Hindus, India's largest religious population, consider it unholy to eat beef.Muslims, Mormons, and Seventh Day Adventists avoid alcohol.Vodka is served neat, and you should drink it all at once Russians consider sipping vodka to be rude. Try to avoid turning down vodka in Russia – when it's offered, it's a sign of trust and friendship.And never cross your chopsticks they should always lie side by side. Don't use them to spear a piece of food or to tap a glass or bowl, either. Never use them in a gesture or for pointing, and never stick them upright in your rice bowl: this is an omen of death. Pay careful attention to how you use your chopsticks in Asian countries.For example, your hosts in Russia, Greece, and Italy could be offended if you don't eat enough. How much you eat can cause offense in some cultures.This isn't the case in, for example, Japan, where colleagues often discuss work after hours and while socializing over a meal. Most conversation takes place after dinner. In Asian and Russian cultures, it's common not to talk during a meal because the food is the focus.Manners and expectations at the table can also differ. People abstain from eating and drinking certain foods for many religious and cultural reasons. This list is not exhaustive! Please let us know about customs in your country using the comments section at the bottom of this article. How do people in this culture communicate? How direct are they in what they say and mean?.How do individuals relate to their employers?.How does this culture display and respect power? Which authority figures are revered?.What are the social rules and boundaries surrounding gender?.How does this culture treat time and scheduling?.How do people make decisions, conduct relationships, and display emotion?.What values does this culture embrace? How do those values compare with those of your culture?.
Considering Cultural DifferencesĬonsider the following questions when thinking about how a culture might differ from your own: And when you do this in a business context, you'll improve your working relationships and develop your own reputation. When you take time to understand the reasons for this diversity, you show respect for other people's cultures. Our world's diversity is what makes it so fascinating. And your customers, too, may be located in dozens of countries worldwide. Your organization might decide to acquire or merge with an organization in a different country. Stop and think about how many different cultures you come into contact with at work.Įven if you work in your home country, your colleagues and suppliers could hail from other cultures. It's not just professionals working overseas who need to learn cross-cultural business etiquette. We'll also highlight some gestures and actions to avoid if you want to build good working relationships with people from these cultures. In this article, we'll discuss why it is so important to be aware of different cultural traditions. In fact, whatever culture you're from, it's likely that you routinely do something that could cause offense somewhere else in the world. They could even damage a relationship or ruin a major deal. But in others, they can give a wrong impression or cause offense.
In many countries, these actions are harmless. What could be wrong with sipping vodka in Russia? Or with eating with your left hand in India, or with patting the back of a colleague in Korea to thank them for a "job well done"? Put your best foot forward when working in unfamiliar cultures.
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