The business world is becoming more and more global. Every country accommodates international and multinational companies nowadays. More and more, we have to do business with people from different cultures, whether overseas or in our own country.
It is important in business to be sensitive to the cultures of others, or you might lose business. But how culturally aware are you?
During this lesson, you will need to know some important words. Match the words to their meanings.
1.01
to nod a. to lift up or pick up something
1.02 to recruit someone b. money that is a round bit of metal
1.03 to upset someone c. to move you head backwards and forwards
1.04 personal space d. to make someone angry or unhappy
1.05 to raise something e. to give someone a job
1.06 to toast someone f. a picture or words you have on your skin
1.07 a coin g. to lift a glass and wish someone luck
1.08 a tattoo h. how close you like to stand or sit near someone
Look at the situations below and choose from the multiple choice answers. How would you behave in each situation?

2.01

You meet a new British client for a business lunch. The client starts talking about the weather. You say:
a) Let’s get straight to business
b) I’m not interested in the weather
c) I hear it rains a lot in the UK

2.02

You have an important appointment to meet a new client, who is American. You decide to arrive
a) 10 mins early if possible
b) exactly on time
c) at least 10 mins late

2.03

At a conference, a Japanese person offers you their business card. You
a) take it with one hand and put it in your pocket
b) take it in two hands and read the name carefully
c) take it in one hand while giving them your card with the other hand

2.04

You are in Thailand and drop a coin and it starts running away. You
a) step on the coin to stop it
b) leave the coin on the floor
c) wait for the coin to stop and pick it up

2.05

A Middle Eastern business person invites you to sit with them for a coffee. You
a) sit, cross your legs, lift your foot and try to relax
b) agree to a quick coffee and sit with both feet on the floor
c) say you are too busy

2.06

You are hoping some Russian people will sign a contract you are offering them. They offer you a glass of vodka in the business meeting. You
a) toast them and drink it quickly
b) say you don’t drink
c) refuse to drink

Now see how you scored for each answer:

2.01

a) 2 points
b) 1 point
c) 3 points

2.02

a) 3
b) 2
c) 1

2.03

a) 1
b) 3
c) 2                  

2.04

a) 1      
b) 2
c) 3

2.05

a) 1
b) 3
c) 2

2.06

a) 3
b) 2
c) 1
For explanations, see the answer page.
Now add up your total number of points and see how you performed below:
15-18 points: Very good. You won’t upset people from other cultures in the example situations. But what about the situations in the rest of this lesson?
10-14 points: Good. You will do well in most situations with people from other cultures. However, you need to be careful in one or two types of situation.
6-9 points: OK. You need to be more careful when dealing with people from other cultures. If you are not more careful, they might think you are rude.
How well did you perform?
Did you expect to perform better?
What cultures did you have the most problem with?
Which cultures seem to be the most different to your own culture?
Look at the following sentences. Do you think they are true (T) or false (F)? Tick the one you think.

Statement

T

F

3.01 In Asia, it is rude to put a book or document on the floor.

 

 

3.02 The British have the biggest personal space in the world and do not like people sitting or standing too near them.

 

 

3.03 In the Middle East, you should never shake hands with your left hand.

 

 

3.04 The French always kiss on the cheek to say hello, even in business.

 

 

3.05 In America, it is usually okay to interrupt someone.

 

 

3.06 In the Middle East, it is unusual for a man to shake hands with a woman.

 

 

3.07 In Thailand, most accountants are women because they are considered better at maths than men

 

 

3.08 In Asia, having a tattoo is sometimes a sign of being in the mafia

 

 
Now check your answers to see how you performed.
In a lot of situations, the way you behave is more important than what you say. However, in different cultures, the same behaviour can mean different things.
Look at the table below and match the correct statement to the correct gap.

 

Europe

Asia

Middle East

Head

Nodding backwards and forwards means  “Yes!”

4.01

4.02

Hand

4.03

It is rude to point a finger at people

4.04

Feet

4.05

4.06

It is rude to show the bottom of your foot

Face

4.07

A smile may show embarrassment

4.08

Speaking

What you say formally to someone may be a legal contract

4.09

4.10
a) You should only shake hands with your right hand
b) Nodding your head backwards can mean “No!”
c) Pointing your foot at someone is rude
d) It’s okay to speak loudly and quickly
e) You should speak quietly and calmly
f) A smile can show anger or happiness
g) This culture does not always smile as much as other cultures
h) It is rude to touch someone’s head in this culture
i) Some people move their hands a lot when speaking, but some don’t move them at all
j) If someone tells you to ‘put your feet up’, they are telling you to relax. A raised foot is not rude
The language used in business in Europe and America is often quite formal. It is important when using English to be aware of whether the language you are using is formal or informal. Formal language is usually more polite than informal language.
Look at the pairs of sentences below and decide which of the two sentences is formal (F) and which is less formal (L).

 

 

F

L

5.015.02

There’s not a snowball’s chance in hell!
I’m afraid that’s quite unlikely.

 

 

5.035.04

A mistake has been made.
You have made a mistake.

 

 

5.055.06

When are you arriving?
Could you let me know when you will be arriving?

 

 

5.075.08

Could you pass me the pen?
Pass me the pen, please.

 

 

5.095.10

Write soon!
I look forward to hearing from you at your earliest convenience.

 

 

5.115.12

It’s really cheap!
The product is very reasonably priced.

 

 

5.135.14

I want to put the price up.
Why don’t we increase the price?

 

 

5.155.16

The total is wrong.
The total might not be correct.

 

 

5.175.18

Could you phone me at 4pm?
You will please phone me at 4pm.

 

 
Look at the sentences in activity 4 again. Look at the grammar. Then decide whether the following parts of grammar tend to be formal (F) or less formal (L) in English.

 

Grammar

F/L?

6.01

phrasal verbs
e.g. ‘put up a price’, ‘get on with someone’

 

6.02

adjectives of feeling
e.g. ‘great!’, ‘excellent!’

 

6.03

short, direct questions
e.g. ‘Where is it?’, ‘When are you arriving?’

 

6.04

idioms
e.g. ‘put your feet up’, ‘not a snowball’s chance in hell’

 

6.05

slang
e.g. Using ‘guy’ instead of ‘man’, ‘quid’ instead of ‘pound’

 

6.06

modal verbs
e.g. ‘could’, ‘would’

 

6.07

imperatives/orders
e.g. ‘Write soon!’, ‘Pass me the pen!’

 

6.08

longer words and sentences
e.g. ‘increase’ instead of ‘put up’, ‘reasonably- priced’ instead of ‘cheap’

 

6.09

more difficult grammar
e.g. ‘When will you be arriving?’ instead of ‘When are you arriving?’

 

6.10

using the passive tense when describing a problem
e.g. ‘A mistake has been made’ instead of ‘You have made a mistake’

 

6.11

using a question when giving an instruction
e.g. ‘Could you …?’ instead of ‘You will …’

 

6.12

making a suggestion instead of using the present simple
‘Why don’t we …’ instead of ‘I want to …’

 
Keiko Fujumoto works in an office in Tokyo. She’s written an e-mail to her Scottish friend, Sue.
Keiko has a new boss at work, a British woman. The British woman is very different to Keiko’s previous boss, Ito-san, a Japanese man.
As you read the e-mail decide if you would expect a boss from your own country to be more like Mrs Gleave or more like Mr Ito.

Dear Sue

Thank you for your e-mail. Scotland sounds cold. Try to stay warm! I’m writing to you to see if you can give me some advice about my new boss at work.

My new boss is a British woman called Mrs Gleave, although she tells me to call her Sharon. Mrs Gleave, sorry Sharon, is very different to my previous boss, Ito-san, who was a Japanese man of course!

I find Sharon’s behaviour a bit confusing, so maybe you can explain to me why she does and says some things. First of all, she tells me to call her Sharon, but that’s her first name! She also treats me like we’re good friends, but we’ve only just met and she’s my boss. I wonder if she’s lonely and not used to being a boss. She asks me for advice about business problems too, which is very strange.

What do you think? There are some other things I can tell you about as well. Sharon never asks me to make her tea and coffee. Ito-san was always very pleased when I made him coffee. Sharon makes her own coffee, which makes me wonder if she’s angry with me. However, she’s happy to ask me to do new things in my work. I’m not always sure I’ve got the experience to do them and that makes me worried. Sharon checks my work too, which makes me afraid of making mistakes.

I’m very interested in hearing your advice, so please write soon!

Best regards

Keiko
Look at the e-mail again and try to decide why Keiko is confused by her new British boss. Make notes of your ideas in the table below:

 

Problem

Explanation

7.01

Example: Names

In Japan, a worker addresses their boss formally using the boss’s family name followed by ‘san’ to show respect. In a UK office, everyone uses first names.

7.02

Friendly bosses and working relationships

 

 

 

7.03

 

Business problems and decision-making

 

 

7.04

 

Tea and coffee and duties

 

 

7.05

 

New tasks and responsibilities

 

 

7.06

 

Checking work and accountability

 

 
Now compare your notes with those on the answer page.
A multi-national company called Transco has written standard recruitment guidelines for all its offices in different countries.
Transco wants its staff to be sensitive to different cultures.
Look at the guidelines below. While you read them, answer these questions:
a) Which guidelines do you agree with?
b) Would any of the guidelines cause problems in your country?
Transco ‘Equal Opportunities’ Recruitment Guidelines

1. You should not ask for any applicant’s photograph when recruiting.
2. You should not say in any job advertisement that you only want male or female applicants, or people of a certain age.
3. You cannot refuse to give someone a job just because they are disabled or an unusual size.
4. You cannot refuse to give someone a job just because they have a tattoo or scar.
5. You cannot refuse to give a male applicant a job just because he is wearing an ear-ring.
6. You cannot refuse to give someone a job just because you do not think their clothes are smart enough.
7. You cannot refuse to give someone a job just because they smoke.
8. You cannot refuse to give someone a job because of their religion, nationality or skin colour.
9. You cannot recruit someone related to you or someone who is your good friend.
10. You cannot recruit someone who has offered you a gift, money or hospitality.
If you do not follow the guidelines, you might be told you are prejudiced. You might get in trouble with the law.
Match the guidelines to the correct types of prejudice. You can match a guideline to more than one type of prejudice. You can also match more than one guideline to a type of prejudice.

 

Prejudice

Guideline

8.01

racism

 

8.02

sexism

 

8.03

nepotism

 

8.04

ageism

 

8.05

sizeism

 

8.06

discrimination against appearance

 

8.07

discrimination against lifestyle habits

 

8.08

discrimination against physical ability

 
In this lesson you have:
assessed your own level of cultural awareness
explored differences in behaviour and body language in different cultures
analysed what makes English formal or less formal
examined local cultural attitudes within the global business culture
In this study block – Work: Job Hunting and Lifestyles – you have looked at the process of finding a job. You have practised writing a CV and a job application form using job competencies. You have also considered the issues around the interviewing process. You have studied the problems that you may encounter if you are asked to relocate to a foreign country. Finally, you have considered the importance of being sensitive to different cultures.
This is the final study block of the Work module. We hope you have found these materials useful.
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