Global Economy

Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.

But nevertheless you should know bout recommended gifts, gifts to avoid, good and bad colours for wrapping paper in some countries. And of course it will be very good if you will know how present a gift to individuals and groups.

Gift Giving

Japan:

- Gift-giving is an important part of Japanese business protocol.

- An expensive gift will not be a bribe.

- Present gifts with both hands.

- Gifts are opened in private, because if the gift turns out to be a poor choice, “loss of face” will result.

- Before accepting a gift, it is polite to modestly refuse at least once or twice before finally accepting.

- Ensure that your gifts are wrapped. The safest gift-wrapping choices are pastel-colored papers, without bows.

Gifts to Avoid:

- Lilies, lotus blossoms, and camellias are associated with funerals. White flowers of any kind should be avoided.

- Giving four or nine of anything is considered unlucky.

- Red Christmas cards should be avoided, since funeral notices are customarily printed in this colour. There is also a superstition that potted plants encourage sickness.

China:

- Today, official policy in Chinese business culture forbids giving gifts; this gesture is considered bribery, an illegal act in this country. In many organizations, however, attitude to gifts are beginning to relax.

- The Chinese will decline a gift three times before finally accepting, so as not to appear greedy.

- If possible, have your gifts wrapped in red paper, which is considered a lucky colour.

- Wrapping in yellow paper with black writing is a gift given only to the dead.

Gifts to Avoid

- Numbers such as ‘73′ meaning ‘the funeral’ and ‘84′ meaning ‘having accidents’ are to be avoided.

- Scissors, knives, or other sharp objects

- The following items are to be avoided as they are associated with funerals: handkerchiefs, gifts or wrapping paper in white, black, or blue

The following items are to be avoided as they are associated with funerals: clocks, four of any item [the Cantonese word for “four” sounds similar, in the same language, to “death”]

India:

- Gift giving is customary in India, and is seen as a sign of friendship.

- It is advisable not to give expensive gifts, unless you are very close to the person.

- Normally, gifts are not opened in the presence of the giver. However, sometimes your Indian host may insist on your opening the gift, and would expect appreciation for his/her choice.

- Alcohol is culturally not accepted in most parts of India.

- Be cautious in giving a leather item as a gift. Since many Indians are vegetarians, they may not appreciate items made of leather.

Spain:

- In ordinary Spanish business culture, however, gifts are usually given only at the conclusion of successful negotiations.

- If you receive a gift, you should open it immediately and in front of the giver.

- When offering any gift, you should ensure that it is a high-quality item [perhaps a brand-name] and that it is finely wrapped.

- You should not give anything too extravagant as your generosity may be perceived as a bribe.

France:

- French business etiquette dictates that you don’t include your business card with a gift.

Не that talks much errs much.

A good English proverb, but it is not acceptable for modern business. Doing business worldwide I must be aware of what you are talking about. Here is some tips to help you conduct talks successfully.

Spain:

- In conversation, Spaniards may not only stand uncomfortably close, but may also pat your arm or shoulder. If you are put out by such gestures, it will only cause offence to try to retreat into your own private space.

Topics to avoid:

- Bullfighting [if you and your counterpart are likely to disagree];

- Religion [i.e. any aspect of Roman Catholicism];

- The Civil War and WWII;

- Franco;

- Basque separatism and Catalan regionalism;

- Gibraltar;

- Enquiries of a personal nature, especially during first introductions;

- Machismo and feminism.

France:

- Give opinions only on subjects that you are knowledgeable about.

Topics to Avoid:

- It is extremely bad manners to ask an individual about his political leanings or how he voted. You can, however, inquire about the political system or public opinion about political leaders.

- Do not criticize Napoleon, who has a lasting identity with the French spirit.

- Refrain from using the standard U.S. conversation opener, ‘What do you do?’

- Avoid making personal inquiries in the course of a conversation, especially during first introductions.

Germany:

- Be prepared to take the first step as the newcomer to introduce yourself to an established group when you arrive in a new environment.

- Giving compliments is not part of German business protocol and can often cause embarrassment and awkwardness. Compliments, especially from strangers can be taken with suspicion [“What does he/she really mean to say or want?”].

Topics to Avoid:

- World War II/the Holocaust

- Personal questions [especially salary, cost of personal objects] among people you don’t know or know well, especially in a business environment [work and family life are usually kept separate]

So, as you see that it isn’t rather difficult to converse in European countries, but the rules of conversation in Moslem countries are stricter.

I could say that Islamic people are very proud of their country, language, culture and history

Turkey:

- Avoid giving opinions over sensitive issues involving Turkey, especially Turko-Kurdish relations, EU membership.

- Turkey has had a turbulent political history which may be best left in the past. Try and avoid this subject as a whole.

- There is a West-East divide in Turkey on the issue of Islam. Generally, the Eastern Turks are a lot more conservative due to their closer adherence to Islamic values. Western Turks, especially those in Istanbul, Ankara or Izmir are usually a lot more westernized. Islam takes on more of a cultural feel rather than a religious one. Depending on where you are, be careful how you approach any topic about Islam.

Iran:

- Avoid questions around polemics in Islam, inquisitive questions about Islam are possible.

- Contentious issues that may lead to debate are the Revolution of 1979, Iranian- US relations and domestic policy.

- Do not ask personal questions unless a very close relationship has been established.

- Avoid making any negative comments about Iran regarding the leadership, infrastructure or people.

- And try to be always honest in the conversation. If they feel that you are hiding smth or there is an element of suspicion about your motives, you may not get very far.

So, as you can see that in conversations with the Moslem people you should be very attentive…

Japan:

- You may be asked extremely personal questions regarding your salary, education, and family life. If you don’t want to answer, remain polite but try to side step the question.

- It is considered polite to frequently say “I’m sorry.” For example, the Japanese will apologize for having a cold, taking you to see a disappointing movie and practically any other personal flaw. Visitors are encouraged to do the same.

- Don’t make direct refusals. In your dealings with Japanese business culture, remain indirect.

- Use as many Japanese sentences as you can.

Please, remember some Topics to Avoid:

- World War II

- Making jokes [unless they are very easy to understand]

China:

- Negative replies are considered impolite. Instead of saying ‘no’, answer ‘maybe’, ‘I’ll think about it’.

- You may be asked questions concerning your age and income. If you don’t want to reveal this information, remain polite and give an unspecific answer.

- Make an effort to learn and use at least a few words in Chinese.

India

- Most Indians enjoy good conversation on a variety of topics.

- Sometimes, Indians ask questions which can be seen as too personal. However, one must remember that discussing one’s family and personal life is normal among Indians.

- Indians seldom express their disagreement in a direct manner.

Please, remember the topics to avoid in conversation:

- Religious beliefs

- Pakistan

- The large rich-poor divide in India

So, now you know about welcome and unwelcome topics of conversation and the tone of voice to be used.

Today I would like to continue the previous topic and to say some words about Public Behavior in the countries, which were a question of yesterday’s post.

Spain:

- When summoning someone [e.g. a waiter], you should turn your palm down and wave your fingers or entire hand.

- Foreign [especially blonde] women continue to hold a particular fascination for the older generation but, although it is now considered rude to whistle, any attractive woman must be prepared for turned heads and lengthy stares from admiring males. The correct response is to smile and ignore such unwanted attention.

France:

- When you speak their language, be gracious if the French correct your mistakes in grammar or pronunciation. Usually, people who make these efforts care about the French language and are only trying to help you speak it effectively.

- Men should stand, or at least initiate a move to do so, whenever a superior makes an entrance.

- Despite the formality of French business culture, people tend to stand close when speaking to each other. Moreover, touching a shoulder or patting an arm is also commonplace and usually within the bounds of French business etiquette.

- Maintaining eye contact is important, but try not to focus too intently on the other person.

- If you feel the need to point, motion with your whole hand, rather than your index finger.

Germany:

- Eye contact during the introduction is serious, direct, and should be maintained as long as the person is addressing you. Even in public between strangers, eye contact or out and out staring can be direct and not necessarily smiling.

- Although this is usually a very formal, law-obeying society, pushing, shoving, and other displays of impatience in lineups are not uncommon. Apologies are in such cases not necessarily the rule. Interestingly, despite the high value of rules and social order in most aspects of public life, queuing and waiting your turn are not strong traits in present day Germany.

- Having made this point, be aware that the liberty taken with lines at a bakery doesn’t translate to lines at any bureaucratic institution.

Moslem countries (United Arab Emirates, Iran and in Turkey )

- Generally, one should always shake hands with every man present but not with women. If a man knows a woman well enough to touch her at all, he knows her well enough to kiss her [e.g. blood relatives]. The respectful greeting between subjects and rulers is a kiss on the nose. In Turkey holding hands with someone from the opposite sex is acceptable in the cities.

- Not only is it improper to eat with the left hand, it should be reserved only for unclean usage. To offer someone something with the left hand is very rude.

- Do not forget that Friday is a traditional Islamic holiday, although this is now Sunday in turkey.

Japan:

- Maintain a quiet and polite manner at all times.

- The American “O.K.” sign actually means “money” in Japan.

- Blowing one’s nose in public is regarded as impolite. When this action is necessary, use a disposable tissue only and then throw it out immediately. Generally speaking, the Japanese find the idea of keeping a used handkerchief disgusting.

- Laughter may indicate embarrassment or distress, rather than amusement.

- Smiling is a popular gesture here. It is often used, however, for self-control, particularly in masking displeasure.

China:

- The Chinese do not use their hands when speaking, and will only become annoyed with a speaker who does.

- The Chinese dislike being touched by strangers.

- Members of the same sex may hold hands in public in order to show friendliness.

- Blowing your nose with a handkerchief is acceptable, but it is advisable to turn away from people while doing so.

India:

- Among Indians, it is normal for them to use their hands to gesticulate while talking with each other.

- Feet are considered unclean in India. In the case that your feet or shoes touch another person, you are expected to apologize by saying ’sorry.’

- Indians do not maintain continuous eye-contact while talking with others. On the other hand, do not feel uncomfortable if you find an Indian gazing at you; this is because Indians are curious.

- The comfortable distance is much closer in India than in most Western countries. In general, a distance of about 2 feet is seen as comfortable.

Now you have learned acceptable behavior, rules for eye contact and gestures

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.

I’ like to compare the history of two famous companies “Ford” and “Bic”. At first sight we can say that nothing common could be in the history of these companies, but I’d like to say that there are several common points.

As we know “Ford” company produces cars and it was the first company which began to produce horseless carriages and then cars. And what about the “Bic” company, it was the first in producing disposable products such as ballpoints pens, razors and lighters. Also the profit of these companies is always increasing.

As for differences, as I mentioned these companies are specialized in different products. Besides the “Ford” company was founded earlier then “Bic”, so it was founded in 1903 while the “Bic” company only in 1950. Also “Ford” was founded in America and is considered to be an American company, but the “Bic” company is French one.

<:3 )~~

First and foremost, I’d like to say that men and women do things differently. So, it’s difficult to choose from males and females.

But in general I should say that the male approach to business is competitive, direct and confrontational. It’s doesn’t matter what methods they use, success is the only important thing.

The female method is collaborative. Collective action and responsibility are more important than personal achievements.

I think if I need a book- keeper or a worker, whose job is to meet and to talk with people, I’ll choose a female, because women tend to talk about staff problems and personal matters.

And if our company needs, for example, an attorney I’ll choose a male, because males approach to solving problems is to go the hart of the problem. Male behavior can include forceful gestures, for example, banging a fist on the desk for effect. Sometimes it has its results. :)

In conclusion I want to add, if a person is highly skilled, it’s doesn’t matter whether it will be male or female…

 

<:3 )~~

So, there are a lot of trouble spots, but problems often located in only four areas:

The first is low profitability of the sales. So, you can solve this problem with decreasing of the prices and with good advertising.

The second is low quality of offered services and goods and poor range of products. So, you can solve this problem with increasing of the activity of R & D department.

The third is low qualification of personnel. This problem can be solved with organizing of additional courses for improvement of professional skill.

The fourth is bad customer care. For solving this problem you can use different methods, for example, granting of discounts and opportunities to buy on credit.

To make troubleshooting more effective there are also some tips:

1. First of all it’s necessary to locate the cause of the problem.

2. Then to get the facts.

3. Then to look at past history and to listen to experts’ opinions.

4. And at last to consider possible solutions.

In conclusion I want to add, that troubleshooting is so important in business, because these days business is extremely competitive.

<:3 )~~

Everyone knows that business is international. Business is a word, which is even commonly used in many different languages, so business people often have to travel a lot and meet their foreign colleagues and business partners. I think knowing cultural differences and having cross-cultural skills are one of the most important things, which help to achieve success in any spheres of activities and, especially, in business. To conclude a good agreement with a foreign colleague a businessman has to know cultural differences, but better to know a language of the country, where you are going to make a business trip. I’m absolutely convinced, that a foreign partner will be glad to know, that a businessman knows customs, culture and habits of his country, and I feel that it can assist to their business.

Finally, I’d like to say, to avoid misunderstandings with a partner, it’s better to know social conventions and to have good cross-cultural skills, and your partner will also appraise at yours true worth.

There are some good companies, whose goods I prefer. They are «Benetton», «Sony» and «L’Oreal».

Speaking about «Benetton», I would like to say that it is an Italian company. «Benetton» is known as a very successful clothing manufacture. Nowadays it produces sportswear, which is known as a high quality clothes. It is an interesting fact, that «Benetton» has another trademark called «Sisley», which produces more expensive clothing.

As for «Sony» this company is the world leader in electronics. For example, it produces the Sony Walkman and computer games. Nowadays «Sony» works with musical production. It made the music for the film “Titanic”.

«L’Oreal» is a well-known company, which produces cosmetics. Million women all over the world choose its goods, such as powder, mascara and so on. «L’Oreal» has the slogan “Because I’m worth it”.

I choose the goods of these companies for their quality. It is not the news that all these companies try to attract as many customers as possible and to win their loyalty.

<:3 )~~

The question is to find all pros and cons of virtual and traditional types of retailing. The main disadvantage of virtual retailing is in the quantity of its potential buyers. Nobody will deny that the customer profile is limited. To be a customer of virtual shop you need the Internet, TV shopping channels or mail-order catalogues. But this market is full of opportunities because everyday thousands of people open comfort and convenience of virtual shopping.

Besides if you are the owner of a virtual retail outlet you have not to find place or build your shop (as we know it is really difficult and expensive) and you have not to pay rent monthly and to recruit additional personnel.

And as for traditional shopping, people will never refuse the opportunity to see and to touch the things they want to buy.

This way I can’t give an exact answer to this question, because it depends on kind of goods I will sell. For example, if I sell compact discs or books, it will be reasonably to open the Internet shop, but as for food-stuffs and clothes it will be reasonably to open a traditional retail outlet.

<:3 )~~