WK1 Etiquette in the Workplace

Business in Other Cultures Forum (reply each post 150- 200 words)

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Doing Business in Greece(Kelli)

The purpose of this assignment was to research a country unfamiliar to the student. The student was asked to refer to Table 3.1 in Excellence in Business Education on page 81 to help with researching the country they chose. The student was asked to write a paper explaining what a US manager would need to know about rules of social behavior to communicate and conduct business successfully in the country.

Kelli chose to research Greece. Several key facts she found out about Greece are that Greeks are very warm and hospitable. When meeting them for the first time one must shake hands firmly while smiling and maintaining direct eye contact (Commisceo-Global Online).  In order to do business with someone in Greece one must first build a personal relationship with the Greece business man or woman. Greeks must build trust and respect before they are willing to discuss business.

Greeks prefer face to face communication. Meetings must be planned ahead of time and confirmed by phone the day before. Business gifts are often changed between business colleagues (Ediplomat online).

Christianity is the primary religion with majority being members of the Greek Orthodox Church. They use the Euro for currency and tourism is the basis of the Greek economy. Greeks have strong beliefs regarding religion and politics and therefore these topics should be avoided. Other things to avoid are the US symbol for O.K. and the "moutza", an open hand facing outward. Greek is the official language although English is widely known except within the older generation (Business Culture Online).

Researching Greece, Kelli found many interesting things that a US manager would need to know before trying to conduct business with someone from Greece. She found that from the way they meet  and greet each other, to the way way they communicate, to things they find offensive are all different from the cultural of the United States.

References:

Bovee, C. L., & Thill, J. V. (2012). Excellence in Business Communications, 12th edition. Boston, MA. Pearson

Business Communication in Greece. Online. http://www.businessculture.org/southern-europe/business-culture-in-greece/business-communication-in-greece/. 9/3/17

Business Culture In Greece. Online. http://www.businessculture.org/southern-europe/business-culture-in-greece/. 9/3/17

Cultural Etiquette. Online. http://www.ediplomat.com/np/cultural_etiquette/ce_gr.htm. 9/1/17

Greece Guide. Online. http://www.commisceo-global.com/country-guides/greece-guide. 9/1/17