Between the Lines: Culture and Business in Asia

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Introduction

In my experience learning about Asian business culture one things stands out to me more than any other, the importance of etiquette. In Asia minding your manners and understanding unspoken social cues is just as important, if not more important than making a good business proposition. Accidentally being a little rude can break down a whole business partnership. For every country there are different traditions and different etiquette rules to be followed. Each country also seems to have their very own unspoken set of subtle social cues. The key to being a successful international businessperson seems to be in knowing all of your cultures very well and simply carefully minding your manners.

Different Cultures

Each Country has its very own culture and in turn it’s own set of etiquette rules, it is important to recognize and respect each and every one. In order to provide some examples to show just how much Asian cultures vary and to show how they all have one thing in common, that is, that they all value etiquette very much when it comes to choosing prospective business partners, I will go into detail about the business culture of two Asian countries.

Korea

In order to do business in Korea understanding their culture is crucial. Having polite manners will be seen as courteous it will be even more appreciated for the foreigner to have made the effort to learn about Korean customs and language, which in turn will greatly help you make stronger business partnerships. Koreans still follow certain Confucian traditions. This means that respect for elders and education is emphasized. Nowadays not all Koreans follow the Confucian principles quite as closely, however, they are still pretty important when it comes to bu...

... middle of paper ...

...nessperson you should always keep in mind that minding your manners can make or break international alliances between companies.

Works Cited

"Doing Business in South Korea." The Translation Agency For A Complete Professional Translation Service. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 May 2014. .

"Export, Innovate, Invest - The Canadian Trade Commissioner Service." Site of the Canadian Trade Commissioner Service to help companies do business abroad: market studies, contacts abroad, services of our offices abroad.. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Apr. 2014. .

"Doing Business in China." The Translation Agency For A Complete Professional Translation Service. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 May 2014. .

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