Cultural Aspects

Throughout all these activities culture has be taken into account. The consequences of the differences in national cultures (see Culture 2) are not only visible but may prove hard to solve. A small list may suffice to indicate the range of problems.

Establishing contacts

Can you just call a person or send an e-mail (cold calling) or do you need an introduction? How important is status and hence, the correct use of titles and the position of the sender? Do you establish personal contacts first or do you come straight to the point (transactional)? Which personal details do you discuss or avoid (e.g. religion, family)? How much can you trust the other?

Appointments

Are you exactly on time (punctuality) or can you be flexible (mañana in Spanish, jam karet in Indonesian)? At what location, his or her office, your office, a hotel, a restaurant? Use of business cards (the information provided on it, how and when to give a business card and how to receive it)?

Time

What is the value of time? Is there a difference in the use of time, i.e. doing one thing after another or being involved in multiple tasks at the same time? What is the importance of past, present and future in relation to one another and how much do they overlap? To what degree is time use as element of communication (e.g. use of silence)?

Relations

How do you deal with role patterns (gender), e.g. shaking hands or not? Is hierarchy or rather egalitarianism setting the tone in discussions, e-mails and so on? Is there a difference in group orientation? How important are emotions? Are people involved as a person or is the contact just part of the job? Are work and private life strictly separated? How important are specific achievements?

Communication

Do you face a difference in how direct you communicate (from straight to the point to a rather roundabout way)? Do you or the other give immediate feedback?