International Marketing Review – Cultural Faux Pas
A cultural faux pas is a violation of the accepted social rules for the culture you are in. Not the culture from where you come, but the culture where you are when you make the mistake. For example, an American businessman working in France may be expected to do the cheek to cheek kiss with all of the women in the office, but a Frenchman trying to do the cheek to cheek kiss in the United States would probably end up with a sexual harassment lawsuit filed against him. Faux pas vary widely between cultures, what is considered good manners in one culture can be considered horribly insulting in another. The term originally comes from the French, meaning “false step”, which is exactly what it is.
Shawna McAlearney @ms_shawna presents 11 cultural faux pas you should never make in China posted at MIS Aaia saying “You’ve flown all the way to China to sign a big deal that will help your company weather the current economic recession. You’re the top man in your department and you are well rested and feel at the top of your game when you meet their executive team. You know that hierarchy is important to the Chinese so you speak directly to the director, a woman, while you shake her hand. You touch her shoulder as you pull back to guide her to the table. You’re telling them about your trip as you casually pass out your business cards so you stack up the ones you just received from the team and put them into your pocket. The preliminary meeting appears to go well. As it concludes, you jump up from the table eager to report back to your boss.”
Bradley/Dillon Ross present Committing Cultural Faux Pas posted at Associated Content saying “It is not uncommon for even the most seasoned traveler to commit cultural faux pas. When you find yourself in such situation, a quick apology and a genuine regret are normally accepted and forgiven. Here are some common mistakes people make when visiting a foreign land.”
Rebecca Bogen present Look before you leap – avoiding cultural faux pas posted at Examiner saying “When visiting another country, one thing that a lot of people forget is to do some research ahead of time. While you do not have to be a walking encyclopedia on your destination, it is always beneficial to learn a little about the place before you arrive. Learn a little about the customs, etiquette, and a few useful phrases in the native language. As I have mentioned before, guide books are a great way to get some background on a place and are much cheaper than a guided tour. Even a quick Google search can provide useful information that might save you from accidentally ordering bull testicles in a restaurant, insulting the locals, or committing other faux pas.”
Kimae Heussner @kheussner present Top 9 Twitter Faux Pas posted at ABC News saying “It’s amazing how much trouble 140 characters can cause. Just like hitting “reply all” instead of sticking with the simple “reply,” one errant Twitter message — the maximum post is 140 characters — available for all with an Internet connection to see, can send its author ducking for cover. Most would argue that the micro-blogging site that has attracted millions of users, including celebrities and politicians, is a powerful tool for communication. But sometimes it can backfire.”
Shawna McAlearney @ms_shawna present 10 Cultural Faux Pas You Should Never Make in Japan posted at All Business saying “From language mishaps run amok–”I once said ‘That’s wonderful’ when a person said her uncle died,” confesses businessman Ron McFarland–to blowing your nose in public, there are many faux pas people unknowingly make when doing business in another culture. And Japan is rife with opportunities for Westerners to make mistakes. Those mistakes could be what’s standing between closing a big deal that will help your company weather the current economic storm–or not. Can you afford to leave anything to chance? (Don’t miss 6 Cultural Faux Pas You Should Never Make in Russia, 10 Cultural Faux Pas You Should Never Make in India and 11 Cultural Faux Pas You Should Never Make in China.) Below is a list of 10 common faux pas that you shouldn’t make when in Japan as submitted by international business people.”
What have these stories inspired in you? What cultural faux pas have you made? I would love to hear your comments.
More International Marketing Reviews:
- #58 – Disproving Cultural Generalizations
- #57 -A Different Night Out
- #56 – Culture Shock
- #55 – World Maps
- #54 – Interracial Relationships
- #53 – Multi-cultural Cities
- #52 – International Social Networking
- #51 – Mothers Day 2009
- #50 – Cross-Cultural Management
- #49 – Holidays Around The World In May 2009
- #48 – Earth Day 2009
- #47 – Easter 2009
- #46 – G20
- #45 – UN-Earth Hour Events On Earth Day
- #44 – World Water Day
- #43 – Flat Stanley travels the world
- #42 – English Tweeting Women to follow from Europe
- #41 – English Tweeting Women to follow from Europe
- #40 – Intercultural Encounters
- #39 – International Valentines Day 2009
- #38 – The White Paper Summit 2009
- #37 – Social Media Changes and President Obama
- #36 – Social Media and the President
- #35 – Globalization and the Global Economy
- #34 – Cross-Cultural Encounters
- #33 – Cultural & International Links
- #32 – 2009 Predictions
- #31 – Christmas Meals Around The World
- #30 – Christmas Trees Around The World
- #29 – Santa Claus In Different Cultures
- #28 – International Christmas Shopping
- #27 – On Multicultural Matters
- #26 – On International Sales
- #25 – On Cross-Cultural Communication
- #24 – On Translations
- #23 – On Email Marketing
- #19 – International Business
Here is a complete list of International Marketing Reviews Technorati tags:
the international marketing review, blog carnival, international sales best practice.
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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Kimae, I like your style!
I’ve been the social industry for a few years now and you’d be surprised how corporate companies struggle to get twitter moving . The majority of them need approval through legal channels just to retweet!
In my opinion a twitter account is only suitable for a company that is able to be the source of information and not a regurgitator
Hi Phil,
I often notice a lack of global business focus where personal preferences/fears/hangups seem to get the upper hand. The two are probably linked.
Let’s face it, good company tweeting, probably needs a little coaching and a good team atmosphere too.