Reading C1 Cultural Behaviour

READING C1
Cultural behaviour in business
Read a blog post about doing business in different cultures to

practise and improve your reading skills.
Do the preparation task first. Then read the text and do the
exercises.
Preparation
Match the words with the definitions.
-mundane
-nuances
-stark
-to pigeonhole someone
-pompous
-to break the ice
-to stand someone in good stead
-to be conceived as
subtle differences in meaning

•
to be useful to someone in the future

•
arrogant and self-important

•
extreme and obvious, often used with 'difference' or ‘contrast'
to be thought of as
•
boring, uninteresting or ordinary

•
to do something that helps relieve the tension and get conversation going,
especially between people meeting for the first time
•
to label someone and put them in a restrictive category

•
READING TEXT
Much of today's business is conducted across international borders,

and while the majority of the global business community might
share the use of English as a common language, the nuances and
expectations of business communication might differ greatly from
culture to culture. A lack of understanding of the cultural norms and
practices of our business acquaintances can result in unfair
judgements, misunderstandings and breakdowns in communication.
Here are three basic areas of differences in the business etiquette
around the world that could help stand you in good stead when you
next find yourself working with someone from a different culture.
Addressing someone
When discussing this topic in a training course, a German trainee

and a British trainee got into a hot debate about whether it was
appropriate for someone with a doctorate to use the corresponding
title on their business card. The British trainee maintained that
anyone who wasn't a medical doctor expecting to be addressed as
'Dr' was disgustingly pompous and full of themselves. The German
trainee, however, argued that the hard work and years of education
put into earning that PhD should give them full rights to expect to be
addressed as 'Dr'.
This stark difference in opinion over something that could be
conceived as minor and thus easily overlooked goes to show that
we often attach meaning to even the most mundane practices.
When things that we are used to are done differently, it could spark
the strongest reactions in us. While many Continental Europeans
and Latin Americans prefer to be addressed with a title, for
example Mr or Ms and their surname when meeting someone in a
business context for the first time, Americans, and increasingly the
British, now tend to prefer using their first names. The best thing to
do is to listen and observe how your conversation partner
addresses you and, if you are still unsure, do not be afraid to ask
them how they would like to be addressed.
Smiling
A famous Russian proverb states that 'a smile without reason is a

sign of idiocy' and a so-called 'smile of respect' is seen as insincere
and often regarded with suspicion in Russia. Yet in countries like
the United States, Australia and Britain, smiling is often interpreted
as a sign of openness, friendship and respect, and is frequently
used to break the ice.
In a piece of research done on smiles across cultures, the

researchers found that smiling individuals were considered more
intelligent than non-smiling people in countries such as Germany,
Switzerland, China and Malaysia. However, in countries like Russia,
Japan, South Korea and Iran, pictures of smiling faces were rated
as less intelligent than the non-smiling ones. Meanwhile, in
countries like India, Argentina and the Maldives, smiling was
associated with dishonesty.
Eye contact
An American or British person might be looking their client in the

eye to show that they are paying full attention to what is being said,
but if that client is from Japan or Korea, they might find the direct
eye contact awkward or even disrespectful. In parts of South
America and Africa, prolonged eye contact could also be seen as
challenging authority. In the Middle East, eye contact across
genders is considered inappropriate, although eye contact within a
gender could signify honesty and truthfulness.
Having an increased awareness of the possible differences in
expectations and behaviour can help us avoid cases of
miscommunication, but it is vital that we also remember that cultural
stereotypes can be detrimental to building good business
relationships. Although national cultures could play a part in
shaping the way we behave and think, we are also largely
influenced by the region we come from, the communities we
associate with, our age and gender, our corporate culture and our
individual experiences of the world. The knowledge of the potential
differences should therefore be something we keep at the back of
our minds, rather than something that we use to pigeonhole the
individuals of an entire nation.
TASK 1
Choose the correct answer.
1. The British trainee felt that the people who want to be addressed as 'Dr'
must be…
a. hard-working.
b. conceited and self-important.
c. doing a medical degree.
d. from Germany.
2. If you are not sure how to address someone, you should…

a. use the title you see on their business card.
b. make your decision based on cultural stereotypes about their country.
c. address them the way you'd like to be addressed.
d. ask them what they would like you to call them.
3. There might be a misunderstanding if an American smiles at a Russian

business associate because the Russian might think that the American is...
a. being fake.
b. challenging their authority.
c. trying to break the ice.
d. disrespectful.
4. The Japanese, South Koreans and Iranians might interpret a smiling face
as being…
a. friendlier.
b. less open.
c. not as intelligent.
d. dishonest.
5. Americans and British people sometimes use eye contact to show that
they...
a. like the speaker.
b. are really listening to what is being said.
c. are honest and truthful.
d. are attending to every need of the speaker.
6. The last paragraph warns the reader not to...

a. engage in international business.
b. let national cultures shape the way we behave and think.
c. let miscommunication damage our business relationships.
d. overgeneralise using our knowledge of cultural stereotypes.
TASK 2
Are the sentences true or false?
1. When doing business internationally, there is a possibility that we might

misinterpret what each other is saying even though we are speaking the
same language.
True
False
2. To the German trainee, having a PhD is equivalent to being a medical

doctor.
True
False
3. Sometimes, the smallest things can trigger a huge emotional response in

us, especially when they are things we are not used to.
True
False
4. In the research done on the perceptions of smiles, people from different

countries were asked to rate photos of smiling faces and non-smiling ones.
True
False
5. Making eye contact can be interpreted in different ways in different cultures

but is almost always a positive thing.
True
False
6. The writer recommends keeping possible cultural differences in the

forefront of our minds when doing business with people from different
cultures.
True
False
Discussion
What practices have you encountered that seemed strange or even
inappropriate to you?

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What are some differences in addressing people across cultures mentioned in the passage?

What are some differences in addressing people across cultures mentioned in the passage?

How are smiles perceived differently across cultures according to the research discussed?

How are smiles perceived differently across cultures according to the research discussed?

READING C1

Cultural behaviour in business

Read a blog post about doing business in different cultures to

subtle differences in meaning

to be useful to someone in the future

arrogant and self-important

extreme and obvious, often used with 'difference' or ‘contrast'

boring, uninteresting or ordinary

to label someone and put them in a restrictive category

Much of today's business is conducted across international borders,

When discussing this topic in a training course, a German trainee

A famous Russian proverb states that 'a smile without reason is a

In a piece of research done on smiles across cultures, the

An American or British person might be looking their client in the

Choose the correct answer.

2. If you are not sure how to address someone, you should…

3. There might be a misunderstanding if an American smiles at a Russian

6. The last paragraph warns the reader not to...

Are the sentences true or false?

1. When doing business internationally, there is a possibility that we might

2. To the German trainee, having a PhD is equivalent to being a medical

3. Sometimes, the smallest things can trigger a huge emotional response in

4. In the research done on the perceptions of smiles, people from different

5. Making eye contact can be interpreted in different ways in different cultures

6. The writer recommends keeping possible cultural differences in the

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