Recommended sources:

1. Axtell, Roger E. Essential Do’s and Taboos: The Complete Guide to International Business and Leisure Travel. Wiley, 2007.

2. Carte, Penny. Bridging the Culture Gap: A Practical Guide to International Business Communication. 2nd ed. Kogan Page, 2008.

3. Gesteland, Richard R. Cross-Cultural Business Behavior: Marketing, Negotiating, Sourcing and Managing Across Cultures. 4th ed. Copenhagen Business School Press, 2005.

4. Lewis, Richard D. When Cultures Collide: Leading Across Cultures. 3rd ed. Nicholas Brealey International, 2005.

5. Martin, Jeanette S., and Lillian H. Chaney. Passport to Success: The Essential Guide to Business Culture and Customs in America’s Largest Trading Partners. Praeger, 2009.

6. Moran, Robert T., Philip R. Harris, and Sarah V. Moran. Managing Cultural Differences. 7th ed. Elsevier, 2007.

7. Morrison, Terri, and Wayne A. Conaway. Kiss, Bow, or Shake Hands: The bestselling guide to doing business in more than 60 countries. Adams Media, 2006.

8. Morton, Jill. Global Color: Clues and Taboos. Colorcom, 2004.

9. Olofsson, Gwyneth. When in Rome or Rio or Riyadh. - Intercultural Press, 2004.

10. Ricks, David A. Blunders in International Business. 4th ed. Blackwell Business, 2006.

11. Schmidt, Wallace V. Communicating Globally: Intercultural Communication and International Business. Sage Publications, 2007

Internet sources

1. http://www.worldbusinessculture.com/Business-in-The-USA.html.

2. http://www.cyborlink.com/besite/us.htm

3. http://www.discoverabroad.com/us/livingabroad/business/usbusinessculture.

4. http://www.immihelp.com/newcomer/work-culture-office-environment-usa.html

Theme 2.

Cultural traditions and business communication style of the UK. (2 hrs)

Questions.

1. What background information about the United Kingdom of Great Britain do you know?

2. What are national characteristics of the British?

3. What points are essential for business practice in the UK?

4. What differences between English and American values did you notice?

5. How do British businessmen behave during initial meetings and negotiations?

6. What are the peculiarities of business entertaining and protocol in the UK?

Case study.

WHAT’S IN A HANDSHAKE.

Grand Metropolitan, a British drinks conglomerate, wanted to expand. Pernod-Ricard Company of France, another drinks company, also wanted to expand. They were both looking for new companies to invest in. Unfortunately, they both became interested in the same drinks company, which was called Irish Distillers and located in Ireland. But, in order to take over, or gain control of, Irish Distillers, they had to first gain control of another company. This company was called FII-Fyffes (pronounced ef-eye- eye-feyefs) and was also in Ireland.

A company takes over another company by buying the majority of shares, or stock, in that company. FII-Fyffes had the largest number of shares of Irish Distillers stock. The company that bought the most shares of FII- Fyffes would automatically become the largest shareholders of Irish Distillers, and in this way would gain control of Irish Distillers.

Grand Metropolitan and Pernod-Ricard were now in competition. Both companies sent representatives to Ireland to try to buy the shares from FII-Fyffes. In one meeting, the representatives of Pernod-Ricard and FII-Fyffes discussed acceptable prices for the FII-Fyffes shares. The French company offered to pay $4.30 per share. FII-Fyffes assessed the offer and then demanded $4.70 per share. Pernod then offered $4.50 per share. The two company representatives shook hands on the $4.50 per share.

The next day, Grand Metropolitan offered FII-Fyffes $5.25 per share. Later that day the Pernod-Ricard and FII-Fyffes representatives met. The FII- Fyffes representative said that the company was rethinking the situation. The Pernod-Ricard representative was shocked.

Pernod-Ricard brought FII-Fyffes to court. It demanded that FII-Fyffes honor the handshake the two companies made on the $4.50 per share offer.