Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/cross-cultural-conferences/5011655/
Imagine you're waiting to meet with a parent who is of a culture that is different from yours. You know that there may be some cultural barriers to overcome, but you aren't sure what they are. The purpose of this article is to walk you through a parent conference pointing out where differences might lie.There you are waiting. You wait and wait. The parent doesn't show up. Finally she arrives, but she doesn't even apologize for being late. Is this a misunderstanding, rudeness, lack of organization, or what?
It's quite possible that the two of you have a very different idea of what "late" means. There is enormous cultural variation in time concepts, and what may be "late" in one is "on time" in another. Some cultures tick off minutes, and each tick past the appointed time makes a person even tardier. Other folks may arrive several hours or even days after the appointed time and still consider themselves within the bounds of courtesy.
Then there's the greeting ritual. Do you shake hands or not? If yes, how? A firm handshake may mean you're a straightforward, confident, honest person - kind of like looking a person straight in the eye when you talk ...