No?
I'm going to make you a true businessman today. Well, more specifically, I'm going to talk about how to approach South Korean culture in a business environment.
First Impressions: Dress for Success
Dress is important, especially if you want to be taken seriously. Here are some things to remember when you dress to impress for success, yes?... chess:
- Colors need to be calm and neutral
- DRESS CONSERVATIVE
- Once trust is built, you can begin to branch out to different colors
- Men: Simple suit with a neutral tie is best!
- Women: No short skirts or sleeveless tops or suffer the consequences!
- DRESS CONSERVATIVE
- ????
- Profit!
How to Talk to Foreign Colleagues without Making a Fool of Yourself
Its actually rather simple. As long as you avoid talking about politics (it can be a very sensitive subject) as well as deep personal affairs, you shouldn't have too much trouble fitting in, aside from having a more than likely noticeably odd accent.
Try instead asking about their country's history, their success in the business world, or even the latest fashions in South Korea, this is welcomed and can spark a conversation to help build trust!
Realizing that their culture is very similar, it can be rather easy to figure out what they may want to talk about, so be creative and respectful, if they seem to be uninterested in a subject, find something else to talk about. Remember, building trust and community is the key to successful business ventures in any environment!
The Importance of Gift Giving
Gift giving in the business environment is a very important aspect of South Korean culture. Oftentimes, it can mean the difference between being well-respected or the laughing stock of the business world. However, it isn't even remotely difficult to get a gift that works. Here are a few things to keep in mind:
- First Gift: The first gift should be one that gives the company you are working with a taste of home. It is perfectly acceptable to give a gift branded with your company logo for a first gift.
- For the Boss: Giving the whole company a gift is smiled upon, but the boss, or the man in charge, should receive a better gift, it doesn't have to be much better, but it should show that you respect authority in a big way.
- For the Whole Team to Enjoy: Oftentimes its more financially viable to just get a single gift for the entire office or company. This is a perfectly acceptable and even a preferable way of gift-giving.
- Reciprocation: It is common practice for a gift to be reciprocated with a gift of similar value. This means its probably not a great idea to give a gift so expensive the recipient cannot possibly match the quality of your gift. Also, if you get a gift of far too high of value, you can save yourself from shame by politely declining the gift due to "company policy". Remember, honesty never hurts!
~Richard Murray
All information gathered from:
Kim, E. Y. (n.d.). South Korea - ExecutivePlanet.com. Main Page - ExecutivePlanet.com. Retrieved November 22, 2011, from http://www.executiveplanet.com/index.php?title=South_Korea
