■American Society and Culture

◆ Diversity

America is eventually a nation of immigrants and consequently is a cultural hotchpotch in every sense of the word. Not only is the country inhabited by people from foreign countries but all Americans in one way or another trace their origin back to another culture, whether Irish, German, Italian or Scottish. Walking around any major city one will observe the “melting-pot” that it is.

◆ Informal and Friendly

Most people coming to the United States may already know something about the people through TV. Although this is of course a distorted reality some of the fixed images are true, especially American friendliness and informality. People are inclined to not wait to be introduced, will begin to talk with strangers as they stand in a line, sit next to each other at an event, etc. Visitors can often feel surprised when people are so informal to the extent of being very direct or even impolite.

◆ Time is Money

The country that invented the phrase obviously lives as the phrase. In America, time is a very valuable commodity. People “save” time and “spend” time as if it were money in the bank. Americans assign personality characteristics and values on the basis of how people make use of time. For example, people who are punctual are thought to be good people, trustworthy people who others can rely on.

◆ The Family

The family unit is usually regarded as the nuclear family, and is typically small (except among certain ethnic groups). Extended family relatives live in their own houses, often quite far away from their children.

Individualism is valued, and this is demonstrated in the family unit. People take pride in their individual achievements, enterprise and success, and may, or may not, share those sources of pride with their seniors.

■Customs and Etiquette in the USA

◆ Meeting and Greeting

◇Greetings are casual. All that is needed is a handshake, a smile, and a “hello”.

◇Smile!

◇Use first names, and make sure that you introduce everyone to each other.

◆ Gift Giving Etiquette

◇Generally Americans send gifts for birthdays, anniversaries and major holidays, such as Christmas.

◇A gift can be either very simple such as a card and personal note or something more valuable for a person with whom you are close.

◇Gift giving is not a complex event, except at Christmas.

◇When you are invited to someone’s home for dinner, it is good-mannered to take a small box of good chocolates, a bottle of wine, a potted plant or flowers for the hostess.

◇Gifts are normally opened when received.

◆ Dining Etiquette

◇Americans meet friends in their homes and “backyards”, in restaurants and in other public places.

◇It’s quite usual for social events to be as casual as a backyard barbecue or a picnic in the park.

◇Do not be late if invited for dinner; no more than 10 minutes later than invited to a small gathering. If it is a large party, it is adequate to be up to 30 minutes later than invited.

◇Table manners are more casual in the U.S. than in many other countries.

◇Use the right hand to hold the fork for eating. The fork is held tines down. Use the knife to cut or spread something. To use the knife, switch the fork to the left hand. To continue eating, switch the fork back to the right hand.

◇If you have not finished eating, cross your knife and fork on your plate with the fork above the knife. Suggest you have finished eating by placing your knife and fork parallel across the right side of your plate.

◇If you are more accustomed to eating in the Continental manner, go ahead. It will not displease anyone.

◇Feel free to turn down specific foods or drinks without giving an explanation.

◇Many foods are eaten by hand.

◇Food is often supplied family-style, which means that it is in large serving dishes and passed around the table for everyone to serve themselves.

◇Do not start eating until the hostess begins or says to begin.

◇Keep standing until allowed to sit down.

◇Do not place your elbows on the table.

◇Place your napkin in your lap as soon as you take a seat.

◇Leave a small amount of food on your plate when you have finished eating.

■Business Etiquette and Protocol

◆ Business Dress

◇What is considered appropriate business dress differs by geographic region, day of the week and industry.

◇Generally people in the East dress more formally, while people in the West are a bit more casual.

◇Executives usually dress formally no matter which part of the country they are in.

◇In many companies it is common to wear casual on Friday. High technology companies often wear casual clothes every day.

◇For the first meeting, conservative dress is always appropriate. Business suits, dresses or pantsuits are the best choices for women. It is better for men to wear a business suit unless you know the firm to be quite casual.

◆ Greetings

◇The common greeting is the handshake. Handshakes are firm, brief and confident.

◇Maintain eye contact during the greeting.

◇In most situations, you can call people by their first names at the beginning. Most people would like you to call them by their nickname, if they have one.

◇In formal situations, it is courteous to use titles and surnames as a courtesy until you are invited to change to a first name basis, which will happen quickly.

◇Exchange business cards without formal ritual.

◇It is quite usual for the receiver to place your card in their wallet, which may then go in the back pocket of their trousers. This is not insulting.

◆ Communication Styles

Americans are direct. They think highly of logic and linear thinking and expect people to speak clearly and in a direct manner. To them if you don’t “tell it how it is” you simply waste time, and time is money. If you are from a culture that is more sensitive about communication style, try not to be offended by the directness. Try to come to your point more quickly and don’t worry about being more direct and honest than you are used to. Americans will make use of the telephone to do business that would require a face-to-face meeting in most other countries. They are not insistent on seeing or getting to know the people with whom they conduct business.

◆ Business Meetings

Do not be late for meetings since time and punctuality are so important to Americans. In the Northeast and Midwest, people are extremely punctual and regard it as a sign of discourtesy for someone to be late for a meeting or appointment. In the Southern and Western states, people may be a little more casual, but to be safe, always be punctual, although you may have to wait a little before your meeting starts.

Meetings may appear relaxed, but they are taken quite seriously. If there is an agenda, it will be adhered to. At the end of the meeting, there will be a summary of what decisions were made, a list of who will carry out which facets and a list of the next steps that will be taken and by whom. If you give a presentation, it should be direct and to the point. Visual aids should further enrich your case. Use statistics to support your claims, since Americans are impressed by solid data and evidence.

With the emphasis on the control of time, business is conducted rapidly. There is very little small talk before getting down to business. It is common to try to reach an oral agreement at the first meeting. The emphasis is on getting a contract signed rather than establishing a relationship. The relationship may develop once the first contract has been signed.