Second Cultural Post: Business Meetings
For the second cultural post I decided to research and talk about business meetings.
The first important thing is to make an appointment a couple weeks in advance (3 or 4) from the meeting. Also, most business meetings are scheduled mid-morning (10 AM to 12 PM) or mid-afternoon (between 2 and 4 PM).
Secondly, the punctuality is prime as it is a sign of respect. If you realize that you may be a little late, it is best to call ahead to say so. Only top executives can be late by a few minutes.
Then, it is apparently not unusual for Korean executives to cancel appointments with little or no notice. The cancellation may be due to an unexpected and unavoidable situation. However, if it’s happened before, it may be a signal that they don’t really want to do business or need to delay the process for some reason, and it is up to you to figure that out.
Finally, gift-giving is a common practice when doing business in Korea. The gifts given at the first meeting are intended to acquire favours and to build relationships. Then you will have to wait until your host has presented his gift, you will have to use both hands to accept it in order to be polite. The gifts exchanged should be of similar value, with that of greatest value going to the most senior person.
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