regardlessoftheirpunctuality,youareexpectedtoarriveontime.PunctualityAccordingtoquintessential,almosteverybusinessmeetinginSouthAmericabeginswithsmalltalk.Mostwillalsoendwithsmalltalk.Businessdoesn'tbeginuntilafteryourcounterpartshavelearnedmoreaboutyouandhavebecomemorecomfortable.3.AbriefintroductiontoSouthAmericaMeetingsBecausepunctualityislessimportanttoSouthAmericans,yourbusinesstransactionswilltaketimeanddebate,regardlessofdeadlines.Youwillhavetobetactfulinattemptingtogetyourtransactioncompletedinthetimeallotted.Meetings3.AbriefintroductiontoSouthAmerica3.AbriefintroductiontoSouthAmericaHolidaysacrossthecontinentinclude:NewYear’sDay(Jan.1),LaborDay(May1),ColumbusDay(Oct.12),NewYear’sEve(Dec.31).HolidaysEverycountryalsohasavarietyofotherholidaysthroughouttheyeartocelebrateIndependenceDay,PatronSaintDayandotherevents.ThetwoweeksaroundChristmasandEasterarealsotimesnottoschedulebusinesstransactions,asmanySouthAmericansareonholiday.3.AbriefintroductiontoSouthAmericaBusinessdresscodeissimilartotheUnitedStates.Youraccessoriesneedtobeofgoodquality,asSouthAmericanstendtonoticeaccessoriesandtreatyouaccordingtohowyouappear.Accordingtotheexperts,residentsoftheeastcoastdressmoreinformallythanthoseonthewestcoast.Attire4.BrazilThoughyourbusinesswilllikelybedoneinEnglish,learnsomePortuguesephrases.YourBrazilianassociateswillappreciateyourmakingtheeffort.Byallmeans,don'tforgetthatthenationallanguageinBrazilisPortuguese,notSpanish.4.BrazilDressconservativelyandprofessionallyinmutedcolorsformenandwomen.Lightcolorsareacceptableforsummer(DecembertoFebruary).Clean,well-manicurednailsareimportantforwomen.Beontime,butdonotbesurprisedifyourBrazilianhoststakeamorerelaxedapproachtoschedules.InthebigcitiesofRioandSaoPaulo,youmayfindthatbeingpunctualholdsmoreimportancethaninotherregions.4.BrazilBeginthemeetinginaleisurelymanner,takingsometimetomakesmalltalkwithyourBrazilianassociates.Jumpingrightintothemeetingisseenasrude,an