The Importance of Cultural Awareness

It may come as some consolation that even among top-ranking politicians there can be some awkwardness when it comes to knowledge of other countries’ customs. Witness the recent encounters between the President of the United States and the Première Dame of France. When Carla Bruni leaned in for the customary kiss on the cheek, Obama instead stuck out his hand for a handshake. Only later during an evening dinner reception was the gaffe rectified, and they correctly performed the ‘kiss greeting’.

Also, in a reception with Queen Elizabeth II, First Lady Michelle Obama briefly put her hand on the Queen’s back, which is a big no-no according to standard protocol. One never touches the Queen of England — as tradition holds it, she’s the protector of the faith, as holy as the Pope himself. This incident echoed former Australian Prime minister John Howard, who put his arm around the Queen to direct her through a crowd. Needless to say, the British tabloid press was loving it all.

The most infamous blunderer in terms of cultural awareness is former US president Bush, whose gaffes could probably fill an encyclopaedia. Among them are winking at Queen Elizabeth II, giving Angela Merkel a backrub, and talking with his mouthful at 2006’s G8 Summit.

Take the kiss incident above, and move that scenario to India. Back in 2007, Richard Gere embraced and kissed Indian actress Shilpa Shetty on the cheek several times at an AIDS awareness rally. In a country where displays of public affection are taboo, kissing in public pretty much tops the list of offensive behaviour. People burned effigies of Gere, and a warrant was issued for his arrest. While our actions might not fall under as much scrutiny as Gere’s, not knowing what kinds of public affection are acceptable in another culture might deeply offend a potential new business partner.

Anyone conducting business in today’s globalised economy should pay heed to the lessons offered above. What happens under on the world stage of international politics, also happens every day in the business world.

Probably the most common setting for meetings between globetrotting business people is the dining table. Did you know that pointing and waving chopsticks is considered rude in most Asian countries? In many Middle Eastern countries it is important to eat using the right hand, as the left hand is considered unclean.

Another important point to remember is that countries have different degrees of personal space. Americans are known to be very informal, while on the other end of the spectrum you find the French, who sometimes find the Americans’ straight forward behaviour to be overly-friendly, and rude. In this area, like all the others, it is probably best to ere on the side of caution.

Cross-cultural awareness is also a key factor when it comes to retaining an effective workforce. According to a recent survey about Cross-Cultural Development Conversations, over 90% of 45 surveyed companies said they expect the cultural diversity in their organisations to increase within the next 3-5 years – ‘with nearly 50% expecting “a significant increase”’.

Take the example of giving employee feedback in China. According to Career Innovations – the organisation that conducted the survey — what is perceived as positive and effective feedback in the United States is inappropriate to Chinese employees. That is because in the US feedback tends to be given on an individual level, in a more direct way – whereas Chinese employees are accustomed to receive feedback as a group. Companies had noticed employees leaving for no apparent reason until they were able to bridge this communication gap.

As much familiarisation as possible with your business partner’s country is imperative for effective inter-business communication and employee retention.

If there is a lesson to be learned, it is this: if you don’t know the etiquette of your business associate’s country, there is no harm in asking. Also, try to find out as much as possible about their country beforehand. Effective communication is not just about language. Being culturally aware can be just the advantage you need in today’s competitive global economy.