The following text presents factual information about business and how to deal with people cross-culturally.

Cindy Lee

Edited by Cindy Lee

Longest holiday:
The countries with the longest annual holidays are Austria and Belgium, with 30 days each.

Part-time job:
Part-time workers make up 38% of the workforce in the Netherlands, 24%in the UK, 16% in France and Germany, and 7% in Italy.

Women workers:
By 2010 it is predicted that nearly 50% of all workers in the USA will be women, and more than 25% will be members of minority races. 40% of the workforce will be over 45 years of age.

The records of trademark:
The world’s first patent was issued in Italy in 1421. The country that registers most trademarks today is Japan.

Trademark in the USA:
Trademarks became important during the industrial revolution as a means of differentiating between brands of similar products. Every person in the USA is exposed to about 1,500 trademarks daily.

Touching:
Business people touch when they shake hands, but the strength of the handshake can vary. In Germany it is firm, whereas in France it is light. As for other forms of physical contact, it is all right to pat someone on the shoulder or slap them on the back in the USA, but in the UK people sometimes don’t like this sort of behavior.

Space:
People have a different ‘space bubble’ depending on their background. For example, people from the Mediterranean tend to sit or stand closer together than Northern Europeans or East Asians when doing business. If you are from a large ‘space bubble’ culture and meet someone from a small ‘space bubble’ culture, stepping back may be misunderstood. It may look like you don’t like the person.

Mexicans:
For many Mexicans, money isn’t nearly as important as relationships. Mexicans almost always pick the person they genuinely like over the person they are merely acquainted with, even if the acquaintance has a better deal.

Americans:
In the USA, people are always taught not to do business with friends.

The Swedish:
Foreign business people often find that their Swedish colleagues too much business and too little about themselves or interests. The Swedish, on the other hand, probably wishes his foreign business partner would cut the small talk and come the point. In Sweden a direct approach is seen as a sign of efficiency.

Source:
Jones, L. (2001) Working in English. UK: Cambridge University Press.
Wallwork, A. (2000) Business Options. UK: Oxford University Press.