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International Business Etiquette: Asia & The Pacific Rim

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International Business Etiquette: Asia & The Pacific Rim

Career Press,

15 min read
10 take-aways
Audio & text

What's inside?

Critical business skills in Asia: Building relationships and preserving “face.”

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Editorial Rating

7

Qualities

  • Applicable

Recommendation

Ann Marie Sabath ever so politely documents the social and business etiquette practiced in 13 Asian and Pacific Rim countries. Chock full of practical "do’s and don’ts," the book includes plenty of basic information about each country, including history, air travel, telephone, currency, holidays, language, religion, time zones and weather. To fit so much into only 200 pages, the author presents only the most important highlights and writes in a concise, authoritative, yet upbeat style. getAbstract recommends this book to those doing business in Australia, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, New Zealand, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam, and to those doing business elsewhere with men and women from these countries. And, just remember what Mom said, "Mind your manners wherever you go so they’ll know you weren’t raised in a barn."

Summary

A Different Kind of Etiquette

In Asia and The Pacific Rim, business and social customs vary widely from those in the United States and other Western countries. Any Westerner going to the East will find that - except in Australia and New Zealand - many customs are based upon principles quite opposite from those underlying Western manners. Eastern etiquette, for example, is based on the principle of "saving face," which is born out of a great desire to avoid any negativity or embarrassment. The silent language behind each country’s customs can be learned and even mastered with repeated exposure.

To avoid any etiquette mishaps that could give your hosts the wrong impression or sink a business relationship, brush up on each country’s customs. While many of these countries share some customs, Asian countries are not alike. Ideas about behavior and manners - the practical application of those ideas - can be very different from country to country.

China In China, professional business attire, not "business casual" as Westerners call it, should be worn in business settings. Business cards have an entire etiquette of their own. Titles help the Chinese determine your decision...

About the Author

Ann Marie Sabath is the author of Etiquette and Business Etiquette in Brief. She is the founder and president of At Ease, Inc., which specializes in domestic and international business etiquette. She has trained employees of many major companies, including Fidelity Investments, the Huffy Corporation, Saks Fifth Avenue, Deloitte and Touche, MCI Telecommunications and the Marriott Corporation.

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