Cultural Behaviour in English

Much of today's business is conducted across international borders, and while the
majority of the global business community might share the use of English as a
common language, the nuances and expectations of business communication might
differ greatly from culture to culture. A lack of understanding of the cultural norms
and practices of our business acquaintances can result in unfair judgements,
misunderstandings and breakdowns in communication. Here are three basic areas of
differences in the business etiquette around the world that could help stand you in
good stead when you next find yourself working with someone from a different
culture.
Addressing someone
When discussing this topic in a training course, a German trainee and a British trainee
got into a hot debate about whether it was appropriate for someone with a doctorate to
use the corresponding title on their business card. The British trainee maintained that
anyone who wasn't a medical doctor expecting to be addressed as 'Dr' was
disgustingly pompous and full of themselves. The German trainee, however, argued
that the hard work and years of education put into earning that PhD should give them
full rights to expect to be addressed as 'Dr'.
This stark difference in opinion over something that could be conceived as minor and
thus easily overlooked goes to show that we often attach meaning to even the most
mundane practices. When things that we are used to are done differently, it could
spark the strongest reactions in us. While many Continental Europeans and Latin
Americans prefer to be addressed with a title, for example Mr or Ms and their surname
when meeting someone in a business context for the first time, Americans, and
increasingly the British, now tend to prefer using their first names. The best thing to
do is to listen and observe how your conversation partner addresses you and, if you
are still unsure, do not be afraid to ask them how they would like to be addressed.
Smiling
A so-called 'smile of respect' is seen as insincere and often regarded with suspicion in
Russia. A famous Russian proverb even states that 'laughing without reason is a sign
of idiocy'. Yet in countries like the United States, Australia and Britain, smiling is
often interpreted as a sign of openness, friendship and respect, and is frequently used
to break the ice.

In a piece of research done on smiles across cultures, the researchers found that
smiling individuals were considered more intelligent than non-smiling people in
countries such as Germany, Switzerland, China and Malaysia. However, in countries
like Russia, Japan, South Korea and Iran, pictures of smiling faces were rated as less
intelligent than the non-smiling ones. Meanwhile, in countries like India, Argentina
and the Maldives, smiling was associated with dishonesty.
Eye contact
An American or British person might be looking their client in the eye to show that
they are paying full attention to what is being said, but if that client is from Japan or
Korea, they might find the direct eye contact awkward or even disrespectful. In parts
of South America and Africa, prolonged eye contact could also be seen as challenging
authority. In the Middle East, eye contact across genders is considered inappropriate,
although eye contact within a gender could signify honesty and truthfulness.
Having an increased awareness of the possible differences in expectations and
behaviour can help us avoid cases of miscommunication, but it is vital that we also
remember that cultural stereotypes can be detrimental to building good business
relationships. Although national cultures could play a part in shaping the way we
behave and think, we are also largely influenced by the region we come from, the
communities we associate with, our age and gender, our corporate culture and our
individual experiences of the world. The knowledge of the potential differences
should therefore be something we keep at the back of our minds, rather than
something that we use to pigeonhole the individuals of an entire nation.

Active Reading
 Underline key ideas – for example, topic sentences.
 Box or circle words or phrases you want to remember.
 Place a checkmark or a star next to an important idea.
 Place a double check mark or double star next to an especially significant idea.
 Put a question mark near any unfamiliar reference or a word you need to look up.
 Number the writer’s key supporting points or examples.
 Use different color highlighters.

Group Discussion
What practices have you encountered that seemed strange or even inappropriate to
you?

Activity 1
Choose the correct answer.
1. The British trainee felt that the people who want to be addressed as 'Dr' must be …
a. hard-working
b. conceited and self-important
c. doing a medical degree
d. from Germany
2. If you are not sure how to address someone, you should …
a. use the title you see on their business card
b. make your decision based on cultural stereotypes about their country
c. address them the way you’d like to be addressed
d. ask them what they would like you to call them

3. There might be a misunderstanding if an American smiles at a Russian business

associate because the Russian might think that the American is ...
a. being fake
b. challenging their authority
c. trying to break the ice
d. disrespectful

4. The Japanese, South Koreans and Iranians might interpret a smiling face as being
…
a. friendlier
b. less open
c. not as intelligent
d. dishonest

5. Americans and British people sometimes use eye contact to show that they ...
a. like the speaker
b. are really listening to what is being said
c. are honest and truthful
d. are attending to every need of the speaker

6. The last paragraph warns the reader not to ...

a. engage in international business
b. let national cultures shape the way we behave and think
c. let miscommunication damage our business relationship
d. overgeneralise using our knowledge of cultural stereotypes

Activity 2
Are the sentences true or false?
1. When doing business internationally, there is a possibility that we might
misinterpret what each other is saying even though we are speaking the same
language.
True / False

2. To the German trainee, having a PhD is equivalent to being a medical doctor.

True / False
3. Sometimes, the smallest things can trigger a huge emotional response in us,
especially when they are things we are not used to.
True / False

4. In the research done on the perceptions of smiles, people from different countries
were asked to rate photos of smiling faces and non-smiling ones.
True / False

5. Making eye contact can be interpreted in different ways in different cultures but is
almost always a positive thing.
True / False

6. The writer recommends keeping possible cultural differences in the forefront of

our minds when doing business with people from different cultures.
True / False