4. 8pm October 26, 27 or 28.
Royal Alexander Theatre
$25 CASH
Send registration form
before October 15th
Pay before October 21st
Reserve your ticket now
maurice.platero@senecac.on.ca
6. Topics
Greeting and Handshaking Customs
Verbal Expressions
Male and Female Relationships/Workplace Equality
Humor in Business
Superstitions and Taboos
Dress and Appearance
7. Topics
Customs Associated with Holidays and Holy Days
Office Customs and Practices
Customary Demeanor/Behavior
Bribery
Special Foods and Consumption Taboos
8. Customs
Customs are behaviors generally expected in specific situations;
they are established, socially acceptable ways of behaving in given
circumstances.
Examples of U.S. customs include eating turkey on Thanksgiving
and starting presentations with a joke.
Image source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dionhinchcliffe/
9. Greeting and Handshaking Customs
U.S. persons are
informal in their
greetings, often
saying “Hi” to
complete strangers.
U.S. greeting behavior
is ritualistic; upon
arriving at work, one
person says: “Good
morning, how are
you?” to which the
other person
responds: “Fine,
thank you, and how
are you?”
Image source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/slava/
10. Greeting and Handshaking Customs
Embracing is inappropriate as a form of greeting in the U.S., but
in Latin America people embrace after a handshake.
Bowing is the customary form of greeting in Japan.
11. Handshakes
• FirmU.S./Canada
• Gentle (except for
Koreans who have a
firm handshake)
Asians
• SoftBritish
• Light and quick;
repeated upon arrival
and departure
French
12. Handshakes
• Firm; repeated upon
arrival and departure
Germans
• Moderate grasp;
repeated frequently
Hispanics
• Gentle; repeated
frequently
Middle
Easterners
• Soft ; hands folded
(Namaste)
Indian
13. Commonly Used Expressions
English French German Spanish
Good day Bonjour
Guten Tag
(Goo-tun TAHK)
Buenos dias
(BWAY-nos DEE ahs)
Goodbye
Au revoir
(o reh-VWAHR)
Auf Wiedersehen
(owf VEE-der-zeyn)
Adios
(ah-DYOS)
Please
S’il vous plait
(seel-voo-PLEH)
Bitte
(BIT-the)
Por favor
(POR fah-vor)
Thank you
Merci
(mehr-SEE)
Danke
(DUNK-uh)
Gracias
(GRAH-see-ahs)
Good evening
Bonsoir
(bawn-SWAHR)
Guten Abend
(Goo-tun AH-bent)
Buanas noches
(BWAY-nahs No-chase)
Excuse me
Excusez-moi
(ex-kyou-zay MWAH)
Verzeihung
(far-TSY-oong)
Perdoneme
(per-DOH-nay-mey)
14. Verbal Expressions
In Canada/USA, people often respond
to someone with a one-word reply:
“sure,” “okay,” and “nope.” This is
because of informality – not intended
to be rude.
People in the Southern U.S. will often
say “Y’all come to see us” when
bidding someone goodbye. The
expected reply is “Thanks! Y’all come
to see us, too.” This verbal exchange
is only a friendly ritual.
15. Verbal Expressions
“Don’t mention it” and “Think
nothing of it,” in response to a
courtesy or favor, are viewed by
persons of other cultures as rude.
When being thanked for a courtesy,
a response of “You are welcome” is
preferable.
“What’s up?” and “How’s it going?”
make no sense to persons for
whom English is a second
language.
16. Verbal Expressions
A newcomer to the U.S. did not
accept a job on the “graveyard
shift” since he thought he would
be working in a cemetery.
17. Verbal Expressions - Chitchat
Chitchat (small talk or light conversation) is important in getting to
know someone.
Chitchat often includes comments about the weather, the physical
surroundings, the day’s news or almost anything of a
nonsubstantive nature.
People of the U.S. excel at small talk; so do Canadians, Australians,
the British, and the French.
18. Verbal Expressions - Chitchat
Germans
simply do not
believe in it.
Swedes have
little to say in
addition to
talking about
their jobs.
The Japanese
are frightened
by the idea of
small talk as
are people of
Finland, who
actually buy
books on the
art of small
talk.
19. Verbal Expressions - Chitchat
When engaging in chitchat with
someone of another culture, the
best advice is probably to follow the
other person’s lead. If they talk
about their family, then you would
talk about yours. If they initiate
political discussions, you would join
in the discourse.
20. Male and Female Relationships
In high-context
societies, such as
the Arab culture,
people have
definite ideas on
what constitutes
proper behavior
between males and
females.
Image source: http://picasaweb.google.com/ChaiPaniEtc
21. Male and Female Relationships
In low-context cultures, such as the U.S.,
little agreement exists. Thus, both people of
the U.S. and visitors from other cultures
have difficulty knowing how to proceed in
male-female relationships in the U.S. since a
wide range of behaviors may be observed.
22. Male and Female Relationships
Acceptable male/female relationships in any culture involve
stereotypes.
A stereotype of U.S. women is that they are domineering and
“loose” (have no inhibitions regarding sexual relationships with a
variety of men). Correspondingly, American men are viewed as
weak who permit women to dominate them.
23. Male and Female Relationships
Stereotypes of women in
other cultures include
that Asian women are
nonassertive and
submissive.
A stereotype of Latin
American males is that
they are predatory and
constantly pursue
women for sexual
relationships.
Image source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/emelec/
24. “One tall and handsome Middle Eastern graduate
student said he had come to the States with the notion
that women were readily available for sexual activities
with people such as himself. Everything that
happened to him during his first two years in the
States confirmed his opinion. After about two years,
though, he began to realize that the women who were
so readily available were not representative of the
whole society. They were a certain type of person -
insecure, socially marginal, apparently unable to find
satisfactory relationships with American men, so they
turned to foreign students.”
25. Male and Female Relationships
Some U.S. men feel
threatened by the more
assertive roles many
women are assuming.
However, most people
accept the fact that men
and women can work side
by side in the workplace
and that they can have a
friendship which does not
have a sexual component.
26. Workplace Equality
In Mexico, treatment of men and
women in the workplace differs
substantially from that of the
U.S. Male supervisors
customarily kiss their female
secretaries on the cheek each
morning or embrace them.
Despite this custom, seen as
undue familiarity by U.S.
managers, problems with sexual
harassment and gender
discrimination are uncommon
according to Mexican managers.
(However, U.S. managers
interviewed reported the
opposite.)
27. Humor in Business
Using humorous anecdotes is
a way of breaking the ice
and establishing a relaxed
atmosphere prior to getting
down to business in
international meetings.
In the U.S., presentations
are often started with a joke
or cartoon related to the
topic.
28. Humor in Business
Most European
countries also use
humor during
business meetings.
Asian humor finds
little merit in jokes
about sex, religion,
or minorities; they
take what is said
quite literally and do
not understand
American humor.
Germans, too, find
humor out of place
during business
meetings.
29. Humor in Business - perhaps jokes should be avoided around
persons of diverse cultures
American humor is hard to
export and appreciate.
Even though the intention of
humor was to put your
international colleagues at ease
and create a more relaxed
environment, the risk of
offending someone of another
culture, or of telling a story that
no one understands, is great.
we do not all laugh at the same thing
30. Superstitions are beliefs that are inconsistent with the known laws
of science or what a society considers true and rational.
This October has 5 Fridays, 5 Saturdays and 5 Sundays all in
one month. It happens once in 823 years!
31. Superstitions
Superstitions, which are treated rather casually in Europe and
North America, are taken quite seriously in other cultures.
In parts of Asia, fortune telling and palmistry are considered
influential in the lives and business dealings of the people.
Image source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/blogography/
32. In many cultures, luck and even death are associated with certain
numbers.
Canada/USA:
13 (bad luck)
China/Japan/Korea:
4 (death 死)
China:
6 (happiness 澑)
8 (wealth 发 )
9 (long life 久)
Western cultures/China:
7 (luck/togetherness 起)
33. Superstitions
Many Chinese people believe that having three people in a
photograph will result in dire consequences, that the middle person
will die.
Image source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/arcticpuppy/
34. Taboos
Taboos are practices or verbal expressions considered by a
society or culture as improper or unacceptable.
Taboos are rooted in the beliefs of the people of a specific
region or culture and are passed down from generation to
generation.
35. The general rule everywhere is that for business you should
be “Buttoned up”: conservative suit and tie for men, dress
or skirted suit for women.
Dress and Appearance
Image source: http://bloganubis.com/
36. Cultural Differences in Dress and Appearance
In Canada, people dress more conservatively and formally
than people in the U.S.
In Europe, business dress is very formal; coats and ties are
required, and jackets stay on at all times.
In Japan, dress is also formal. Women dress very
conservatively and wear muted colors to the office. Casual
attire is usually inappropriate.
37. Cultural Differences in Dress and Appearance
In the Philippines, men wear
the barong, a loose, white or
cream-colored shirt with tails
out, no jacket or tie.
In Saudi Arabia, the traditional
Arabic white, flowing robe and
headcloth may be worn.
However, U.S. persons should
not attempt to dress in a like
manner.
Color of clothing is an
important consideration. Do
not wear black, purple, or solid
white in Thailand. Avoid
wearing all white in the
People’s Republic of China as
white is the symbol of
mourning.
Image source: http://bloganubis.com/
38. Dress and Appearance
Shoes are considered inappropriate
in certain situations in various
cultures. They should not be worn
within Muslim mosques and
Buddhist temples. Shoes should be
removed when in a Japanese home.
In the Arab culture, the soles of
your feet should not be shown.
Women should be especially careful
to conform to local customs. In
Arab countries, women should
avoid wearing pants and should
wear clothes that give good
coverage. In Europe, women do
not wear pants to the office or to
nice restaurants.
As a general rule for
business, dress
conservatively.
Image source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/teducation/
Image source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/expressyourself-7/
39. Business Casual Dress
Business dress in U.S. firms
became increasingly casual in the
1990’s, but the trend appears to be
over.
Casual attire is the norm in such
countries as the Philippines and
Indonesia where shirts are worn
without ties or jackets.
Sweden has the greatest
percentage of companies with
casual dress policies while England
has the smallest percent.
40. At a Washington firm, a group of Japanese businessmen who came
for a meeting on a Friday found a room full of casually dressed
people. They made a hasty retreat, believing they had the wrong
office.
41. Holidays and Holy Days That May Affect Business
Image source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sudhamshu/
42. Office Customs and Practices
Usual hours of work in U. S. offices are
9 to 5.
In Iran, business hours are from 9:30
a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 to 5 p.m.,
Monday through Friday.
In some South American countries,
such as Brazil and Colombia, the work
week is 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday
through Friday (12 noon to 2 p.m.
lunch).
43. Office Customs and Practices
Peru has one of the longest
workweeks in the world: 48 hours
with businesses open at least six
days a week.
The lunch period in U.S. firms
varies from 30 minutes to an
hour; break times are usually one
15-minute period in the morning
and a second 15-minute period in
the afternoon.
Europeans have a 1 - to 1 1/2 -
hour lunch break, 20 minute
morning and afternoon breaks
(often including beer or wine) and
15 minutes at the end of the
workday for cleanup time.
44. Office Customs and Practices
Hiring and firing practices
vary according to the
culture.
In the U.S. hiring and firing
are based on job effectiveness
and job performance; no job is permanent.
In Europe everyone in the firm has a contract
that virtually guarantees permanent employment
regardless of the financial condition of the
company.
45. Office Customs and Practices
In such countries as Japan,
employees consider their jobs
to be permanent.
Employees who are dismissed
receive generous severance
pay by U.S. standards.
Formality or informality found
in U.S. offices varies; in major
corporations, more formality
often exists than in small
companies in rural areas.
46. U.S. Demeanor/Behavior
Be punctual. Most persons in the U.S. and Canada
will feel offended if you are more than 10 minutes
late.
If you agree to meet someone, keep the
appointment.
47. U.S. Demeanor/Behavior
Treat females with the same respect
given males.
Treat clerks, waiters, secretaries, taxi
drivers with the same courtesy you
would show someone of rank and
position.
Image source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/j_benson/
48. U.S. Demeanor/Behavior
When talking, keep an
arm’s length away. U.S.
persons do not like for
people to get too close.
Avoid bowing and other
behavior that is intended to
display respect as most
Americans are most
uncomfortable with such
displays.
Do not speak loudly in
public places except at
sports events and similar
outdoor events.
Keep to the right when
walking in malls or on the
street.
49. U.S. Demeanor/Behavior
Do not touch other people in public.
(Pushing your way through a crowd is considered quite rude.)
Wait your turn when standing in line at the post office, bank, or
theatre. Give priority to the first person who arrives
(rather than to people who are older or appear wealthier).
Do not block traffic; do not block someone’s view at a public events.
50. do-it-yourself
The U.S. is a "do-it-yourself” country; no social stigma is attached
to doing one's own daily chores, no matter how menial.
51. US/Canadian customs surrounding special holidays
Staying up until
midnight on New
Year's Eve; having
turkey and pumpkin
pie on Thanksgiving.
52. Bribery
Bribery is the giving or promising
of something, often money, to
influence another person’s
actions.
While bribery is not officially
sanctioned or condoned in any
country, it is unofficially a part of
business in many cultures and is
considered neither unethical nor
immoral in a number of
countries.
In Nigeria, for example, one
must pay the customs agents to
leave the airport, while in
Thailand and Indonesia getting
a driver’s license involves giving
a tip to an agent.
53. Bribery
The U.S. has the most restrictive laws against bribery in the
world. Companies found guilty of paying bribes to foreign
officials can be fined up to $1 million, and guilty employees
may be fined up to $10,000.
Many U.S. competitors, including Italian, German, and
Japanese firms, not only use bribery in international
transactions but may deduct the amount of the bribe on their
taxes as a necessary business expense.
54. Bribery
As business becomes more
globalized, different perceptions
exist regarding the
appropriateness of certain
incentives.
What is perceived as bribery is
culturally relative just as a
person’s conscience can become
“culturally conditioned.”
What is considered a tip in one
culture is considered illegal in
another.
55. Bribery
Professional go-betweens are sometimes
hired to assure that the proper persons are
tipped to avoid delays in approvals and
delivery. People of the U.S. cannot, of
course, be involved in paying these
commissions; this responsibility would be
left with the local joint-venture partner or
distributor.
56. Unusual Foods
U.S. - corn-on-the-cob, grits,
popcorn, marshmallows, crawfish
South Korea - dog meat
Saudi Arabia - sheep's eyeballs
Mexico - chicken's feet in chicken
soup
China - duck's feet
Russia - Danish pastry stuffed with
raw cabbage
Image source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dannyben/
57. Consumption Taboos
U.S. - horse meat,
dog meat
Strict Muslims -
pork and alcohol
Orthodox Jews -
pork, shellfish,
meat and milk
together
Hindus - beef
