WHEN AT ROME, DO AS THE ROMANS DO
International relations are primarily official contacts among the governments of independent countries. Such contacts may be peaceful or warlike and they are very important for the global economy.
Agreement is an arrangement or promise to do something, made by 2 or more people or organizations. A treaty is a formal agreement made by national governments. The agreement may be bilateral (signed by 2 countries) or multilateral (signed by more than 2 countries). Only the official representatives of independent countries may draw up a treaty. Before the agreement can go into effect, it must be approved by the governments of the countries involved. A nation may sign a treaty to promote its own economic interests.
When governments or other bodies wish to reach an agreement they usually organize a visit or hold or have talks, discussions or negotiations. And it’s very important to have special skills doing business worldwide. I have already told about the importance of cross-cultural skills in modern business. And now I’d like to give you some tips. I hope they will help you to understand business etiquette better.
First of all there are some words about greeting in some countries.
Spain:
Initial introductions with Spaniards are always formal: extend a brief but firm handshake, while maintaining eye contact and saying «buenos días» or «buenas tardes» depending on the time of day.
Men will continue to shake hands on all subsequent occasions. Women will embrace and kiss. In the company of friends, it is also common for men to hug or pat each other on the back as well as shaking hands.
France:
Expect to be greeted by a handshake; kissing on the cheeks [across genders] is also common amongst colleagues at work. It is not extended to outsiders and you should not attempt it until your female colleagues have made the initial move.
Germany:
Germans do not expect to be greeted by strangers, even when eye contact has been made, in the office environment.
Firm, brief handshakes at the time of arrival and departure are standard in both business and social relationships. Hugging and kissing on both cheeks are common only among good friends and family members. When arriving and leaving, take the time to shake hands with everyone individually in a group. The simpler American «group wave», for example, will not be appreciated in all but the most casual and familiar gatherings.
I should say that the greeting in United Arab Emirates, Iran and in Turkey does not vary significantly, because they all are Moslem countries.
The standard greeting is «As-salaam alike», [peace be upon you] to which the standard reply is «Wa alaikum as-salam» [and upon you be peace]. On arrival at the reception room, the visitor should stand in the doorway and utter the former of these phrases. Only after receiving the reply is he entitled to enter. In the event of no reply, he may repeat the greeting but continued failure to reply means that he is not welcome.
If the room is carpeted, the visitor should remove his shoes and leave them outside to avoid bringing in impurities and thereby rendering the carpet ritually unclean for prayer. Once inside the room, he should shake hands with the most senior person first [usually but not invariably the host]. Then, he should make his way around the room in an anti-clockwise direction, shaking hands with each person in turn before taking his seat and joining in the conversation.
The visitor should not change the subject of conversation except by logical opportunity or invitation. If there are more than fifty or so people in the room or if the seating is inconvenient, there may be consensus permission for him merely to shake hands with the host and wave a greeting to the others. Once seated, crossing legs is perfectly acceptable, provided one does not direct the sole of the foot to an individual, which is a «go away» gesture.
Japan:
The Japanese greet each other by bowing. A bow can be a way of expressing thanks, saying “I’m sorry” or even asking for a favor.
China:
The Chinese will sometimes nod. Bowing is seldom used except in ceremonies. Handshakes are also popular.
If you visit a school, theater, or other workplace, it is likely that you will be greeted with applause as a sign of welcome. In turn, you should respond by applauding back.
In Chinese culture, the question «Have you eaten?» or «Where have you been?» is the equivalent to «How are you?» in North America. Simply answer, ‘yes’ or smile and say «thank you».
India:
The traditional way of greeting in India is performed by holding your palms together, as in praying, and saying «Namaskar» [nah-mas-kar], with a slight bow. While «Namaskar» are Hindu ways of greeting, they are also accepted among all other communities. Shaking hands is also an acceptable way to greet people, but shaking hands with women is not universally accepted in Indian society.
Now you know how to greet your business partner according to the customs of his country. 