Project Milestone 1 & 2: Canadian Business Culture and Negotiation

This assignment is a project milestone that explores the business culture of Canada and its impact on negotiation. The paper defines culture and its significance in business, highlighting Canadian values such as respect and good governance. It then delves into the specifics of Canadian business etiquette, including meeting and greeting protocols, introductions based on business rank, and the importance of conservative customs. The assignment emphasizes the need for business partners to be well-informed and prepared when negotiating with Canadian counterparts. The provided outline further breaks down the key features of Canadian business culture, such as meetings, introductions, protocols, and negotiation, providing a structured framework for understanding and analyzing the topic. The student has followed the project brief instructions by researching the news to discover a current issue that needs to be negotiated with Canada.

Running head: PROJECT MILESTONE 1
Project Milestone
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation

PROJECT MILESTONE 2
Part 1
Culture is defined as the accepted values, norms and traditional behaviors of a group.
Each country has its values, activities and beliefs of conducting business. Culture is a vital
element in business and it has a significant influence to the direction of the business (Zhangwen,
& Hoque, 2018). Culture impacts on business decisions, management and all business functions
such as production and accounting. This paper will investigate Canada and its business culture in
negotiating with business partners.
Generally, the business culture of Canadians is polite and slightly more reserved. The
Canadian business values are based on respect, good governance and peace. Therefore, for a
business partner to successfully operate with Canadians they should treat all people with respect
and courtesy particularly individuals with authority, but is not supposed to extremely humble
(Zhangwen, & Hoque, 2018). In this light, to secure a deal with a Canadian business partner one
has to learn fundamental Canadian business etiquette.
The fundamental Canadian business etiquette aspects include meeting and greeting,
introductions, protocol and customs, and negotiation. Meeting and greeting: Canadian people
consider a firm handshake as a typical contact when one meeting a business associate for both
males and females. Nevertheless, for female they can acknowledge a business associate by
nodding the head instead of handshake. Introductions it is based on business rank. In Canada an
individual’s authority is directly related to their position. Also, when speaking to a business
associate one has to maintain eye contact but one should not stare (Weber, Sparks, & Hsu, 2017).
Canadians believe that lack of direct eye contact is an indication of lack of interest or boredom.

PROJECT MILESTONE 3
Protocols and customs are important to Canadian business people whereby they are
conservative in all ways such as dressing code and speech. While Canadian business customers
are similar to those in the United States and the UK, etiquette is paramount. Thus excessive body
contact in greetings and loud conservations are frowned upon. Therefore, business persons
negotiating with Canadians should be well-informed and conversant with the details of their
business proposals.

PROJECT MILESTONE 4
References
Weber, K., Sparks, B., & Hsu, C. H. (2017). Moving beyond the Western versus Asian culture
distinction: An investigation of acculturation effects. International Journal of
Contemporary Hospitality Management, 29(6), 1703-1723.
Zhangwen, P., & Hoque, M. R. (2018). A Study on the Cultural Influence on Business
Negotiations: Evidence from Bangladesh. International Business Research, 11(1), 157-
169. https://ideas.repec.org/a/ibn/ibrjnl/v11y2018i1p157-169.html

PROJECT MILESTONE 5
Part 2
Project Outline
Introduction
 Definition of business culture. Culture is defined as the accepted values, norms and
traditional behaviors of a group.
 Culture is a vital element in business and it has a significant influence to the direction of
the business.
 The business culture of Canadians is polite and slightly more reserved. The Canadian
business values are based on respect, good governance and peace.
Features of the Canadian business associates
 Meetings and greetings: Canadian people consider a firm handshake as a typical contact
when one meeting a business associate for both males and females.
 Nevertheless, for female they can acknowledge a business associate by nodding the head
instead of handshake.
 Introductions: Introductions it is based on business rank. In Canada an individual’s
authority is directly related to their position.
 Protocols and customs: Protocols and customs are important to Canadian business
people whereby they are conservative in all ways such as dressing code and speech.
 Negotiation: Business associates when negotiating with Canadian counterparts should be
well-informed and recognize the details of their business proposals.