Global Business Etiquette

Etiquette matters in the business world, and if you're a slob at the dinner table (recent college graduates, you), it may effect your chances of being hired by companies looking for employees who can travel well, say Jeanette Martin and Lillian Chaney, authors of a new book titled Global Business Etiquette: A Guide to International Communication and Customs. The book offers a slew of tips-- don't give striped ties as gifts in England, wear dark suits (only) in Japan-- for business travelers. As described by the IHT:

This year, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council, business travel will account for $672.5 billion in direct spending around the world. The growing scope of face-to-face multicultural transactions in diverse environments steadily increases the odds of making a faux pas that could be costly-- and could be avoided by doing some homework.

The answer? Read the book.