Scribd
Upload
379 views

Business Reading Comprehension

The document discusses mixing business and pleasure in international contexts, providing brief guides on business customs involving food and drink in China, Japan, Britain, and the USA. In China, lavish multi-course meals are common and leaving food uneaten is polite. In Japan, evenings involve heavy drinking over food and toasts. In Britain, business is discussed over lunch but dinner is for pleasure, and socializing in pubs is popular. In the USA, early breakfast meetings and home dinner invitations are ways to mix business and pleasure.

Uploaded by

Yeon Baek
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
379 views

Business Reading Comprehension

The document discusses mixing business and pleasure in international contexts, providing brief guides on business customs involving food and drink in China, Japan, Britain, and the USA. In China, lavish multi-course meals are common and leaving food uneaten is polite. In Japan, evenings involve heavy drinking over food and toasts. In Britain, business is discussed over lunch but dinner is for pleasure, and socializing in pubs is popular. In the USA, early breakfast meetings and home dinner invitations are ways to mix business and pleasure.

Uploaded by

Yeon Baek
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 2

Mixing Business and Pleasure

Gone are the days when business was only carried out in offices and conference rooms. Now people
mix business and pleasure in a range of setting. But what are the rules of business and pleasure in an
international context? Here’s a brief guide.

China – In common with other Asian business cultures, the Chinese are keen on lavish
business entertaining. Large evening meals are very much on the agenda here. Expect your host to
order enough to feed twelve people for a party of six. The meal will probably also consist of several
courses, so it’s a good idea to pace yourself and not eat too much early in the meal. That said, good
manners require you to leave lots of the food uneaten: finishing off your food will send the insulting
signal that your host has not ordered enough to satisfy your hunger.

Japan – If you’re doing business here, you can expect to be lavishly entertained after
office hours by your host, who will pick up the bill for food and drinks. In the evenings, business is
pretty much off the agenda, so don’t expect to put the finishing touches to a deal over sushi. What
is firmly on the agenda, however, is drinking – a quite a lot of it. Japanese business people can
consume a good deal of saki during an evening’s after-work partying and enjoy toasting one another.
If someone offers you a toast, be sure to return the compliment.

Britain –Forget breakfast meetings. They’re deeply unpopular, even in forward-looking


London. The British prefer to do business over lunch or, on occasion, dinner. The latter meal is,
however, usually reserved for pleasure; allowing business contacts an opportunity to get to know
each other a little better, so don’t expect to talk shop over your lamb cutlet and trifle.

One after-hours venue where business and pleasure can be mixed is the pub. “Going to the
pub” is something of a national pastime, no less so among business people than the population as a
whole, If your British business contacts take you to the pub, be prepared to drink the British version
of beer. Expect something a little different from the light, refreshing beers you may be used to.
British beer – warm and flat – is an important national product. Make sure to try it before moving on
to something a little more drinkable.

USA – Breakfast meetings, where business is mixed with steak and scrambled eggs, have

become pretty popular here in recent years. If you’re invited to one, set your alarm clock for an
early rise: such meetings often get underway as early as 7 am! Expect to discuss a lot of business
over your breakfast.

Business people for the US are also keen on after-hours entertaining. It’s not unusual to
receive an invitation to have an evening meal with a business host at his or her home. IF you receive
an invitation like this, remember to turn up punctually. You can also expect a tour of your host’s
home before the evening gets underway. Bring flowers or a bottle of wine.
1. Have you ever done business with people from any of these countries in this guide? Do you
agree with the information provided?

2. After a meeting is finished, do you prefer to socialize with your business partners over a
drink in a pub, or would you rather take them to a cultural event such as a theatre?

3. Can you offer advice about socializing with people from other cultures that you have
worked with?

4. What advice would you offer a visitor to your country about meetings and after-hours
culture?

You might also like

pFad - Phonifier reborn

Pfad - The Proxy pFad of © 2024 Garber Painting. All rights reserved.

Note: This service is not intended for secure transactions such as banking, social media, email, or purchasing. Use at your own risk. We assume no liability whatsoever for broken pages.


Alternative Proxies:

Alternative Proxy

pFad Proxy

pFad v3 Proxy

pFad v4 Proxy