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336 PART 5 • KEY STRATEGIC-MANAGEMENT TOPICS

TABLE 11-1 Cultural Pitfalls That May Help You Be a Better Manager
• Waving is a serious insult in Greece and Nigeria, particularly if the hand is near someone’s face.
• Making a “good-bye” wave in Europe can mean “No,” but it means “Come here” in Peru.
• In China, last names are written first.
• A man named Carlos Lopez-Garcia should be addressed as Mr. Lopez in Latin America but as Mr. Garcia in Brazil.
• Breakfast meetings are considered uncivilized in most foreign countries.
• Latin Americans are on average 20 minutes late to business appointments.
• Direct eye contact is impolite in Japan.
• Don’t cross your legs in any Arab or many Asian countries—it’s rude to show the sole of your shoe.
• In Brazil, touching your thumb and first finger—an American “Okay” sign—is the equivalent of raising your middle finger.
• Nodding or tossing your head back in southern Italy, Malta, Greece, and Tunisia means “No.” In India, this body motion
means “Yes.”
• Snapping your fingers is vulgar in France and Belgium.
• Folding your arms across your chest is a sign of annoyance in Finland.
• In China, leave some food on your plate to show that your host was so generous that you couldn’t finish.
• Do not eat with your left hand when dining with clients from Malaysia or India.
• One form of communication works the same worldwide. It’s the smile—so take that along wherever you go.

Sitting through a conference without talking is unproductive in the United States, but it is
viewed as positive in Japan if one’s silence helps preserve unity.
U.S. managers place greater emphasis on short-term results than foreign managers.
In marketing, for example, Japanese managers strive to achieve “everlasting customers,”
whereas many Americans strive to make a onetime sale. Marketing managers in Japan see
making a sale as the beginning, not the end, of the selling process. This is an important
distinction. Japanese managers often criticize U.S. managers for worrying more about
shareholders, whom they do not know, than employees, whom they do know. Americans
refer to “hourly employees,” whereas many Japanese companies still refer to “lifetime
employees.”
Rose Knotts recently summarized some important cultural differences between U.S.
and foreign managers: 5
1. Americans place an exceptionally high priority on time, viewing time as an asset.
Many foreigners place more worth on relationships. This difference results in for-
eign managers often viewing U.S. managers as “more interested in business than
people.”
2. Personal touching and distance norms differ around the world. Americans generally
stand about three feet from each other when carrying on business conversations, but
Arabs and Africans stand about one foot apart. Touching another person with the
left hand in business dealings is taboo in some countries. American managers need
to learn the personal-space rules of foreign managers with whom they interact in
business.
3. Family roles and relationships vary in different countries. For example, males are
valued more than females in some cultures, and peer pressure, work situations, and
business interactions reinforce this phenomenon.
4. Business and daily life in some societies are governed by religious factors. Prayer
times, holidays, daily events, and dietary restrictions, for example, need to be
respected by American managers not familiar with these practices in some
countries.
5. Time spent with the family and the quality of relationships are more important
in some cultures than the personal achievement and accomplishments espoused
by the traditional U.S. manager.
6. Many cultures around the world value modesty, team spirit, collectivity, and
patience much more than the competitiveness and individualism that are so
important in the United States.
7. Punctuality is a valued personal trait when conducting business in the United States,
but it is not revered in many of the world’s societies. Eating habits also differ