creation of a good family spirit are an important part of making the business
work. Similarly, a Brit will need to realize that alongside this family atmosphere
there is a lot of respect for the boss and for senior figures in the organization,
and that a certain amount of respectful distance should be observed.
All British business people have to adopt a more relaxed attitude to time.
Meetings will go on longer. Meals will be an important part of the business
process, and availability in the evenings and at weekends will be expected.
Monochronic Brits will have to adapt to the more polychronic Italians, not
an unpleasant process.
Finally, Italians display and expect enthusiasm and emotion. Showing how
you feel is important for many Italians and some British love it. Others however,
find it wearing and even embarrassing! If you’re in this group, just remember
that Italians may find your deadpan expression and slightly pursed lips equally
off-putting.
Relationships are not just important for the Italians. They also matter to the
Chinese, the Japanese, the Russians and the Brazilians. These are people
who feel a need to know what kind of person you are and, to do so, socializing
is important. This may be done through eating (Chinese), through drinking
(traditionally, Russians), through going out (Brazilians), and singing karaoke
(Japanese). All these have the same function, creating a social environment
where people can get to know each other. In the ritualistic environment of
the Chinese or Japanese office, the banquet or the karaoke bar is the place
where people feel they can unwind and reveal their real selves. If all you
want to do after the working day is be alone, you will miss out on an important
part of business relationship building.
All these cultures are marked by a degree of formality in business
relationships, especially in the attitude towards the boss. It can be surprising
for a Brit or an American to find the person they refer to by their first name,
addressed as Sir or Mrs Wu, by everyone else.
The attitude to time, however, is different. Like the British and the Americans,
the Chinese and the Japanese believe in punctuality. For the Brazilians and
the Russians time is more a question of what is needed in relation to the
task at hand. If it’s not absolutely important to be somewhere on time, relax
and get there when you can. What can be galling for British and Americans
is that others often expect them to arrive on time ‘because that’s their culture’
while reserving their own right to turn up when they are ready!
THE WORLD’S BUSINESS CULTURES AND HOW TO UNLOCK THEM
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