For those of you who are interested in culture, will probably know that there are many books on the subjects. Interest in culture is important if you are an expatriate who accidentally dwells in another country and is shocked by the way people live and work. If you are an tourist you may buy a book about the country you visit. You might want to know more about the environment, places to visit and some other basic topics. Such guides help you find your way in a different environment and that is especially helpful when your time is limited. During your holiday you will notice differences, but most (delicate) issues stay below the surface. But then you are to work in a foreign country and you will soon find out that people act differently on familiar issues.

And then a cultural guide becomes handy. Your tourist information is no longer useful, you need to understand why people loose their precious time with smalltalk, to name an example. Understanding the culture of a country will help you being more successful doing business in this country.

There are many books about culture, but there is also a simple concise and elegant article that summarizes a lot of the issues you will be confronted with when staying abroad. A guide you could use when you live in a foreign country.

"Values American Live By," is an article from the author Robert Kohls that is fully dedicated to these cultural aspects. The article is as the title reveals written from an American viewpoint, but all the cultural elements equally play a role in any culture. If you are curious about these values, I would like to suggest that you read it yourself:

http://www.cs.utah.edu/~alee/extra/American_values.html

2006 Hans Bool