tips for doing business in different countries - 留學

英國倫敦商學院(London Business School)的Masters in Management 2011
140位學生來自39個國家
我們在Organisation的課堂上教授發了一份作業請所有學生寫下
"tips for doing business in my countries"
以下是所有人的答案
我覺得非常有趣 轉來給大家參考囉

Tips for Doing Business in my Country
From the students of MiM 2011

Austria
Punctuality is important
It is very important to address Austrian business people with their
title e.g. Dr. and their last name
Avoid making appointments for the months of July and August as
well as Austrian national holidays
Belgium
Speak French or English
Be aware of the cultural differences between Flanders and
Wallonia
Wages are quite high in Belgium
Belgium has lots of highly educated people
Be open to show willingness for compromise
Don’t ask questions about the country’s possible separation, we
are tired of answering these questions
Belgium (Flanders)
Try to address Flemish people in their own language
Focus on the content. Flemish people do not care about form.
Do not act overly social
Brazil
Start small – avoid risk
Work with reliable agents – bridge the culture
Build relationships-meet the customers
Bulgaria
To do business in Bulgaria you are advised to visit the country at
least on several occasions. Personal treatment is very important
for building relationships and trust and if you do not manage to
build such relationships you might stumble reaching business
agreements.
Be prepared to deal with bureaucracy. However, if you know the
“right person”, starting a business might be easier. Therefore,
build your network on a local level.
Laws protect trademarks, copyrights and patents and ensure equal
treatment of both foreign and domestic investors. However the
legal system functions slowly, so you’d better not get involved in
court disputes.
Canada
Be open and welcoming
Be friendly
People are very polite and you are expected to be polite too
Canadians tend to say “sorry” a lot
Ethical practice is most important
Watch out for cultural differences – Canada is a multicultural
country
Canada is officially a bilingual country (English and French). French
dominates the province of Quebec
Canada is very multicultural and promotes diversity – impact on
customer segmentation and advertising (e.g. labels must be in
French and English)
Charge higher than normal prices because no one will complain
Fill in your tax forms correctly
Be sensitive to (or avoid) comparing Canadians to Americans
Canadians don’t like to be thought of as “just like Americans”
It is a very common practice to tip when receiving services
(restaurant 15-20%)
China
Relationships, but not networking
Relationship matters the most
Networking is important
Networking us the key to business success
Build good relationship with your clients and people in the
government
Building relationships
Build good relationship with your clients in the government
Business is done mostly through ‘Guan Xi’, which means
relationships/networking. So find the right person of influence to
get your trusted
Never underestimate “Guan Xi” – connections, networks. You
need to be dealing with a person of influence
Hire local representatives/consultants to monitor deals and
relationships
Dinners and drinks
Entertainment
Being a good person
Don’t be too aggressive
Do it with the government
Be ready to drink a lot of alcohol
You have to drink a lot
Be prepared to drink 5% white wine
You have to train yourself to be good at drinking especially if you
do business in northern China
People make business deals on dinner table
Accounting system is not well developed – be careful!
Know the different characteristics of people from different
provinces
Be very flexible
Follow your boss
Don’t fight for bills
Keep an eye on policy changes in the financial market so as to
lower risks
Be humble
Understand local culture (learn local language)
Respect face
Understand the ways of saying “no”, since Chinese almost never
say it directly
Respect face. Never argue or voice a different opinion with anyone
directly
Use the same due diligence you would in the west so as to protect
your intellectual property
Show a lot of gesture of goodwill
Governments play an important role
Egypt
Connections are everything
Speaking English and Arabic is essential
Don’t take work too seriously; Egyptians are laid-back and like to
have fun on the job
France
Process matters as much as result
Respect and show respect to your superiors
A lot of business is done over lunch, dinner or drinks
Develop a perfect fluency in French language and culture
Know people
Network, network, network (accept that success if not all about
merit)
You might be judged very quickly and superficially
Dress well. French people draw information on people based on
their appearance
Be prepared to be judged
Don’t say everything is great, criticize!
Follow business etiquette: be very polite, well-mannered and
formal
It is important to speak French
Speak and understand French x2
Use first names only after being invited to do so
Make friends in the workers’ unions
Be sure to possess good analytical skills
Germany
Be on time! X 4
Punctualityx2
Be punctual
Known for diligent work ethic - expect to work hard
Germans drink beer and like sauerkraut and wurst
Focus on value add and content creation
Make yourself heard
Be aware and show your awareness of local and federal regulation
Show how you will contribute to the local community or highlight
the benefits of doing business with you
Most important points of agenda are spoken about first in
negotiations
Meeting deadlines is crucial
Keep your promises
Matter and person are often seen as separate in business
More or less a strict line drawn between business and private life
Focus on the content of discussion, no distractions
Be honest! X 2
Don’t be offended by harsh language
Don’t call someone by first name immediately
Be straightforward
Straight to the point
Formal
Greece
You have to be fully aware of the legal system
Know well every law applying to your sector
Maybe you will need to use some not very legal techniques to
achieve your goal
Meetings can be arranged on a very short notice
Informal networks and who you know are more important than
what you know, especially if you are a woman
Most Greeks speak English but they are suspicious of foreigners
doing business in their country
Build trust in your business relations
Punctuality is important in business
Negotiations is part of closing the deal
Negotiate much and hard
Don’t trust easily
Long lunches are an important source of building relations,
negotiations and closing deals
Hong Kong
Give business cards with both hands
Don’t be first to start eating
Manner is everything
Renting is expensive – try to get as small an office as possible
Corruption is relatively low – you can count on the legal system
Outsourcing services is quite easy – small accounting firms, legal
firms, HR firms are abundant
Hungary
Think very carefully about government regulations – very
regulated!
Go for cheap products rather than quality
Be ready for sharp volatilities in customer demand
India
Have a lot of cash in your wallet
Have a pedigree – family name or alma matter
There is always someone who knows someone who can get the
job done
Should have strong contacts / networks among political circles
Connections!
Be aware of cultural sensitivities
Understand culture and respect the values of the local people.
Their beliefs and way of thinking will differ from yours, accept
and recognize them
Local knowledge
Indians are very sentimental about religious beliefs
Manage red tape
Bureaucracy is insane. You have to cope with it
Work is distributed between many people. It is not surprising to
find a single document to pass through several hands before being
complete
Indians are very social people. They like to communicate and talk
while they work
Very large English-speaking population, hence potential for global
communication, no need to learn local languages
Most Indians doing business speak English, so it isn’t strictly a
requirement to know local languages
Indians are generally very hard working
India is a largely price-sensitive market
Bribes are very common. It’s changing slowly but it is a way of life
Should be willing to cope with slack in professionalism and bribes
to political leaders
Should be willing to face the challenge as a result of intense good
quality and low cost competition
Italy
Speak the language
Pay on time
Run background checks on peoples’ qualifications
Ask yourself who actually holds the power. Do not rely too much
on formal rules and authorities
Think creatively, be open to new ideas and ways of doing things
Learn Italian, be friendly and not judgemental: it is hard to
understand how Italy works from the outside
Speak Italian! (English is optional…)
Be humble and don’t make too many jokes on stereotypes
Enjoy 3 hour business dinners
Lebanon
Have good connections and make good use of corruption (i.e.
corruption is sometimes necessary)
Expect to bribe a lot of people
High end works well because Lebanese people are superficial and
very showy
Have good PR
Adapt to a lack of organisation
Malaysia
Speak the three main languages fluently – Malay, Mandarin, English
You may find difficulty in pronouncing names but make an effort
Have a good balance of westernised and Asian mind-set
Have strong connections with higher society
Be polite and humble. Malaysia is very ethnically diverse thus you
should try to understand their backgrounds a little prior to
meeting them
Be patient and flexible with time
When dealing with large organisations and the government expect
a lot of red tape and bureaucracy
You should be accustomed to clients taking tea breaks twice daily
Driving is important if you travel frequently for work (Note: heavy
traffic congestion during rush hours 7-9:30am, 4:30-7pm)
Malaysians tend to be late
Netherlands
You can be blunt/direct
Dutch people are blunt and straightforward and they will
appreciate plain speaking
Don’t bother learning Dutch
Make your company a Dutch BU/MV – lower taxes!
Change generally will be only accepted after much deliberation
and discussion (everybody has the right to speak)
The manager is not seen as the boss, but as the first among equals.
So, if you are leading a team, don’t be too authoritarian. Act as the
colleague who has most influence rather than as the ultimate
arbiter on all decisions
Act normal, then you act crazy enough (Dutch saying: To act
normal is crazy enough)
Be modest about your achievements. People who talk too much
about their successes in life are not appreciated. So do not think of
yourself as something special
In you’re giving a present, Dutch people like presents they can’t
buy in their own country
Pakistan
Have connections
Be prepared for runt work
Be courageous
Romania
Accept laid-back attitudes
Be street-smart
Business meetings are more focussed on good times than actual
business talk
Russia
High level of red tape and corruption
Learn to deal with government
You will have to deal with bribes when dealing with any part of the
Russian government
Government relations and security officers are very important in
large companies
Personal connections and relations are crucial for success
Knowing people in the institutions of authority and having their
support is key for starting small/medium business
Do not get in trouble with the police
Despite the government’s attempts to develop innovative
industries, the most promising sectors are still energy and
construction
Don’t trust anyone
Learn to drink!
Western companies in Russia are more meritocratic on average
than national ones
Slovakia
Make friends in important places
Know your competitors
Produce outside of Bratislava region; sell in Bratislava
South Africa
Arrive promptly
Be honest
Don’t forget the kick-back
South Korea
Be quick
Be humble and loyal
Be ready to work long hours
Be very respectful for age and be punctual
Try to think your colleagues as one united body. You can come and
leave the office at similar times. Do help people out when possible
Do not miss any of the social mixers. Consider them also as a
crucial part of your work duty
Spain
LEARN SPANISH and the regional languages – proud regional
identity
Do not discuss business/deals at lunch but in the office
Be punctual but do not expect punctuality
Be prepared for chaotic business negotiations; we love speaking
simultaneously ☺
Be prepared to stay up late. A business dinner will start at around
9:00pm and last until 12:00
Switzerland
Be on time
Be international
Be as specific as possible
Taiwan
Need to be a good drinker
When having a business dinner, never finish the last piece in every
shared dish
A great portion of businesses are discussed and negotiated in
eating and drinking occasions instead of in offices, so do join
those occasions!
Know some key governors
Prepare gifts to main clients during Chinese New Year, Dragon
Boat Festival and Moon Festival
Thailand
Smile!
Be humble, polite, respectful (personal relations are important)
Respect elders.
Thai people avoid direct criticism and confrontation, prefer
indirect
Turkey
As a sign of respect you should always address the eldest or most
senior person in the room first
Turkish people enjoy answering questions on their culture or
having a conversation with people who have some knowledge of
Turkey. It may be a good start to ask a Turkish man which football
team he supports
According to the protocol f Turkish hospitality the host always pays
for the meal. The concept of sharing the bill is very rude
Do not use deadlines or pressure tactics as the Turks will use this
to their advantage and reverse the tactic by threating to cancel
agreements or end negotiations
Imports and exports are unrestricted and exchange control is
limited to certain formalities
Ukraine
You will need to pay bribes
If you pay bribes you don’t need to pay taxes
If you pay taxes this doesn’t mean you won’t have to pay bribes
United Kingdom
Formality depends on the sector
Heathrow, Gatwick, City airports are primary business airports
Meetings usually begin with small talk, followed by an exchange of
business cards IF everything goes well
Be polite-exchange niceties, take an interest
The British are renowned for their politeness and courtesy. So
direct questions generally get evasive responses and conversations
will be full of ambiguities. It is therefore important to pay
attention to voice/facial expression
We can be subtle/understate things to be polite
The British traditionally maintain a “stiff upper lip” so open
displays of emotion are rare and should be avoided
Punctuality is essential at any business meeting or social event
Be on time!
You need to comply with many different regulatory authorities
You can challenge almost any business decision in court if you
don’t agree
Ensure you declare all income so that you are not challenged by
tax authorities
USA
It might be helpful to know how to play golf and/or tennis
Be able to play golf
Golf is a very important sport amongst business executives and is
often the venue for getting to know business partners as well as
starting business negotiations
Sports terminology is often used in business (i.e. touch base, call
the shots, ball park figures, game plan)
Persistence is common practice in business
Punctuality is extremely important
Americans love American-made products
English is used almost 100% of the time in business but Spanish is
becoming increasingly important
Definitely need to know how to speak English
Speak English very well
Corruption is much worse than the media would have you believe
Do not assume that simply because a contract exists that parties
will abide by it or that the judicial system will uphold it - even if
it is 100% legally valid
High quality customer service is valued and expected in more
sectors and industries
Punctuality and straightforwardness is highly valued and is
expected in the US business world
Need to know how to network because it can be like an “old boys
club”
Be tough and expect to work hard
Look into immigration rules
Be ready for competition and be able to thrive in it
Presentation in many industries is sometimes seen as more
convincing than facts
It’s not only about book smarts
Don’t underestimate people
Don’t ask about money, salary
Time is money
Tax evasion is nearly impossible to do successfully (without being
caught) if your net worth is below $25million(liquid)
American culture stresses individual initiative and achievements
Americans usually refrain from greetings that involve hugging,
kissing or close physical contact. A handshake is the norm


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