- •Cultural issues
- •I How important is it for business people to have good cultural awareness?
- •III Read and translate the text. A Brief Survival Guide for Visitors to Russia
- •IV Doing business in Russia.
- •Va culture questionnaire
- •Italy 78%
- •VI Business in Finland
- •Complete the passage with the words from the box.
- •VII Read and discuss the text.
- •Good Manners
- •How not to behave badly abroad
- •By Norman Ramshaw
- •Here are some final tips for travelers.
- •Comprehension check
- •1) Complete the sentences below (1-7) with the correct country or region from the box. Some countries can be used more than once. Use your own knowledge.
- •Read the information which is a part of a training session by Philip Baker from calda about giving gifts in Japan. Summarize the information.
- •Answer the following questions about gift-giving in your culture. Share your answers with the classmate, compare your answers to those of an American as listed in the chart.
- •X Entertaining business clients
- •Answer the following questions.
- •Render the text in English. В ресторане
- •XI Revision.
Italy 78%
5 Percentage of people who would not help the boss with his house-painting:
China 28% USA 89%
Austria 65% UK 92%
Spain 71%
(Source: Riding The Waves of Culture, Fons Trompenaars)
VI Business in Finland
1) The following text is from a guidebook about doing business in Finland. Skim each section of the text quickly and choose the correct heading (a-g) from the list below. There is one heading that you don’t need. Write the correct heading in each gap(1-6).
Doing business in Finland.
1 Level of familiarity
Most Finnish people will introduce themselves officially and give their first and last name as they shake hands. After this, they are likely to be informal and use your first name.
2______________
Business meetings and negotiations in Finland tend to be direct and to the point. Not much time is spent on small talk or building personal relationships, so Finnish business people may feel impatient if overseas clients spend a lot of time on this. Negotiations are generally held in offices, not in restaurants.
3__________________
Finnish people tend to be very punctual and also expect it of others. Visitors should avoid arriving late, as this is considered impolite.
4__________________
They usually speak directly and clearly. Unlike in some cultures, “yes” means “yes’ and “no” means “no”. They are also not embarrassed by silence and do not necessarily feel the need to fill a gap in a conversation.
5__________________
People in Finland are generally comfortable with silence so there does not always have to be conversation. However, safe topics would be the weather, sport, travel and hobbies.
6__________________
Visitors are normally taken to restaurants, although in business life, long lunches are not common. Finnish hosts may also invite their guests to the sauna (men and women go separately) and it is polite to accept.
A Small talk E Communication style
B Task or relationship focused? F Pastime in Finland
C Level of familiarity G Attitudes to time-keeping
D Entertaining
Complete the passage with the words from the box.
-
Ceremony threatening formal bows avoid
If you need to do business with the Japanese, it’s a food idea to learn some etiquette. It helps to be formal rather than relaxed.
If your Japanese counterpart ____________ to you, don’t try to do the same- just nod your head a little. The exchange of business cards (meishi) is an important__________; if write on them you will cause offence.
When you begin to deal with the Japanese, remember that they don’t like to negotiate face-to-face. They find it too confrontational and in their society___________it wherever possible.
Control your gestures and keep your hands y your sides because the Japanese find big arm movements _____________. Speak slowly and keep your voice calm and even.