You’re staying in a Japanese hotel and decide to relax in a traditional, shared bath. What should you do in the bath tub?

a) You shouldn’t stay too long.

b) You shouldn’t talk to other bathers.

c) You shouldn’t wash yourself.

 

ANSWER KEY
1bIt’s considered impolite to refuse food (although it’s customary not to accept immediately)	8c Restaurants stay open very late in Spain.
2b Women are forbidden to drive.	9a Buddhist monks are forbidden to touch or be touched by females.
3a it’s considered unhygienic to wear anything.	10b You should avoid wearing shorts or miniskirts, or showing bare shoulders.
4c The Nepalese, like many other cultures, are sensitive about having their photo taken.	11a Alcohol laws vary from state to state but it’s usually prohibited to drink alcohol in public places that do not have a special license.
5aA glyko is a traditional dish, given as a welcome to visitors. It’s impolite to refuse it or offer money for it.	12a you can be fined for chewing gum in Singapore.
6c Non-Muslims are not allowed to go inside Moroccan mosques.	13b Indians traditionally eat with their right hand, as the left hand is considered unclean.
7c Drinking and driving is illegal.	14c You should shower yourself clean before relaxing in the bath tub.
How you scored 11-14 Congratulations! You’ve completed your round-the-world tour with the minimum of embarrassment. 7-10 Not bad. Only a few embarrassing situations! 4-6 Not so good. You should learn more about cultural differences. 0-3 You must do some cross-cultural homework before our next trip abroad, or stay at home!

 

Exercise 3. Work in groups of four. You are going to read an article about a different negotiating style. Choose either Article A or B, or Article C or D.

Before you read, match the words from your article with their definitions. Then, as one group, answer the questions after the articles.

 

ARTICLE A

1. Tactics	a) Flexible
2. Make comparisons	b) Not changing your opinion or attitude
3. consistency	c) the methods you use to get what you want

 

Negotiations are demand­ing and may become emotional. You may find your Russian negotiator banging his or her fist on the table or leaving the room. Accept such tac­tics with patience and calmness. They are designed to make it diffi­cult for you to concen­trate.

Russian negotiating teams are often made up of experienced managers whose style can be like a game of chess, with moves planned in advance. Wanting to make compromises may be seen as a sign of weakness.

Distinguish between your behaviour inside and outside the negotia­tions. Impatience, toughness and emotion during the negotiations should be met with calmness, patience and consistency. Outside the negotiating process you can show affection and personal sympathy.

From the Financial Times

 

ARTICLE B

1. speak your mind	a) when you find out what the other side wants
2. place great weight on	b) way what you think
3. Exploratory phases	c) Consider very important

 

As well as being formal, negotiations are direct. German managers speak their mind. They place great weight on the clari­ty of the subject matter and get to the point quickly.

Excessive enthusiasm or compliments are rare in German business. You should give a thorough and derailed presenta­tion, with an emphasis on objective information, such as your company's history, rather than on clever visuals or market­ing tricks.

Prepare thoroughly before the negotiation and be sure to make your position clear during the opening stage of the talks, as well as during their exploratory phases. Avoid interrupting, unless you have as urgent question about the presentation.

From the Financial Times

ARTICLE C

1. Small talk	a) Style of bevavious
2. Protocol	b) Polite or social conversation
3. manner	c) the way things are done on official occasions

 

Communicating is a nat­ural talent of Americans. When negotiating part­ners meet the emphasis is on small talk and smil­ing. There is liberal use of a sense of humour that is more direct than it is in the UK. Informality is the rule. Business partners do not use their academic titles on their business cards. Sandwiches and drinks in plastic or boxes are served during conferences.

This pleasant attitude continues in the negotiation itself. US negotiators usually attach little importance to status, title, formalities and pro­tocol. They communicate in an informal and direct manner on a first-name basis. Their manner is relaxed and casual.

The attitude ‘time is money’ has more influ­ence on business commu­nication in the US than it does anywhere else. Developing a personal relationship with the business partner is not as important as getting results.

From the Financial Times

 

ARTICLE D

1. counterparts	a) unplanned thoughts
2. spontaneous ideas	b) give your opinion
3. manner	c) the people on the other negotiating team

 

At the start of the negoti­ations you might want to decide whether you need interpreters. You should have documentation available in Spanish. Business cards should carry details in Spanish and English.

During the negotiations your counterparts may interrupt each other, or even you. It is quite common in Spain for this to happen in the middle of a sentence. For several peo­ple to talk at the same time is accepted in Latin cultures, but is considered rather unusual in Northern Europe.

The discussion is likely to be lively. In negotia­tions, Spanish business people rely on quick thinking and spontaneous ideas rather than careful preparation. It may appear that everybody is trying to put his or her point across at once. That can make negotiations in Spain intense and lengthy, but also enjoyably creative.

From the Financial Times

 

Exercise 4. Work in your groups to answer these questions.

In which country (Russia, Germany, the US or Spain):

1) should you start a negotiation with general conversation?

2) do negotiators show strong emotions?

3) is it common for there to be several conversations at the same time during a negotiation?

4) do negotiators focus on results rather than developing relationships?

5) do negotiators plan their tactics carefully?

6) should you not stop someone while they are talking?

7) is it usual for the atmosphere to be relaxed and friendly?

8) do negotiators prefer to think of ideas during a negotiation rather than before it starts?

9) do negotiators like to talk about business immediately?

10) should you not give the other side too much as they will not respect you?

 

Exercise 5. Read the article and answer the following questions.

1. Why has the number of people working abroad increased?

2. Who did the following – the German manager in England or the American manager in France?

a) He made staff stay inside the building at lunchtime.

b) He gave staff targets.

c) He had meals with with each staff member.

d) He stopped staff drinking during working hours.

e) He seemed to be working the staff.

f) He worked harder than other staff.

3. What are the differences in the way the two managers managed their staff?

 

The International Manager

In recent years, many companies have expanded globally. They have done this through mergers, joint ventures and co-operation with foreign companies. Because of this globalisation trend, many more employees are working abroad in managerial positions or as part of a multicultural team.

Although it is common nowadays for staff to work abroad to gain experience, many people have difficulty adapting to the new culture. The failure rate in US multinationals is estimated to be as high as 30% and it costs US business $3 billion a year.

Two typical failures have been described in the journal Management Today. The first example concerns a German manager with IBM who took up a position as product manager in England. He found that at most lunchtimes and especially on Fridays, many members of staff went to the pub. ‘I stopped that right away,’ he says. ‘Now they are not allowed off the premises. It didn’t make me very popular at the time but it is not good for efficiency. There is no way we would do that in Germany. No way.’

The second example is about an American manager who came to France on a management assignment. He was unable to win the trust of his staff although he tr ied all kinds of ways to do so. He set clear goals, worked longer hours than everybody, participated in ill the projects, visited people’s offices and even took employees out to lunch one by one. But nothing seemed to work. This was because the staff believed strongly that the management were trying to exploit them.

The German manager's mistake was that he hadn't foreseen the cultural differences. IBM had a firm rule about drinking during working hours. It was not allowed. He didn't understand that staff in other countries might be more flexible in applying the rule. The American manager used the ways he was famil­iar with to gain the staff's trust. To them, he seemed more interested in getting the job done than in developing personal relationships. By walking around and visiting everyone in their offices, perhaps he gave the impression that he was 'checking up' on staff. His managerial approach strengthened their feeling of exploitation.

When managers work in foreign countries, they may find it difficult to understand the behaviour of their employees. Moreover, they may find that the techniques which worked at home are not effective in their new workplace.

From Managing Across Cultures by Schneider and Barsoux

 

Exercise 6. Read and translate the article.

Negotiating by e-mail

Who has not types out an angry reply to an e-mail message, hit the send button – and then regretted it? Surely no technology has led to so many conflict and lost friendships as electronic mail. But nowhere is e-mail more dangerous than in negotiations.

Experiments by Michael Morris, an academic at Stanford Business School, and a group of colleagues have now demonstrated what many people have always thought: negotiations are more likely to go well if they are conducted, at least in part, face-to-face, rather than between strangers with keyboards and screens. E-mail is not necessarily a bad way to negotiate, but the research suggests that it needs to be used carefully.

Together with Leight Thompson, of the Kellogg Graduate Business school at Northwestern University, and several other academics, Mr Morris studied mock negotiations that used only e-mail and compared them with ones where there was a brief getting-to-know you telephone call before the negotiations. The second type went more smoothly. Other experiments found that electronic negotiations were easier when the negotiators began by swapping photographs and personal details, or when the already knew each other.

From The Economist

Exercise 7. Read these notes on US business protocol. How does each piece of advice compare with the situation in your country?

US business protocol

Timing You must arrive at business meetings on time. Only a 15-minute delay because of traffic problems is allowed.

Greetings and polite conversation You must shake hands during introductions.

You don‘t have to make a lot of talk. Americans like to get down to business quickly.

You mustn‘t ask about a businesswoman‘s marital status. It is considered rude.

Busines cards You don‘t have to exchange business cards unless there is a reason to get in contact later.

Smoking You musn‘t smoke in many public spaces. Most businesses, cabs and many restaurants nowadays have a no-smoking policy.

Gift-giving Business gifts shouldn‘t be given until after the business negotiations are over.

You musn‘t give expensive business gift. It may cause embarrassment.

Entertaining at home You should write a short thank you note to your host and hostess if you are enertained at their home. You don‘t have to give a gift but flowers or wine are appreciated.

From Do‘s and taboos around the world, edited by Roger E. Axtell

 

Exercise 8. Write notes on business protocol in any English-speaking country or Russia. Use the US business protocol from Exercise 5 as a sample.

 

Writing a Letter

СПРАВОЧНАЯ ИНФОРМАЦИЯ

Виды делового общения

Наиболее распространенными способами делового общения являются деловое письмо (сообщение по электронной почте как его разновидности), телефонный разговор и деловая беседа во время личного контакта с заинтересованным лицом. Написание делового письма и проведение телефонного разговора в англоязычных странах имеют свои особенности. Ниже излагаются особенности этих видов делового общения.

 

Деловое письмо

Прежде всего, следует иметь в виду, что сегменты такого письма и их расположение на листе бумаги существенно отличатся от того, что считается нормой для русского делового письма.

Адрес отправителя, если отсутствует типографским способом выполненная «шапка» наименования фирмы ее адреса и телефонов, печатается в верхнем правом углу бумаги (если речь идет о деловом письме в Англии) или в нижнем левом углу американского делового письма. Ниже адреса отправителя пишется дата отправления. Несколько ниже, в левой части листа пишется адрес получателя. Далее располагается обращение к получателю письма. Если получателем является известное лицо, то обращением к нему будет выражение Dear Mr. Smith или Dear Ms Johnson. Если же получателем является организация (конкретный сотрудник ее неизвестен), то в таком случае обращением будут выражения Dear Sir, Dear Madam, Dear Sirs, Gentlemen.

Далее идет содержание письма. После изложения сути письма следует его финальная фраза типа: We look forward to hearing from you soon (Мы с нетерпением ждем Вашего ответа), I look forward to our successful cooperation (Я очень надеюсь на наше успешное сотрудничество), Your prompt reply will be appreciated (Мы будем благодарны за быстрый ответ), If I may be of any assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact me (Если Вам потребуется моя помощь, то непременно сообщите мне). После такой фразы следует английские эквиваленты русского «С уважением такой-то»: Yours sincerely John Brown или Yours faithfully Tom Bryan.

Если в конверт вкладываются еще какие-то документы, то после подписи отправителя пишется слово Enclosures или, сокращенно, Enc., означающее «вложения» с указанием количества страниц.

Таким образом, деловое письмо будет выглядеть следующим образом.

 

 

Bob Simpson

25 Baker St

London W25

 

12 October, 2011

 

Texto Co.,

24 Bridge Walk

London

 

Dear Mr. Smith,

In reply to your letter of 2^nd October we would like to let you know that….

………………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………..

We look forward to hearing from you soon.

Yours sincerely

 

Bob Simpson

Sales manager

 

Enc.: Specification (3 pages)

 

Типы деловых писем

По своему содержанию деловые письма могут быть:

- запросом, т.е. письмом, содержащим запрос на какую-то информацию (inquiry);

- предложением, т.е. изложением какого-то товара, услуги и т.п. (offer);

- заказом, т.е. сообщением о готовности приобрести какой-то товар, получить какую-то услугу и.т.п. (order);

- рекламацией или жалобой, т.е. сообщением о каком-либо дефекте, недостаче, получении некачественного товара и т.п. (complaint);

- подтверждением получения какого-либо письма, сообщения, посылки и т.п. (confirmation);

- заявлением о приеме на работу, т.е. сообщением о готовности участвовать в собеседовании в связи с объявленной вакансией (application):

Существуют, разумеется, и некоторые другие типы писем, но изложенные выше являются наиболее часто встречающимися.

Для каждого типа письма характерны свои типы выражений и фраз-клише, которые должны быть усвоены учащимися, поскольку правильно составленное и содержащее соответствующие выражения письмо создает благоприятный образ об его отправителе.

Далее предлагается перечень выражений, характерных для деловых писем на английском языке.

This is to inform you that…	Сообщаем Вам, что…
This is to let you know that…	Сообщаем Вам, что…
We are happy to inform you…	Мы рады сообщить, что…
In reply to your letter of 12^th May we…	В ответ на Ваше письмо от 12 мая
We thank you for your letter dated 12^th May	Мы благодарим Вас за Ваше письмо от 12 мая
Further to our letter of 12^th May we…	В дополнение к нашему письму от 12 мая мы…
We thank you for the letter dated…	Благодарим Вас за письмо от…
I regret to have to remind you that…	Сожалею, что приходится напомнить Вам, что…
We are sorry to inform you that…	С сожалением сообщаем Вам, что…
We are pleased to have your letter dated…	Мы рады получить Ваше письмо от…
It is a pleasure for us to have the opportunity to supply you…	Мы рады представившейся возможности поставить Вам…
We have decided to place a trial order with you	Мы решили разместить пробный заказ у Вас
We are happy to establish business relations with you	Мы рады установить деловые отношения с Вами
We could place an order with you if you reconsider your prices and reduce them by at least 10 percent	Мы бы могли разместить у Вас заказ, если Вы пересмотрите Ваши цены и сократите их, по крайней мере, на 10%
This is to acknowledge your letter of…	Подтверждаем получение Вашего письма от…
We are happy to have your order for…	Мы рады получить от Вас заказ на…
We confirm delivery of … by…	Мы подтверждаем поставку … к (дата)
It is a pleasure to have the opportunity of supplying you…	Для нас удовольствие иметь возможность поставить Вам…
I regret to have to remind you that…	Сожалею, что приходится напомнить Вам, что…
We are sorry to inform you that…	Сожалеем, что приходится сообщить Вам, что…
We regret to inform you that you have supplied us goods below the standard we expected	Мы сожалеем, что приходится сообщить Вам, что Вы поставили нам товары ниже того качества, которое мы ожидали
We cannot make use of the goods supplied and are very sorry to have to return them	Мы не можем воспользоваться поставленными товарами и очень сожалеем, что приходится вернуть их
If you cannot deliver the goods within the next 10 days we shall have to cancel the order	Если Вы не сможете поставить товары в пределах следующих 10 дней, нам придется аннулировать заказ

Exercise 1. Here is a typical layout of a simple commercial letter. Use the twelve different parts shown to put together the letter below.

e.g. 12 = a

1. Letterhead

2. References

3. Date

4. Addressee’s name and address

5. Salutation

6. Subject line

7. Body of letter

8. Complimentary close

9. Signature

10. Company position

11. Enclosure

12. Copies

 

a. c.c. Martin Naylor,

International Holdings, Singapore

b. Yours sincerely,

c. J.Hardy

Janet Hardy

d. 23 June 1992

e. Dear Mr Mexford,

f. Enc. Managing Director’s itinerary

g. Due to a change of programme, Mr Gilbert Smethers will not be arriving in Singapore on 18 July and not 16 July as originally planned. Would it be convenient to re-schedule your meeting with him for 19 July at 10.30 a.m.? Please contact our agent, Martin Naylor, to confirm that this possible or to suggest an alternative time.