B A business traveler’s priorities

All expectations of the business traveler connected with air travel are concerned with time-saving and staying active and able to work. Business traveler’s priorities are

1. good organization

2. balancing cost with comfort

3. easy booking

4. being patient

5. regular transport

6. airline food

7. Internet access in the lounge

To sum up, business travellers’ expectations are met only if they can concentrate on their business, which is their main priority.

 

C Causes and effects of air-rage

Air rage is a phenomenon of a passenger characterized by disorientation, irritability and high stress level. Main the causes of air rage are:

1. poor: air quality, service, quality of food, drink

2. too many passengers on a plane

3. noise passengers

4. not enough cabin crew

5. people drinking alcohol

6. flights not leaving on time

7. long queues at check-in

8. lost luggage

Air rage problem should be seen as a serious threat to air safety. In closed spaces it can lead to:

· panic and mass unrest onboard

· it can cause discomfort and disturb passengers

· it makes the work of cabin crew more stressful and difficult.

The problem of air rage has become so large-scale that air companies have to do something about it. First of all, they need to dramatically improve the quality of service to reduce the stress level.

 

A What is culture? Culture-creating factors

Culture is a word that has many different meanings. There are 164 definitions of “culture”, however, it is usually understood as historically a certain level of development of society and human, expressed in the types and forms of organization of life and human activities, as well as they create material and spiritual values.

There are some culture-creating factors:

1. Geography (features terrain, mountains, rives, sea)

2. Climate (I mean weather conditions in different seasons and their length)

3. Religion (Particular belief systems with their rituals and traditions)

4. Historical events (wars, revolutions, natural disasters)

5. Values (things which are considered important and guide people’s lives such as attitudes to family, money, honesty, superstitions and nature)

6. Language (tool of communication between different cultures).

The list of factors shaping culture can be a long one, but the key factors listed above.

B Doing business across cultures. Cultural awareness

Cultural Awareness means understanding of how people of different cultures live, communicate and behave in different situations and using this knowledge to adapt your own behavior. You have to know their values, traditions, religion, behavior rules and taboos not only for personal communication but also for doing business successfully in the global market.

Globalization makes cultural awareness absolutely essential for any company doing business abroad. Understanding a foreign culture can mean keeping or losing a customer. Special attention should be paid to negotiating styles, punctuality, etiquette, topics for conversation and corporate hospitality.

How can you get skills of cross-cultural communication? There are lots of Internet sites and special guidebooks for businessmen offering recommendations on how to behave in different situations. The best universities have courses on cross-cultural awareness and doing business abroad. But the best way is to meet people of different cultures personally.

Some details of doing business across culture:

 

1. Exchange business cards

2. Shaking hands

3. Kissing

4. Small talk before meeting

5. Being formal/informal

6. Punctuality

7. Humor

8. Giving presents

9. Being direct (saying exactly what you think)

10. Using first names

11. Dress-code.