BUSINESS

ETIQUETTES
A comparison between India and Canada

By:
Paras Sharma
Nishank Arora
Drishesh Nair
Neer Lamba
Nehul Patidar

Content

Dressing etiquettes
Language etiquettes
Meeting etiquettes
Dining etiquettes
Communication etiquettes
Punctuality & Working hours
Other etiquettes
Conclusion
References

Dressing etiquettes
Both in India and Canada,
Men are generally expected to wear a suit and a
tie for business meetings, conferences, etc. and
women, a conservative dress or pantsuits.

Language etiquettes
India
The main languages are English and Hindi.
English is widely used in business, politics and
education.
Canada
Languages spoken are French and English
and be prepared to use these languages in
meetings.

Meeting etiquettes

In India,
Shaking hands is common, especially in the large
cities among the more educated and namaste in the
other parts of the country.
Indians consider it important to use a persons
title wherever it is possible, titles such as Doctor or
Professor etc.
Men may shake hands with other men and women
may shake hands with other women; however there
are seldom handshakes between men and women
because of religious beliefs. If you are uncertain, wait
for them to extend their hand.
No noes.

In Canada,
The most common greeting is the handshake.
A man may offer his hand to a woman without
waiting for her to extend hers first.
It should be firm and accompanied by direct
eye contact and a sincere smile.
Honorific titles and surnames are usually not
used.
Business cards are exchanged after the initial
introduction.

Dining etiquettes

Similarities
Ask for whatever you want instead of reaching
out directly or pointing at dishes.
Dont make too much noise; dont talk with
food in your mouth.
Wait until everyone else is sitting down before
starting to eat.
Dont talk on your cell phone during the meal
and if you must get up in-between, ask to be
excused

Differences

In India,
The left hand is not used for eating, (even if
you are left-handed) this is considered
offensive and unclean.
While sharing is good Indian etiquette but,
sharing a glass, spoon, etc., or coming into
contact with anothers spit is considered
unethical and offensive in many parts of India.

In Canada,

Table manners are relatively relaxed and informal.

Table manners are generally Continental, i.e. the fork is
held in the left hand and the knife in the right while
eating.
Feel free to refuse individual foods or drink without
offering any explanation.
Leaving a small amount at the end of the meal is
generally acceptable.

Communication etiquettes
In India,

Indians prefer to do business with those they know.

Relationships are built upon mutual trust and respect.
In general, Indians prefer to have long-standing personal
relationships prior to doing business.
It may be a good idea to go through a third party
introduction. This gives you immediate credibility.

In Canada,
It is difficult to specify any national trait in terms of
communication in Canada due to its regionalism
and cultural diversity. Businesspeople are
generally polite, easy-going and somewhat
informal.
Canadians communicate more by the spoken
word rather than non-verbal expressions.
Canadians are reluctant to discuss their personal
lives with business associates. They expect
people to speak in a straightforward manner and
to be able to back up their claims with examples.

Punctuality
India
Indians appreciate punctuality but may not
reciprocate it.
Canada
Be on time. Canadians tend to be extremely
punctual and meetings are well-organized and
adhere to time schedules.

Working hours

Working hours in India usually start from 10am.

However, some companies in large cities such as
Mumbai are known to start as early as 7.30am. This is
an attempt to avoid congestion.

Whereas in Canada, business hours are generally 9:00

am to 5:00 pm, Monday to Friday. Mornings tend to be
the preferred time for appointments.

Other etiquettes
India
Sustained eye contact is not generally the norm,
especially for a woman looking at a man.
The distance between people is usually 3 feet apart.
Canada
Eye-contact is important during business meetings in
Canada. Not making eye-contact might make the
other person think that you are shy, insecure, or even
insincere!
The usual distance between two people should be two
feet. French Canadians, however, tend to stand slightly
closer.

In India
Business cards are commonly distributed. There
is usually no need to translate part of the
business card if it is English as it is widely
spoken by many business men and officials in
India.
In Canada
Your business card should have both French
and English translations as both the languages
are widely used in the country.

CONCLUSION

References

http://www.cyborlink.com/besite/india.htm
www.kwintessential.co.uk/etiquette/doingbusiness-india.html
www.marcaria.com/international-businessetiquette-customs-and-culture....
http://www.ediplomat.com/np/cultural_etiquette
/ce_ca.htm

THANK YOU