WORK CLASS APRIL 27TH TO MAY 1ST
GUIDE FOR ONCE A
GUIDE FOR ONCE B
GUIDE POR ONCE C
Mental Map
DIAGNOCTIC ACTIVITY
1. 1. Elabore
un mapa mental sobre la siguiente lectura:
Cultural
behaviour in business
Much of today's
business is conducted across international borders, and while the majority of
the global business community might share the use of English as a common
language, the nuances and expectations of business communication might differ
greatly from culture to culture. A lack of understanding of the cultural norms
and practices of our business acquaintances can result in unfair judgements,
misunderstandings and breakdowns in communication. Here are three basic areas
of differences in the business etiquette around the world that could help stand
you in good stead when you next find yourself working with someone from a
different culture.
Addressing
someone
When discussing
this topic in a training course, a German trainee and a British trainee got
into a hot debate about whether it was appropriate for someone with a doctorate
to use the corresponding title on their business card. The British trainee
maintained that anyone who wasn't a medical doctor expecting to be addressed as
'Dr' was disgustingly pompous and full of themselves. The German trainee,
however, argued that the hard work and years of education put into earning that
PhD should give them full rights to expect to be addressed as 'Dr'.
This stark
difference in opinion over something that could be conceived as minor and thus
easily overlooked goes to show that we often attach meaning to even the most
mundane practices. When things that we are used to are done differently, it
could spark the strongest reactions in us. While many Continental Europeans and
Latin Americans prefer to be addressed with a title, for example Mr or Ms and
their surname when meeting someone in a business context for the first time,
Americans, and increasingly the British, now tend to prefer using their first
names. The best thing to do is to listen and observe how your conversation
partner addresses you and, if you are still unsure, do not be afraid to ask
them how they would like to be addressed.
Smiling
A famous Russian
proverb states that 'a smile without reason is a sign of idiocy' and a
so-called 'smile of respect' is seen as insincere and often regarded with
suspicion in Russia. Yet in countries like the United States, Australia and
Britain, smiling is often interpreted as a sign of openness, friendship and
respect, and is frequently used to break the ice.
In a piece of
research done on smiles across cultures, the researchers found that smiling
individuals were considered more intelligent than non-smiling people in
countries such as Germany, Switzerland, China and Malaysia. However, in
countries like Russia, Japan, South Korea and Iran, pictures of smiling faces
were rated as less intelligent than the non-smiling ones. Meanwhile, in
countries like India, Argentina and the Maldives, smiling was associated with
dishonesty.
Eye contact
An American or
British person might be looking their client in the eye to show that they are
paying full attention to what is being said, but if that client is from Japan
or Korea, they might find the direct eye contact awkward or even disrespectful.
In parts of South America and Africa, prolonged eye contact could also be seen
as challenging authority. In the Middle East, eye contact across genders is
considered inappropriate, although eye contact within a gender could signify
honesty and truthfulness.
Having an
increased awareness of the possible differences in expectations and behaviour
can help us avoid cases of miscommunication, but it is vital that we also
remember that cultural stereotypes can be detrimental to building good business
relationships. Although national cultures could play a part in shaping the way
we behave and think, we are also largely influenced by the region we come from,
the communities we associate with, our age and gender, our corporate culture
and our individual experiences of the world. The knowledge of the potential
differences should therefore be something we keep at the back of our minds,
rather than something that we use to pigeonhole the individuals of an entire
nation.
Taken from: https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/skills/reading/advanced-c1/cultural-behaviour-in-business
