Servcorp International Business Etiquette Index As a long-time supporter of businesses who trade in overseas markets, Servcorp commissioned the Servcorp International Business Etiquette Index in December 2008 to learn more about cultural differences in the workplace. The index involved conducting a survey to highlight some of the ways business people can increase their chances of forming successful partnerships away from home. The survey was sent to over 700 people in 13 countries who shared their thoughts on workplace expectations and standards, office frustrations, office behaviour, stress levels, business etiquette, and more. The index revealed that Australian business people who travel abroad are most likely to offend others while doing business in the United States of America and the United Kingdom, despite three out of five respondents believing Japan had the strictest business etiquette. Business people in the USA and the UK were found to be the most easily ‘offended’ by people using speakerphones, bad language, not being offered a drink, personal guests of colleagues visiting the workplace and not receiving a morning greeting. The results of the survey largely affirmed Australia’s global reputation as a laid back nation whose business people are not easily offended. Some of the more surprising findings included: Australian business people are more annoyed than anyone else if a colleague has a drink and doesn’t offer to buy or make one for someone else; The majority of Japanese and United Arab Emirates citizens find the use of swear words offensive; and they are not alone, a large majority of American and British citizens do also; and Close to half the Japanese respondents found informal email signatures (such as smiley faces or kisses) to be rude and inappropriate. < back SYDNEY | MELBOURNE | BRISBANE | CANBERRA | ADELAIDE | PERTH | AUCKLAND | WELLINGTON | TOKYO | OSAKA | NAGOYA | BEIJING | SHANGHAI CHENGDU | HONG KONG | SINGAPORE | KUALA LUMPUR | BANGKOK | MUMBAI | HYDERABAD | DUBAI | MANAMA | DOHA | BRUSSELS | PARIS   Copyright © 2009 Servcorp Limited - ABN 97 089 222 506.