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ExecutivePlanet: Know your business culture

by Justin Glow on Feb 21st 2008 at 10:20AM

I've been on a Wiki kick lately. First it was the digital ode to Abbie Hoffman with Steal this Wiki, then the news about Wikitravel guides going to press. Now we've got Executive Planet: a Wiki aimed at traveling business people, but us common folk can get some use out of it too.

Executive Planet is dubbed the "guide to doing business worldwide," and it offers up a host of locally-written cultural guides in nearly 50 countries. For instance,

In Jordan, "Quiet voices are a sign of respect and maturity."
In Venezuela, "You are discouraged from eating and walking at the same time."
In China, "Use your whole hand rather than your index finger to point."
In India, "Standing erect with your hands on your hips is likely to be seen as an aggressive and dominating posture."
In the United States, "The standard space between you and your conversation partner should be about two feet." Got it, pal?

If you're not traveling for business, many of the tips will be useless. (For instance, in Colombia, "For women, a suit or dress is appropriate for business, while a cocktail dress is a requirement for most social occasions.") Even so, a quick glance over the guide before your next trip won't hurt anything -- especially if you plan on finding yourself in a more formal situation.