Kiss, Bow, or Shake Hands: Intercultural Communications, Negotiations, Diversity & the Law

• Greetings and physical space
• Time and calendars
• Trust and short or long-term orientations
• Negotiating
• Individualism and Collectivism
• Communication among cultures
• Ethics: Apologizing
• The significance of silence
• Translation blunders
• Values and Body Language
• International Dining Etiquette
• The correct attire
• Business Gifts
• Gestures

Runtime: 1 hour and 31 minutes
Recorded: February 28, 2019

You're on your way to China, Russia, Malaysia, Brazil, India, or just about any exotic locale. Do you kiss, bow, or shake hands? Do you address prospects by their first name, last name or just their title? Should you expect tough negotiations, or will they never say "no!"? Do they expect a gift, or would it be considered graft?

Every successful lawyer requires the knowledge and complex skills to communicate effectively with fellow citizens from a wide variety of ethnicities and belief systems. Understanding how an individual's culture can influence a case or negotiation is not only a valuable skill, but also an imperative.

Join this program featuring Terri Morrison, author of the Section of International Law's book, Kiss, Bow, or Shake Hands: Courtrooms to Corporate Counsel, and former Section Chairs Marcelo Bombau and Salli Swartz, on international business customs. Learn how to smooth over cultural barriers and form lasting client and professional relationships. The panelists will reflect on a spectrum of inter-cultural communications topics, including negotiating styles, advertising taboos, plagiarism, business protocol, appropriate attire, dining etiquette, entertainment, gestures, and gift-giving around the world.

This program was recorded on February 28th, 2019.

American Bar Association