如何应对不同文化,是所有人面对的新课题。有些文化趋于保守,不像有些文化,双方握手,一笔生意立即谈成。
For example in Hong Kong, the handshake is commonly used when greeting westerners. During
the greeting, the Chinese lower their eyes as a sign of respect, and keeping
eye contact for too long must be avoided as this may be seen as
a challenge of authority.
The Indians greet according to age, therefore the eldest person in the room must
be greeted first. They also believe in greeting and thanking each individual personally when
leaving a room. Men shake hands with men and women with women, while men
and women seldom shake hands with each other.
The Italians are one of the friendliest nations, but don’t let that fool you
when it comes to business. When doing business with the Italians, greetings are enthusiastic,
yet very formal until you are invited to move to a first name basis,
then some air-kissing on both cheeks, starting with the left may also be permitted.
From the examples above, it is clear to see that one has to be
careful when conducting business with many different cultures, we have to take care not
to offend each other, yet still make everyone feel welcome. With all this interaction
between different cultures, we may also be forming an international business culture which may
be accepted in all countries at all times.