World Cultures
American and European cultures differ in many ways. They differ so much that many countries in Europe are often offended by American customs. This comes from lack of understanding of cultural differences. The problem with Americans is that they think their way of living is the only way to live because they feel their ways are logical and work well. It is because of this they resist adaptation to other cultures ways of being, and many times offend those of other cultures. The French considered the American way of eating salad before the main course at dinner barbaric. The French used to eat their salad after the main course. Now the salad has disappeared from the menu in a country where at one time it was a fixture after the main course. The French do not understand why Americans eat the way they do, and they consider it very ill mannered. The French can be quite embarrassed with the way Americans switch the fork between hands, because it is considered that way of eating is the way of a peasant. The French are very formal and are often embarrassed by American informality. They do not like American chummy handshakes, and are frightened when they hear "I know all about you" and "I have heard all about you". The French rarely
The Greek do not like how blunt Americans are, as they view them with suspicion. What an American may say to a Greek may have a different meaning to a Greek other than what was intended. Unlike France and Spain, Germans do not practice the development of personal relationships with the people they do business with, therefore it may be easier for Americans to do business with Germans. The American hard sell tactic will not work with the British, because they don't like it. This is why either Americans or Greeks must adapt to each others way of handling a contract. When conducting business with Italians. Unlike the Americans and like the French, Spaniards like to know and like who they are doing business with. They also do not like how Americans always want to get down to business. They like to do things slowly and properly in business matters. So the American who cares about Italian art and culture would be a much better negotiator and has a much better chance of coming to an agreement so that both parties may be happy with. Like Spain, the quality of personal relationships is very important in Greece. This makes negotiating easier for them. As you can see, Spaniards take great pride when it comes to eating lunch. Talks of business do not even begin until after drinks and cigars.
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