The Importance of Global Business Protocol and Etiquette in International Business Negotiations

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The Importance of Global Business Protocol and Etiquette in International Business Negotiations

论商务礼仪在国际商务谈判中的重要性

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Abstract

Noada!s different nations communicate frequentl!, Protocol

and etiquette is becoming an important issue, hich is not confined

onl! in the domestic affairs, At the same time, the "alues "ar! from

nations to nations, so does the practice of etiquette, There is not an

ac#noledged standard and it is onl! a set of established rules hich

are obe!ed b! all the people, Therefore, a business man should be

familiar ith all the protocols in all fields, such as politics,

economics, and culture and militar!

International business is no longer the pri"ilege of the minorit!

of people, $ore and more people prefer to go into business, In the

era of human%oriented societ!, ho to respect others and maintain

one&s dignit! becomes a challenge, International business etiquette is

the basic #noledge hich should be applied in the competition in

the international business en"ironment



This thesis gi"es a clear definition of commercial etiquette and

s!stematicall! e'plains its contents, categori(ations, features,

principles, functions and practices, It illustrates the dress code,

#issing and dining in detail, It also shos the significance of the

commercial etiquette,

INTRODUCTION

Business communication and business etiquette

In an era of globali(ation, understanding the basics of etiquette and protocol that is, the t!pe of

beha"ior that others e'pect of !ou in both informal and formal settings)is an important s#ill , It

can instill an indi"idual ith confidence to handle almost an! situation in an! culture and allo a

businessperson to concentrate on the deal at hand rather than orr!ing about such distractions as

hich for# to use or hich hand to use for passing food,*ithout an understanding of the basics of

etiquette and protocol, !ou ris# coming off as a boorish Neanderthal ,+ou ma! e"en put !our

compan!&s image at ris# or ris# potential failure in the formation of #e! business relationships that

are "ital to global success, inall!, a ell%honed sense and appreciation of local customs etiquette

and protocol can ma#e !ou stand out in a competiti"e global mar#et，

Proper etiquette in toda!&s business orld goes ell be!ond basic table manners -the! are,

after all a gi"en in most cultures. and common courtesies -alloing an esteemed colleague or

superior to precede !ou through a doora!, for e'ample.,Thin# of all the elements that go intoma#ing a first impression, the color of !our dress or tie, !our bod! language, handsha#e, posture,

amount of e!e contact on introduction, here !ou put !our hands, ho !ou accept a business card

and ho !ou present !ours as ell as the actual content of the card %%%% and !ou ha"en&t e"en sat

don to begin tal#s

$an! e'perienced international business tra"elers ill ad"ise !ou that “hen in /ome do as

the /omans do” *hile this ma! or# if !ou are tr!ing to figure out hich for# to use or hether

to bo or sha#e hands, it is, in most cases, far easier said than done And besides, e'cept in

superficial areas, doing hat the /omans do ma! be against !our ethics, morals, compan! polic!

or home go"ernment las

/egardless of the culture, proper etiquette means maintaining !our on "alues hile

respecting those of others It does not mean sla"ishl! folloing the rituals and practices of others

to please !our host If !ou ma#e an effort at the language, at understanding the basics of common

courtes!, and a"oid an! offensi"e acts, don&t be o"erl! concerned about the subtleties %%%% at least

the first time "isitor to another culture , through a deeper understanding etiquette and protocol is in

the confidence it gi"es !ou and the impression it ma#es on colleagues

CHAPTER ONE

CULTURAL DIFFERENCES

Etiquette is dependent on culture0 hat is e'cellent etiquette in one societ! ma! shoc# another

Etiquette can "ar! idel! beteen different cultures and nationsIn 1hina, a person ho ta#es the last item of food from a common plate or bol ithout first



offering it to others at the table ma! be seen as a glutton and insulting the generosit! of the host In

America a guest is e'pected to eat all of the food gi"en to them, as a compliment to the qualit! of

the coo#ing

In such rigid hierarchal cultures as 2orea and 3apan, alcohol helps to brea# don the strict

social barrier beteen classes It allos for a hint of informalit! to creep in It is traditional for hostand guest to ta#e turns filling each other4s cups and encouraging each other to gulp it don or

someone ho does not consume alcohol -e'cept for religious reasons., it can be difficult escaping

the ritual of the social drin#

5o, don&t be confused hen !ou see contradictor! etiquettes 6ifferent cultures ha"e different

etiquettes7

CHAPTER TO

DRESS CODE

A general o"er"ie of 6ress code

1limate and culture both pla! a role in sartorial beha"ior In the tropics and hot desert climes,

businessmen often ear an open%nec#ed shirt and cotton trousers But e"en in those mar#ets it ma!

be safer to ear a suit coat or bla(er to the first meeting 8ust in case or meetings ith go"ernment

officials, this formalit! ta#es on greater importance In most parts of the orld, business omen

can choose beteen a good dress, suit or bla(er and s#irt or men, a dar# suit, conser"ati"e tie and

dar# soc#s ill co"er most meetings ith high%status indi"iduals A fe cultural%specific hints

Á 9isits to :atin Europe and :atin America require special attention to the st!le and qualit! of

both men;s and omen;s apparel and accessories

Â In the $iddle East, the business contacts often 8udge one partl! on the qualit! and price of

one;s briefcase, atch, pen and 8eelr! <ne should ear and carr! the best one has

Ã Germans feel more comfortable doing business ith men hose shoes are brightl! polishedÄ Throughout Asia, it is a good idea to ear slip%on shoes such as high qualit! loafers because

custom requires remo"ing footear hen entering temples, peoples; homes and some offices as

ell

Å Americans pa! special attention to the condition of one;s teeth, so some Europeans include a

"isit to their dentist for a cleaning as part of their preparation

Æ In $uslim countries, female "isitors should dress so as to sho as little bare s#in as possible

CHAPTER THREE

FOR!S OF ADDRESS

The more formal the culture, the more li#el! !ou ill confine !ourself to using the person;s

famil! name plus an! applicable title or honorific,This is sometimes a problem for +an#s and

Aussies doing business in East Asia

9isitors to 3apan ho interact ith omen should remember that the polite prefi' “san” can

mean “$iss”, “$s” or “$rs” as ell as “$ister” In the =5A the sa!ing goes, “I don;t care hat

!ou call me 8ust as long as !ou call me for dinner” Ne"ertheless ph!sicians and surgeons are

normall! addressed as“6r”on all occasions Ph 6;s on the other hand are usuall! called “6r” onl!

hen he or she is “on dut!”

<f course e"en in the informal =5A there are hierarchies *hereas at a 5ilicon 9alle! startup

compan! e"er!one ma! be on a first%name basis, in larger, more traditional corporations&

e'ecuti"es are often addressed as $r, $iss, $s or $rs)at least in the office$an! cultures emplo! standard e'pressions as "erbal greetings or instance, Americans often



sa!, “>i, ho are !ou?” and some Asians and Europeans seem to be confused b! this rhetorical

question, thin#ing the +an# is actuall! as#ing after their health In fact it;s a meaningless

e'pression calling for the automatic response, “ine7 >o are !ou?” hereupon e"er!one gets

right don to business

In fact, Europeans also emplo! "arious meaningless s!llables hen being introduced tosomeone for the first time Germans ill sa! something meaning “it is a great pleasure to meet

!ou” >o do the! #no hether it is going to be such a great pleasure hen the! don;t e"en

#no the person !et?

CHAPTER FOUR

BUSINESS "IFTS

*hat to gi"e? *atch out for culture%specific taboos A"oid sharp ob8ects such as #ni"es0 in

some cultures the! s!mboli(e the ending of a relationship In 1hina, a"oid cloc#s and atches,

hich bring bad luc# because the ord for cloc# sounds li#e another 1hinese ord hich refers to

death Good choices are qualit! riting instruments, branded his#!, picture boo#s about one;s

cit!, region or countr! and products one;s home countr! is famous for

*hen to gi"e? In Europe, after the agreement is signed In 3apan and most other Asian

countries, gifts are gi"en at the end of the meetingNote that North America is not a gift%gi"ing

culture $an! companies ha"e strict policies concerning gifts, especiall! for people ith

purchasing responsibilities $an! American negotiators feel uncomfortable if presented ith an

e'pensi"e gift

>o to gi"e? In 3apan the rapping of the gift is at least as important as the gift itself In 3apan

and the rest of Asia, present and recei"e an! gift ith both hands, e'cept in Thailand here the

present is handed o"er ith one right hand supported b! the left In Asia and North @ 5outh

America, the gift ill more li#el! be opened immediatel!The nuances of gift%gi"ing are important0 hoe"er, not e"er! blunder is fatal

CHAPTER FI#E

DININ"

A general o"er"ie of 6ining

$an! American negotiators prefer to maintain a separation beteen their professional and

pri"ate li"es as ell as beteen business and pleasure If in"ited to the coc#tail part!, e'pect to

mi' informall! ith a large number of complete strangers

5mart "isitors rel! on local ad"isers or culture%specific guides about food and drin#

taboos2noing the fundamental element of local business protocol shos !our counterpart that

!ou are a serious and committed potential supplier or partner And ma#ing feer blunders gi"es

!ou an edge o"er !our less conscientious competitor

A fe cultural%specific hints

Á <bser"ant $uslims do not drin# alcohol or eat an! por# product $an! a"oid shellfish as

ell 3es share some of these food taboos

Â >indus a"oid both beef and por#0 most are strict "egetarians

Ã Buddhists are often strict "egetarians, but man! Thai Buddhists en8o! beef as long as

someone else has done the slaughtering for them

CONCLUSION

Increased globali(ation has been one of the most important de"elopments in the past decadeThe Internet has been instrumental in accelerating the groth of business across borders The



abilit! to effecti"el! conduct business ith trading partners around the orld is essential in the

tent!%first centur! 5a""! companies the de"elopment of international business etiquette and

communication s#ills as a strateg! to distinguish their compan! from competing firms <ne

business educator has cautioned, Being closel! attuned to the orientations of di"erse trading

partners is an increasingl! important ad"antage in the highl! competiti"e global mar#etplace,here onl! the "er! best thri"e 1olleges and uni"ersities ha"e responded to this need b!

integrating international perspecti"es into the curricula Business schools in particular ha"e or#ed

to internationali(e the curriculum, partiall! through the e'pansion of international business

communication courses E"en student clubs ha"e recogni(ed the need for enhanced understanding

of other cultures, sponsoring popular business etiquette dinners and or#shops on global business

protocol

Proper etiquette in toda!&s business orld goes ell be!ond basic table manners- the! are,

after all, a gi"en in most cultures. and common courtesies -alloing an esteemed colleague or

superior to precede !ou through a doora!, for e'ample. Thin# of all the elements that go into

ma#ing a first impression The list is length! There is !our manner of dress, !our professional

appearance, the color of !our dress or tie, !our bod! language, handsha#e, posture, amount of e!e

contact on introduction, here !ou put !our hands, ho !ou accept a business card and ho !ou

present !ours as ell as the actual content of the card%and !ou ha"en&t e"en sat don to begin

tal#s

/egardless of the culture, proper etiquette means maintaining !our on "alues hile

respecting those of others It does not mean sla"ishl! folloing the rituals and practices of others

to please !our host If !ou ma#e an effort at the language, at understanding the basics of common

courtes!, and a"oid an! offensi"e acts, don&t be o"erl! concerned about the subtleties% at least the

first time around To be honest, not that much is reall! e'pected of the first time "isitor to another culture, thought a deeper understanding ill be e'pected each time !ou "isit The "alue in

understanding etiquette and protocol id in the confidence it gi"es !ou and the impression it ma#es

on colleagues

Although hat is co"ered is handled ell, there are some areas that could ha"e recei"ed

greater attention or e'ample, there is little discussion of the differences among the "arious

countries and cultures in each continent And I&d ha"e li#ed more on business etiquette and the use

of humor, entertainment and letters *e pre"iousl! discussed the importance of business etiquette

in dail! business acti"ities in terms of business introduce, dining, business in"itations There are

some other important business etiquettes, such as the proper attitude toards foreign cultures,

music and arts, the respect for their dining habits, holida!s and religions *e ill not discuss them

in details because of the limited scope of this paper 5hortl! put, understanding more about foreign

business etiquettes put us in a good position to deal ith all #inds of business occasions and hence

facilitate the de"elopment of global trade

Documents

The Importance of Global Business Protocol and Etiquette in International Business Negotiations