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Doing Business in Africa: Opportunities and Negotiation

Doing business in Africa is becoming increasingly attractive and easy for Western companies that are identifying new opportunities on the African continent. For this reason, both European countries and the United States are implementing policies to access African markets, although China is the main investor and supplier on the continent. Chinese strategy has consisted on investing in the primary sector ... Read More »

Etiquette and Business Culture in Arab countries

To successfully negotiate in Arab countries it is essential to take into account their protocol and business culture, in certain aspects so different from the Western world. The Arab countries constitute a traditional culture based on the principles of their religion -the Islam- which, however, is constantly evolving, adopting behaviour patterns typical of developed countries; this mixture is somehow difficult ... Read More »

Keys to doing business in Sweden

José María Rodriguez Clemente* Sweden is not only today a prosperous, stable and commercially consolidated country, but also the leader in economic growth of the region known as Scandinavia, (formed together with Denmark, Norway, and Finland), and the strongest commercial partner of Spain among the Nordic countries. Today is at the top of many rankings of competitiveness and ease of ... Read More »

30 International Etiquette Rules You Have to Know

When doing business abroad, it is advisable to know the main rules of international etiquette. The culture and tradition of each country make people behave differently, and if the business executive does not know how to adapt to that behavior, it can provoke a rejection from the other party, which makes it more difficult or even endangers the success of ... Read More »

Chinese banquests: 10 etiquette rules

Chinese Banquest

Work and social life tend to remain separate in the West, whereas much of a Chinese person’s social life will be used to further personal and business relationships. In China, some three-quarters of business deals are sealed outside of working hours. Tea houses, Karaoke bars and restaurants can all be locations where discussions and deals are made. Read More »

Keys to doing business in Angola

business in Angola

by Rafael de León* Angola has become one of the most interesting countries to do business in sub-Saharan Africa. Only 12 years ago, on February 22, 2002 , the assassination of Jonas Savimbi (Leader of UNITA, main opposition party) put an end to 27 years of civil war in Angola , ensuring the long-awaited peace and leaving a country in ... Read More »

Keys to doing business in the Baltic countries

By José María Rodriguez Clemente* The Baltic Countries were not just the first European economies to recover from the crisis of 2009 (their GDP began to grow already in the 3rd quarter of that year), but they also lead the ranking of growth in the European Union now.  Moreover, they are still net beneficiaries of the structural funds assigned for the ... Read More »

Business Etiquette in Brazil

Brazil is one of  the countries with greater racial and cultural mix (what is known as a melting pot). It has important communities from Africa, Portugal, Spain, Germany, Japan, Lebanon and other countries. These groups have mixed together and have managed to create a unique lifestyle, with business etiquette rules quite flexible, though should be known by foreign negotiators that ... Read More »

Business Etiquette in Japan

The Japanese monarchy is the world’s oldest (dating back to 660 BC). This explains and justifies the rigid traditions and customs of Japanese society, probably the most ceremonial culture of the world. In this article we offer some tips on business etiquette in Japan: The business culture is very formal. People are addressed by Mr or Mrs followed by their ... Read More »

Business Culture in China: 10 Elements

  If the Shanghai Skyline, the disappearance of bicycles in the big cities or the success of luxury brands can make us believe that China has been transformed into the most important capitalist market in the world, reality is that, from a cultural viewpoint, there exist some values proceeding from a millennial culture, with strong rural roots, which mark deep ... Read More »