To come without a tie to a meeting, to shake hands with a person from Taiwan or to take off your shoes as you do in Sweden. With good behavior you will get far in the international business world.
Today, it is easier than ever to come into contact with other
nationalities and cultures and in order to avoid major culture clashes and
unnecessary misunderstandings, a good behavior is extremely important.
- First of all, it is about having good manners overall, for example to
be friendly and take other people into consideration, explains Marika Markland
who is the president of Civil Economists Information AB. Civil Economists
Information AB sometimes teach courses in for example financial controlling, accounting
and management but Marika Markland are looking for courses addressing behavior
and etiquette in business life. To fill this vacuum, she started the course
"Good Business Manners" where students have the opportunity to learn
how to behave in business situations
.
- The course is a mix between theory and practice. In particular, you
get to learn how to participate in a group when mingling.
What are the most common questions the participants ask?
- It is often many questions about how to dress and what to consider
when you sit at the table. In that case a dress or suit is always appropriate
and as a woman, it is important not to dress too tight or inappropriate at the
business meetings.
When you sit down at the table, there are often many unwritten rules and if you
travel to a variety of countries, it can certainly be difficult to keep track
of all rules. Marika Markland´s advice is that if you are unsure you should
wait and see a how other people behave in the situation.
- When I was at a restaurant in Brussel, our friends and I were served a large
dish with crayfish. At that time, I was pretty confused and did not know how I
should eat the crayfish. So I waited in order to see how my friends ate them.
Marika Markland
Marika Markland says that Swedes can be a little odd and sometimes have
the attitude that "why should we adapt?" or "it's just nonsense
to worry about how others behave." But this is not how it should be
emphasizes.
- If you want to do business you must be sensitive and try to adapt.
And it is important to get it right from the beginning, otherwise there will be
no future business.
- The first impression is often something that people forget, and therefore it has
great significance for business. But this is not something new - if you do not
like someone, do not do any business. It is that simple.
To be on time is a very relative concept, particularly when going
abroad. In deciding the time for a meeting, it may therefore be difficult to
know whether the other person shows up at that time or several hours later.
When Marika Markland was in Mexico, it was said that the dinner would start at
8 pm. Two hours later, however, everybody was in place and the dinner began. If
you are unsure of how it is in the country which you are going to visit, Marika
Markland advices to call the embassy and ask. They will usually have an answer.
The way to meet and greet also differ around the world.
- When I was in Taiwan, I made the mistake to shake hands.
Thanks to the sensitivity from Marika Marklands side and the magnanimity from
the other person, this side-step was not so bad. How much distance there should
be when you greet each other is also different depending on where in the world
you are. In Southern Europe you should stand closer to each other when
greeting. However, British people are a little further away.
- It is a bit like being on a dance floor. You move along with the crowd.
Emelie Ring
Marikas tips and advice on behavior and etiquette
-
Always have the title on the business card. Abroad, the title and
position are very important.
-
Be a little frugal with perfumes. Some may be sensitive or even allergic.
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Always send a thank-you card after, for example, a dinner.
-
If you are friendly and courteous, other people often understand and you can
get excused for making a mistake.
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A good behavior is also very important.