In my Intro. to Public Relations class, we talked about how people interact differently in various areas of the world, and how being aware of these differences can be advantageous to people doing business abroad or with people from other countries. Below is an exerpt from an article by Sheng Wang on body language in different parts of the world.
Handshakes:
Some other things we discussed in class was how close people are comfortable standing to each other. In the U.S. we have a wide radius around us that we usually maintain. In many Eastern countries, people are used to standing and talking a lot closer to one another.
Gestures are another aspect of nonverbal commnication that differ in various cultures. For example, the common sign for “OK” in the U.S. formed by touching the index finger and thumb in a circle, is the equivalent in some other countires as holding up the middle finger.
In many cultures, members of the opposite sex, and sometimes members of the same sex, greet new people they meet with a kiss on the cheek. Such is the custom in Costa Rica, where I spent two weeks last summer on a study abroad trip with Georgia Southern. Being there at least introduced me to this new form of greeting, though it still felt strange to me. Recently, when I was in New York with the GSU Model UN team, I met someone from Hawaii who greeted me with a handshake and then a kiss on the cheek. Although it caught me a little off guard, I was able to respond with enough grace that it looked natural. If I were completely unaware of this custom, I could have embarrassed myself and my new aquaintance with a surprised response.
Being aware of others’ customs is a critical part of interaction, expecially in the business world where first impressions are important. Public Relations pros should be aware of who they will be working with and do the appropriate research to be familiar with any special customs.
*Picture above can be found here
