Business Practices Across the

European Union

Diana Cretu, Alexandra Dan, Alina Matei

School of International Business and
Economics
Bucharest 2015

Table of contents
Part 1 : Business
Communication
Part 2 : Business Etiquette
Part 3 : Business Meeting
Etiquette
Part 4: Business Practices

General information
to conduct a successful international negotiation,
businesses need to adjust to the peculiarities of the other party.
there are barriers that every businessman has to overcome
when negotiating. These barriers are common and there are
many studies conducted in order to facilitate the processes in
business practices.
can be analyzed by means of Hofstedes cultural
dimensions.
.

Business Communication
Language is a necessary ingredient of ongoing sequences of decisions and
resources commitments that characterize day-to-day organizational life.

The most important thing in

communication is hearing what
isnt said.
Peter Drucker

Business
Communication
people are familiar with

d
te
ni
U

English, French, Italian,

Spanish and German.

important to address with

communication style

Custom
s and
manne
rs

an

French as a sign of respect for

their culture.
often appears extremely direct

important to admire the

logical exposition of welldefined ideas.

ce

communication style

important to maintain eye

contact.

G
er
m

an
Fr

French consider their use of

mixture of direct and indirect

approaches.

Communicat
ion style

communication style is a

o
gd

is a mixture of direct and

indirect approaches.

a
m
o
R

English is the official

language and predominantly

spoken.

in
K

Mr. or Mrs., followed by their

last name or title.

a
i
n

German is the third most

taught worldwide.

important are legal or

technical terms outside of
the negotiations particular
area of expertise.

in communication style
Germans are quick to get to
the point.
expect probing questions and
interruptions.

Business Etiquette
In many societies, particular clothing may be a status
symbol,
reserved or affordable to people of high rank.

It takes twenty years to build a reputation

and five minutes to ruin it. If you think
about that, youll do things differently.
Warren Buffett

Business Etiquette

the dress code is dictated by the degree of formality of the business meeting.
for a formal meeting it is important to present a highly professional image
and a conservative style would be most appropriate.

classical conservative attire in the British culture .

it is common for women to wear either trousers or a skirt in an office
environment, and head scarves are accepted as part of religious freedom.

many senior managers choose to express their status through their choice
of clothing.
Germans take great pride in dressing well, regardless of where they are going and of
what position they hold.
even when dressed informally, they are neat and conservative.
their clothes are never ostentatious.
the nation that created haute couture puts a premium on style.
even low-paid, entry-level executives buy the best clothes they can afford.
generally, dress tends to be on the formal side for both men and women,
whether in business or social situations.

Business Meeting Etiquette

Business meetings are one area in which poor etiquette can have negative effects.
there are certain steps you have to follow
(greetings, entertainment and punctuality)

Respect is the hallmark of business and

it starts with the very first greeting.

Business Meeting
Etiquette

ROMANIA
... shake hands with a simple hello and how are
you form of greeting and exchange business
cards.
... eye contact can be very direct and it is a sign of
respect.
meetings tend to incorporate a touch of
entertainment.
punctuality is considered a strength when
doing business.

UNITED KINGDOM
it is customary to shake hands with all those present.
business cards are exchanged.
Good morning/afternoon/evening.
as the British are very time conscious they are doing their best
to avoid wasting time
it is considered very impolite to arrive late for a business
meeting.

Business Meeting
Etiquette

GERMANY

... in Germany you have to use titles and

surnames.
you have to shake hands both at the beginning
and the end of the meeting and look directly into
the persons eyes.
it is important to always be on time .
FRANCE
France handshakes are expected as a form of greeting.
...
have a very relaxed attitude when attending appointments.
do not be surprised to find your French interlocutor arriving fairly late.

. our analysis of the similarities and differences between

business practices in Romania and the other three countries in
the European Union .
shows that

. getting to know how to treat your foreign partners paves

the way to success in business and a
long-term relationship.

Business
Practices
Appointments
should be
scheduled 2-3
weeks in
advance.

Germa
ny

Protocol
wait to be
Europe
Roman
seated and
an
ia
Union
don`t remove
your jacket
without
permission.
United
Protocol
Kingdo
will be conducted by the most
m
senior ranking person in the room.
Thorough preparation
back up your claims with facts
and figures.

Information
the introductory letter
should be in German and
your company brochures
should either be in
German or English.
Small talk
humour can be used
France when you know your
German business partner
better.
Taboo
it is considered rude to place
your hands on the table.
Professional vs.
Personal
Maintain a professional focus
.

Rules of Business Etiquette

Having
good
manners is
a must

Be on
time, or
better yet
be a little
bit early.

Informati
on
exchange
d in a
negotiatio
n is
generally
considere
d
confidenti
al.

Dress
appropr
iately.

Familiar
ize
yourself
with
your
colleag
ues and
oppone
nts.

Come
prepared.

Adopt
the
attitud
e.

When
you do
speak
out, be
clear,
concise,
and
stay on
topic.

Do not
interru
pt your
oppone
nt.

Bring
your
positiv
e
attitud
e.

Conclusions
it is essential to learn how to be able to face up the intercultural
differences ;
we need intercultural negotiation skills for a successful meeting ;

do your homework with a sense of responsibility ;

plan on a long-term relationship not a short one ;

respect is the key to a long and successful business relationship ;

knowledge of international business etiquette can aid in gaining
competitive advantage in the labour market ;

hank you for your interes

Questions
&

Answers