Do's and Taboos Around the World for Women in Business

by Axtell, Roger E.; Briggs, Tami; Corcoran, Margaret; Lamb, Mary Beth

• ISBN13: 9780471143642
• ISBN10: 0471143642
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1997-04-01
• Publisher: John Wiley & Sons Inc

Summary

What Women Need to Know to Succeed in International Business From meeting protocol and sexual harassment to dining and gift giving, the rules for conducting business abroad can be dramatically different from those at home-and they can also vary from country to country. But with this indispensable resource, you'll have everything you need to successfully interact with your business counterparts, whether you're doing business in Caracas, Calcutta, or Copenhagen. Bestselling author Roger Axtell combines his 30 years of experience working abroad with the advice of three cross-cultural consultants to provide you with guidance and specific advice on: Survival -Knowing the culture, protocol, safety, and staying healthy Cultural differences -A country-by-country listing of the rules for proper dress, speech, table manners, etc. Climbing the career ladder -Resources listing the best schools, courses, and language training, advice on finding mentors, and more Personal issues -Dating rules in different cultures, balancing an international career and family life, dealing with harassment and discrimination

Author Biography

ROGER E. AXTELL is the author of six Do's and Taboos books (all available from Wiley), including the bestselling Do's and Taboos Around the World. gt;TAMI BRIGGS, MARGARET CORCORAN, and MARY BETH LAMB are cofounders of Transnational Strategies, Inc., a cross-cultural business training and consulting firm based in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	xiii
Introduction	xv
PART ONE Survival ``Over There''	1	(46)
Test Your Culture-Gender Awareness	3	(5)
Culture-Gender Awareness Quiz	3	(3)
The Answers	6	(2)
Sex, Dating, Discrimination, and Harassment	8	(6)
Sex, Sexuality, and Dating	8	(4)
Discrimination Overseas	12	(1)
Sexual Harassment Overseas	12	(2)
Know Your Product, Know the Culture	14	(4)
Tips for Surviving---and Succeeding	14	(1)
Key Words	15	(3)
Protocol for Women	18	(12)
Protocol Do's and Taboos	19	(8)
Conversational Taboos	27	(1)
General Behavior	28	(2)
Safety When Traveling	30	(5)
Before You Depart	30	(1)
Safety on Airplanes	31	(1)
Safety In Hotels	31	(1)
Driving Safety	32	(2)
Safety on the Streets	34	(1)
Healthy Traveling	35	(6)
Before You Depart	35	(2)
Jet Lag	37	(2)
Staying Healthy After You Arrive	39	(1)
The Importance of Exercise	40	(1)
Luggage and Packing	41	(6)
Luggage	41	(1)
What to Pack	42	(2)
How to Pack	44	(3)
PART TWO Advice Country By Country	47	(88)
A Worldwide View	49	(3)
United Kingdom	52	(5)
France	57	(6)
Germany	63	(6)
Scandinavia	69	(5)
Russia	74	(4)
Italy	78	(4)
Other European Countries	82	(16)
Austria	82	(2)
Belgium	84	(1)
Greece	85	(1)
Ireland, Republic of	86	(2)
Luxembourg	88	(1)
The Netherlands	88	(2)
Portugal	90	(1)
Spain	91	(3)
Switzerland	94	(2)
Turkey	96	(2)
Japan	98	(37)
People's Republic of China	104	(4)
Korea, Republic of	108	(3)
Hong Kong, Singapore, and Taiwan	111	(3)
Australia	114	(3)
The Lands of Islam	117	(7)
Israel	124	(3)
Latin America	127	(8)
PART THREE Women in the World of Work	135	(28)
Women in International Business: Past, Present, and Future	137	(6)
The Past and the Present	137	(1)
The Future: Businesswomen Are Going Global	138	(1)
It Won't Be Easy	139	(1)
Prepare Yourself	140	(1)
Eleven Basic Rules for Crossing Cultures	141	(2)
How I Got My First Job in International Business	143	(9)
Portraits of Twelve Women	143	(6)
What These Twelve Women Tell Us	149	(1)
Ten Pathways Toward a Career in International Business	150	(2)
Profiles of Three Successful Women	152	(11)
Deborah Enix-Ross	152	(3)
Catherine Tenke Teichert	155	(4)
Kathi Seifert	159	(4)
PART FOUR The International Assignment	163	(60)
To Go Or Not To Go	165	(10)
Ivaluating the Assignment	165	(4)
The ``Look-See'' Trip	169	(1)
Financial Considerations	170	(5)
Preparing for Your Life Abroad	175	(8)
Housing	176	(1)
School Arrangements	177	(1)
Paperwork and Documents	177	(1)
Financial and Legal Arrangements	178	(1)
Sorting and Packing	179	(1)
Know Your Host Country	179	(2)
Personal and Professional Support	181	(2)
Family Matters	183	(13)
Finding Fulfillment: Alone and with Family	184	(3)
The Overseas Spouse	187	(3)
Your Family's Emotional and Physical Needs	190	(2)
Your Kids' Excellent Adventure	192	(4)
On-The-Job Challenges	196	(4)
Living with Two Realities	196	(1)
Staying in the Loop with the Home Office	197	(1)
Getting More Language Training	198	(1)
Dealing with Changes in Your Priorities and Goals	198	(1)
Building Multicultural Teams That Work	198	(2)
Culture Shock	200	(7)
What Is Culture Shock?	200	(1)
The Culture Shock Process	201	(1)
Coping with Culture Shock	202	(5)
Repatriation and Reverse Culture Shock	207	(6)
Repatriation Planning	207	(1)
Take Charge of Your Career	208	(1)
Easing Professional Reentry	209	(1)
Reverse Culture Shock	210	(1)
Easing Personal Reentry	211	(2)
Cross-Cultural and Language Training: Don't Leave Home Without Them	213	(10)
Why Do You Need Cross-Cultural and Language Training?	213	(2)
What Cross-Cultural Training Should Include	215	(2)
Choosing the Best Pre-departure or Relocation Training Program	217	(1)
Language Instruction	218	(5)
PART FIVE Help for the Independent Businesswoman Who Wishes to Work Abroad	223	(10)
Tips for the Independent Career Search	225	(8)
PART SIX Additional Resources	233	(14)
Essential Resources	233	(1)
Resources for Women	234	(2)
International Education and Internships	236	(6)
Professional Development	242	(1)
International Protocol	243	(1)
Miscellaneous	244	(3)
Index	247