The world we live in today is certainly an exciting place to be. Within hours we can travel across the globe to experience new languages, cultures or history. The cultural division between east and west is clear to see. Not only in our everyday lives, but also in the way we do business. The corporate etiquette in countries such as China, Japan or Vietnam greatly differs to the one we can observe and follow here, in the United Kingdom.

Where do these differences come from? Certainly, the way we live, our cultures and how they shape us not only as individuals but also as societies impact the business etiquette around the world, but have you ever thought where these cultural differences might have begun?

Well, a recent study suggests that the cultural differences between east and west can be explained by…the farming methods used in both regions. As rice requires a lot of human effort to grow, people in the east seem to be more independent and holistic while western people are better and faster analytical thinkers.

Although farming traditions might date thousands years back, they still seem to affect people living today. The way we do business can clearly be influenced by culture or traditions, therefore localising your product, service or even translating documents can sometimes be the difference between failing and succeeding while expanding your company abroad.