不同国家的商务文化

Tips for Doing Business in my Country

London Business School

Class of Master in Management 2011 students

Austria

Punctuality is important

It is very important to address Austrian business people with their title e.g. Dr. and their last name

Avoid making appointments for the months of July and August as well as Austrian national holidays

Belgium

Speak French or English

Be aware of the cultural differences between Flanders and Wallonia

Wages are quite high in Belgium

Belgium has lots of highly educated people

Be open to show willingness for compromise

Don?t ask questions about the country?s possible separation, we are tired of answering these questions

Belgium (Flanders)

Try to address Flemish people in their own language

Focus on the content. Flemish people do not care about form.

Do not act overly social

Brazil

Start small – avoid risk

Work with reliable agents – bridge the culture

Build relationships-meet the customers

Bulgaria

To do business in Bulgaria you are advised to visit the country at least on several occasions. Personal treatment is very important for

building relationships and trust and if you do not manage to build such relationships you might stumble reaching business agreements. Be prepared to deal with bureaucracy. H owever, if you know the “right person”, starting a business might be easier. Therefore, build your network on a local level.

Laws protect trademarks, copyrights and patents and ensure equal treatment of both foreign and domestic investors. However the legal system functions slowly, so you?d better not get involved in court disputes.

Canada

Be open and welcoming

Be friendly

People are very polite and you are expected to be polite too

Canadians tend to say “sorry” a lot

Ethical practice is most important

Watch out for cultural differences – Canada is a multicultural country

Canada is officially a bilingual country (English and French). French dominates the province of Quebec

Canada is very multicultural and promotes diversity – impact on customer segmentation and advertising (e.g. labels must be in French and English)

Charge higher than normal prices because no one will complain

Fill in your tax forms correctly

Be sensitive to (or avoid) comparing Canadians to Americans

Canadians don?t like to be thought of as “just like Americans”

It is a very common practice to tip when receiving services (restaurant 15-20%)

China (前十条都在说关系……)

Relationships, but not networking

Relationship matters the most

Networking is important

Networking us the key to business success

Build good relationship with your clients and people in the government

Building relationships

Build good relationship with your clients in the government

Business is done mostly through …Guan Xi?, which means relationships/networking. So find the right person of influence to get your trusted

Never underestimate “Guan Xi” – connections, networks. You need to be dealing with a person of influence

Hire local representatives/consultants to monitor deals and relationships

Dinners and drinks

Entertainment

Being a good person

Don?t be too aggressive

Do it with the government

Be ready to drink a lot of alcohol

You have to drink a lot

Be prepared to drink 5% white wine

You have to train yourself to be good at drinking especially if you do business in northern China

People make business deals on dinner table

Accounting system is not well developed – be careful!

Know the different characteristics of people from different provinces

Be very flexible

Follow your boss

Don?t fight for bi lls

Keep an eye on policy changes in the financial market so as to lower risks

Be humble

Understand local culture (learn local language)

Respect face

Understand the ways of saying “no”, since Chinese almost never say it directly

Respect face. Never argue or voice a different opinion with anyone directly

Use the same due diligence you would in the west so as to protect your intellectual property

Show a lot of gesture of goodwill

Governments play an important role

Egypt

Connections are everything

Speaking English and Arabic is essential

Don?t take work too seriously; Egyptians are laid-back and like to have fun on the job

France

Process matters as much as result

Respect and show respect to your superiors

A lot of business is done over lunch, dinner or drinks

Develop a perfect fluency in French language and culture

Know people

Network, network, network (accept that success if not all about merit)

You might be judged very quickly and superficially

Dress well. French people draw information on people based on their appearance Be prepared to be judged

Don?t say everything is great, criticize!

Follow business etiquette: be very polite, well-mannered and formal

It is important to speak French

Speak and understand French x2

Use first names only after being invited to do so

Make friends in the workers? unions

Be sure to possess good analytical skills

Germany

Be on time! X 4

Punctualityx2

Be punctual

Known for diligent work ethic - expect to work hard

Germans drink beer and like sauerkraut and wurst

Focus on value add and content creation

Make yourself heard

Be aware and show your awareness of local and federal regulation

Show how you will contribute to the local community or highlight the benefits of doing business with you Most important points of agenda are spoken about first in negotiations

Meeting deadlines is crucial

Keep your promises

Matter and person are often seen as separate in business

More or less a strict line drawn between business and private life

Focus on the content of discussion, no distractions

Be honest! X 2

Don?t be offended by harsh language

Don?t call someone by first name immediately

Be straightforward

Straight to the point

Formal

Greece

You have to be fully aware of the legal system

Know well every law applying to your sector

Maybe you will need to use some not very legal techniques to achieve your goal

Meetings can be arranged on a very short notice

Informal networks and who you know are more important than what you know, especially if you are a woman Most Greeks speak English but they are suspicious of foreigners doing business in their country

Build trust in your business relations

Punctuality is important in business

Negotiations is part of closing the deal

Negotiate much and hard

Don?t trust easily

Long lunches are an important source of building relations, negotiations and closing deals

Hong Kong

Give business cards with both hands

Don?t be first to start eating

Manner is everything

Renting is expensive – try to get as small an office as possible

Corruption is relatively low – you can count on the legal system

Outsourcing services is quite easy – small accounting firms, legal firms, HR firms are abundant

Hungary

Think very carefully about government regulations – very regulated!

Go for cheap products rather than quality

Be ready for sharp volatilities in customer demand

India

Have a lot of cash in your wallet

Have a pedigree – family name or alma matter

There is always someone who knows someone who can get the job done

Should have strong contacts / networks among political circles

Connections!

Be aware of cultural sensitivities

Understand culture and respect the values of the local people. Their beliefs and way of thinking will differ from yours, accept and

recognize them

Local knowledge

Indians are very sentimental about religious beliefs

Manage red tape

Bureaucracy is insane. You have to cope with it

Work is distributed between many people. It is not surprising to find a single document to pass through several hands before being complete

Indians are very social people. They like to communicate and talk while they work

Very large English-speaking population, hence potential for global communication, no need to learn local languages

Most Indians doing bu siness speak English, so it isn?t strictly a requirement to know local languages

Indians are generally very hard working

India is a largely price-sensitive market

Bribes are very common. It?s changing slowly but it is a way of life

Should be willing to cope with slack in professionalism and bribes to political leaders

Should be willing to face the challenge as a result of intense good quality and low cost competition

Italy

Speak the language

Pay on time

Run background checks on peoples? qualificat ions

Ask yourself who actually holds the power. Do not rely too much on formal rules and authorities

Think creatively, be open to new ideas and ways of doing things

Learn Italian, be friendly and not judgemental: it is hard to understand how Italy works from the outside

Speak Italian! (English is optional…)

Be humble and don?t make too many jokes on stereotypes

Enjoy 3 hour business dinners

Lebanon

Have good connections and make good use of corruption (i.e. corruption is sometimes necessary)

Expect to bribe a lot of people

High end works well because Lebanese people are superficial and very showy

Have good PR

Adapt to a lack of organisation

Malaysia

Speak the three main languages fluently – Malay, Mandarin, English

You may find difficulty in pronouncing names but make an effort

Have a good balance of westernised and Asian mind-set

Have strong connections with higher society

Be polite and humble. Malaysia is very ethnically diverse thus you should try to understand their backgrounds a little prior to meeting them

Be patient and flexible with time

When dealing with large organisations and the government expect a lot of red tape and bureaucracy

You should be accustomed to clients taking tea breaks twice daily

Driving is important if you travel frequently for work (Note: heavy traffic congestion during rush hours 7-9:30am, 4:30-7pm) Malaysians tend to be late

Netherlands

You can be blunt/direct

Dutch people are blunt and straightforward and they will appreciate plain speaking

Don?t bot her learning Dutch

Make your company a Dutch BU/MV – lower taxes!

Change generally will be only accepted after much deliberation and discussion (everybody has the right to speak)

The manager is not seen as the boss, but as the first among equals. So, if you are leading a team, don?t be too authoritarian. Act as the colleague who has most influence rather than as the ultimate arbiter on all decisions

Act normal, then you act crazy enough (Dutch saying: To act normal is crazy enough)

Be modest about your achievements. People who talk too much about their successes in life are not appreciated. So do not think of yourself as something special

In you?re giving a present, Dutch people like presents they can?t buy in their own country

Pakistan

Have connections

Be prepared for runt work

Be courageous

Romania

Accept laid-back attitudes

Be street-smart

Business meetings are more focussed on good times than actual business talk

Russia

High level of red tape and corruption

Learn to deal with government

You will have to deal with bribes when dealing with any part of the Russian government

Government relations and security officers are very important in large companies

Personal connections and relations are crucial for success

Knowing people in the institutions of authority and having their support is key for starting small/medium business

Do not get in trouble with the police

Despite the government?s attempts to develop innovative industries, the most promising sectors are still energy and construc tion Don?t trust anyone

Learn to drink!

Western companies in Russia are more meritocratic on average than national ones

Slovakia

Make friends in important places

Know your competitors

Produce outside of Bratislava region; sell in Bratislava

South Africa

Arrive promptly

Be honest

Don?t forget the kick-back

South Korea

Be quick

Be humble and loyal

Be ready to work long hours

Be very respectful for age and be punctual

Try to think your colleagues as one united body. You can come and leave the office at similar times. Do help people out when possible Do not miss any of the social mixers. Consider them also as a crucial part of your work duty

Spain

LEARN SPANISH and the regional languages – proud regional identity

Do not discuss business/deals at lunch but in the office

Be punctual but do not expect punctuality

Be prepared for chaotic business negotiations; we love speaking simultaneously J

Be prepared to stay up late. A business dinner will start at around 9:00pm and last until 12:00

Switzerland

Be on time

Be international

Be as specific as possible

Taiwan

Need to be a good drinker

When having a business dinner, never finish the last piece in every shared dish

A great portion of businesses are discussed and negotiated in eating and drinking occasions instead of in offices, so do join those occasions!

Know some key governors

Prepare gifts to main clients during Chinese New Year, Dragon Boat Festival and Moon Festival

Thailand

Smile!

Be humble, polite, respectful (personal relations are important)

Respect elders.

Thai people avoid direct criticism and confrontation, prefer indirect

Turkey

As a sign of respect you should always address the eldest or most senior person in the room first

Turkish people enjoy answering questions on their culture or having a conversation with people who have some knowledge of Turkey. It may be a good start to ask a Turkish man which football team he supports

According to the protocol f Turkish hospitality the host always pays for the meal. The concept of sharing the bill is very rude

Do not use deadlines or pressure tactics as the Turks will use this to their advantage and reverse the tactic by threating to cancel agreements or end negotiations

Imports and exports are unrestricted and exchange control is limited to certain formalities

Ukraine

You will need to pay bribes

If you pay bribes you don?t need to pay taxes

If you pay taxes this doesn?t mean you won?t have to pay bribes

United Kingdom

Formality depends on the sector

Heathrow, Gatwick, City airports are primary business airports

Meetings usually begin with small talk, followed by an exchange of business cards IF everything goes well

Be polite-exchange niceties, take an interest

The British are renowned for their politeness and courtesy. So direct questions generally get evasive responses and conversations will be full of ambiguities. It is therefore important to pay attention to voice/facial expression

We can be subtle/understate things to be polite

The British traditiona lly maintain a “stiff upper lip” so open displays of emotion are rare and should be avoided

Punctuality is essential at any business meeting or social event

Be on time!

You need to comply with many different regulatory authorities

You can challenge alm ost any business decision in court if you don?t agree

Ensure you declare all income so that you are not challenged by tax authorities

USA

It might be helpful to know how to play golf and/or tennis

Be able to play golf

Golf is a very important sport amongst business executives and is often the venue for getting to know business partners as well as starting business negotiations

Sports terminology is often used in business (i.e. touch base, call the shots, ball park figures, game plan)

Persistence is common practice in business

Punctuality is extremely important

Americans love American-made products

English is used almost 100% of the time in business but Spanish is becoming increasingly important

Definitely need to know how to speak English

Speak English very well

Corruption is much worse than the media would have you believe

Do not assume that simply because a contract exists that parties will abide by it or that the judicial system will uphold it - even if it is 100% legally valid

High quality customer service is valued and expected in more sectors and industries

Punctuality and straightforwardness is highly valued and is expected in the US business world

Need to know how to network because it can be like an “old boys club”

Be tough and expect to work hard

Look into immigration rules

Be ready for competition and be able to thrive in it

Presentation in many industries is sometimes seen as more convincing than facts

It?s not only about book smarts

Don?t underestimate people

Don?t ask about money, salary

Time is money

Tax evasion is nearly impossible to do successfully (without being caught) if your net worth is below $25million(liquid)

American culture stresses individual initiative and achievements

Americans usually refrain from greetings that involve hugging, kissing or close physical contact. A handshake is the norm