A Look at Business Culture International – From the Perspective of An Asian American

A Look at Business Culture International – From the Perspective of An Asian American

One of my colleagues (not of Asian decent) recently asked me to help him pick out business cards. He does a lot of traveling and business in the Asian market and wanted something to show his respect for his Asian business associates. This proved a little more difficult that I think he was expecting. But I tried my best to give him a hand. He had picked out a number of cards that he thought were good and we went from there.

But it is more than just a business card, it is about the message that it conveys and that is where he went astray.

Here are a couple business cards that he liked. I won’t go over them too much, in fact I will leave it up to you to decide what you think of them.

All images of these business cards were used with permission.

What I want to cover is something a little more target, actual business culture, this is mainly deemed international, but it works just the same for those here at home that work with Asian colleagues.

One thing I often hear from students that have finished study in foreign policy, or international business programs is their eagerness to start working in a far away and exciting place. The business world is big, but once you start jetting around from location to location you will realize how small it really is. That is one reason, this ease of travel, that many people feel comfortable treating their colleague in Tokyo, Bejing, or Istanbul the same way they would Joe from three offices down.

But they need to be aware of different etiquette and customs that may very easily cause them to come across as arrogant or inconsiderate if they fail to recognize them.

Building Long Lasting Relationships

One important aspect of international business that need not be forgotten is cultural sensitivity. Building a strong awareness of this is very important for success abroad, in ten years from now it will be mandatory. It is expected that more than 42% of college graduates in ten years time will be working closely with, or even working in one of the large Asian markets. These are the Chinese, Japanese, and Indian business worlds.

All three of these nations will be shaping the way the world works and operates over the course of our lifetimes.

And everyone of these countries have their own customs and expectations in the professional business world. What’s more, a taboo in one country can be a daily accepted activity. It is up to you to recognize these pit falls and properly navigate them.

It is important to remember that working in another country, living and interacting with its people and culture is a rewarding and fun experience. make sure that you study what type of etiquette is expected from you ahead of time though, it might not only save you from an embarrassing misunderstanding, it might just land you that big contract you were shooting for.

After all, you wouldn’t want to use the wrong wording on your business cards would you?