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international relations 1

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HgTX

HgTX

Civil/Environmental
Aug 3, 2004
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At the moment, there is a delegation from Arab Nation X (Bedouin rather than Levantine culture, and that's as specific as I'll get) over on the other side of the building. My understanding is that they are here to learn from us; we're not trying to get anything from them. Nonetheless, information was circulated containing cultural do and don't with regard to Arab Nation X, and most of the employees (male and female) on that side of the building have been told to wear lab coats today so that they don't have to single anyone out in particular for immodest clothing that might offend the delegation. (Nice way to avoid sexual harassment claims, I suppose. Fortunately the "eating with left hand" issue only affects a small and elite group appointed to dine with the delegation.)

All this got me wondering--I'm sure if I went to Arab Nation A, they wouldn't be adapting much to my cultural habits; I'd be expected to adapt to accomodate my hosts. But surely somewhere out there are "How to deal with Americans" leaflets warning people wishing to do business with us about various cultural pitfalls?

Does anyone have one of these? What does it say with regard to proper care and feeding of United Statesians?

Hg

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Interesting topic:
But there must be a limit to how much you can accomidate someone. Bad example: driving from the airport over across the pond, you would not expect them to change the side of the road they drive on to accomidate us.

But a little accomidation should be seen as a point of respect. And we or they should appreaciate that show of respect.

However it would be difficult to wright such a book because there are so many different subculures in the US.
 
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It's funny how cultural differences work, sometimes its more subtle than you'd think. I was working with an Austrian guy who listened to a lot of hip-hop -- and thought that meant he knew culture in the US. His English was very good, but I remember a few times he used innapropriate words & was completely unaware that this was not suitable for the workplace (for that matter, some of his choice words were completely unacceptable for anyone to use almost anywhere).

I also remember a horror story from a collegue who was to hungry at lunch -- he was out with a client in the bible belt, and got caught off guard with a mouthful of food when the client asked who was going to say the grace.
 
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HgTX, I know of a coworker back in the UK who got sick of the 'religious propaganda' from our partners in the US. Basically several of the US team members (some were USAF, can't remember if any of the US industry members were guilty) would have little 'passages of the day' or 'prayer of the day' etc on the end of emails that type of thing. In the UK this is pretty much a no-no across the board. Which is amusing as the US has separation of church and state while the UK has a state church!

KENAT, probably the least qualified checker you'll ever meet...
 
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And is the salad a starter or an accompaniment to the main mea.

KENAT, probably the least qualified checker you'll ever meet...
 
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I always thought salad was just an extended garnish?

"Art without engineering is dreaming; Engineering without art is calculating."

Have you read faq731-376 to make the be
 
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I know the military, especially the US Army, issues handbooks on culturally sensitive countries. A brief search turned up the following:



"Art without engineering is dreaming; Engineering without art is calculating."

Have you read faq731-376 to make the be
 
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I know where to find what the U.S. has to say about the care and feeding of people from other countries. I'm wondering about the reverse.

Hg

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Well, back in the UK we generally reigned our drinking in when with US customers. Not so much for fear of our getting drunk as that:

A: We didn't want to embarass them by drinking them under the table/them getting drunk trying to keep up.

B: The perception is that many Americans still have a bug up their but about drinking so we didn't want to offend.

Also, at least in our little bit of the Defence Industry, the Americans where far more PC than us, so we'd try and be on best behaviour.

I will say most of the Americans were open to the near room temperature beer rather than the fizzy; near absolute zero; served in a frozen glass gnats pi$$ that passes as beer in the US (or much of europe for that matter).

Foodwise too most of the ones that came over weren't too picky, they'd go to an Indian or to a nice pub with equal pleasure.

Another one was generally don't ask them a technical question outside of their area of core competancy. Where as we in the UK would say our best guess/understanding with the preface that we'd need to check back in the office, many US Engineers refused to even comment and would just tell us who to ask. Once we got told to talk to the wrong person, for some reason this person actually helped us up to a point, we then finally talked to the right person and he was very upset we'd been talking to the other guy (who sat in the same office, I think across the desk).

KENAT, probably the least qualified checker you'll ever meet...
 
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KENAT,

The beer selection is good here in the US these days - probably better than the UK actually. I still go to some restaurants though that list off a total of 20 budweiser type beers with no other options in site, but you get that everywhere.
 
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Tick--I assume they decide not to mind, since they elected to travel in western Europe. Which is part of why I was so annoyed that someone here took it upon themselves to decide that we need to adapt so much to accomodate our visitors. I don't think the Arabs in question actually cared.

Mango--cool, I think that's what I was looking for. Just from curiosity.

Hg

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csd72, not from what I've seen over the last 5 years or so of being in the States, unless the UK has really gone down hill.

Though in fairness I'm still not well travelled in the US, however except for one place down on the board walk in Long Beach all the beers have been served very cold, even the British style ones get served cold.

KENAT, probably the least qualified checker you'll ever meet...
 
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