Kiss, Bow or Shake Hands: How to Do Business in Sixty Countries - Softcover

Particularly helpful advice on conversational pitfalls. --The Spectator - Apr 07

The purpose of "Kiss, Bow or Shake Hands"
Why should executives bother studying other cultures?Well, I can think of endless reasons, but here are the top 3. 1) T & E. Travel & Entertainment is generally the 4th highest operating cost in Fortune 500s. The average trip to Europe is 5K/week; to Asia, 9K/week. Add in the glitzy presentation materials you take with you, as well as the 250K it takes to relocate each executive to the new country, and a bit of research into the local culture is definitely worthwhile. 2) Many U.S. corporations have an annual goal to increase their revenues by 10º If they can't make it, they downsize. Many can't make it in the USA, because their markets are saturated, therefore, the only viable long- term option is to globalize. However, the majority of the world will not or can not imitate U.S. mannerisms, habits or tastes. Can you afford to leave them out of your plans for globalization? 3) Even though many international executives (Good old "Ernst") may act and sound like one of "us", he isn't. He probably isn't even thinking in English; he is thinking in German (or Japanese, or Saudi). And these thought patterns, or cognitive styles, are deeply ingrained in all of us. Knowing how executives from other cultures arrive at decisions gives you an edge. And don't we all need every business advantage we can get?