Let’s take a quick test of your intercultural business knowledge.
Never take anything for granted when you are doing business in a foreign country. All sorts of assumptions that are valid in one place can trip you up elsewhere if you fail to consider that customs may vary.
Here are several examples based on true stories about business people who blundered by overlooking some simple but important cultural differences.
Situation 1: Australia
You are tired of the discussion and you want to move on to a new topic. You ask your Australian business associate, ‘Can we table this for a while?’. To your dismay, your collage keeps right on discussing just what you want to put aside. Are Australians that inconsiderate?
What is your erroneous assumption?
Situation 2: Germany
You finally made the long trip overseas to meet the new German director of your division. Despite slow traffic, you arrive only four minutes late. His door is shut, so you knock on it and walk in. The chair is too far away from the desk, so you pick it up and move it closer. Then you lean over the desk, stick out your hand and say, ‘Good morning, Hans, it is nice to meet you.’ Of course, you’re baffled by chilly reaction. Why?
What is your erroneous assumption?
Situation 3: Japan
You meeting went better than you would have ever expected. In fact, you found the Japanese representative for your new advertising agency to be very agreeable. She said ‘Yes’ to just about everything. When you share your enthusiasm with your boss, he does not appear very excited. Why?
What is your erroneous assumption?
Situation 4: China
You have finally closed the deal, after exhausting both your patience and your company’s travel budget. Now two weeks later, your Chinese costumers are asking for special considerations that change the terms of the agreement. How could they do this? Why are they doing this, and most important, what should you do?
What is your erroneous assumption?
Have you managed to spot the erroneous assumptions in each situation? What do you think is the source of confusion or misunderstanding in each of these situations? Test your intercultural business knowledge and have fun!
