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Law of custom of parliament
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relates to etiquette governing the internal working of parliament and the conduct of its members
guide lawmakers (when they are faced with the problem of integrating sth. new into the UK legal system
BRITISH SOCIETY
- different to many Continental societies
- great emphasis on personal ability and merit of the individual
- regardless of their social background
- snobbism, elitism not too much
- Self-made man respected
- individual effort
- civil society
responsible behaviour
voluntarily from the individual
- sport fans
WORKPLACE
- hierarchical structures as flexible as possible
- ideas from bellow
- boss has his door always open; willing to listen to all reasonable comments and suggestions from subordinates
- power distance 35 very low (x French 68)
- individualism 89 (3rd position behind USA and Australia)
PROTECTION OF INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS IN THE UK
- no document outlining citizens rights
- what is not forbidden is allowed => negative rights
- free speech not guaranteed
- state the same freedom as individuals
- Human rights act 1998 similar to European Convention of Human rights. Guarantee: freedom of expression; freedom from unlawful detention; right to privacy,
ENGLAND
Capital: London one of the largest cities in the world
more than 1 million inhabitants
cosmopolitan city
Country of industry
highly efficient agriculture
Dotted with Stately homes former seat of the great Aristocratic families of England
The South of England associated with Aristocrats, the Royal family, fox hunting, snobbish accent
seen as: soft, lazy, impractical
The North of England industrial, populated by very practical, realistic, cynical people
friendly, open, great dislike to snobbish and humbug
Not only urban society
Villages:
great place to see a cross section of England society
every village has its big house member of local great family
in every village: gossip, drunk, village idiot
order people view their home as the centre of the Universe => do not criticize
them
For foreigners: do not criticize or poke fun at the Royal Family
Tea
ritual
in the past afternoon tea served with sweet cake or cucumber sandwiches high point of the day
symbolize their homeland
ENGLISH COUSINE
- many jokes by foreigners
- have character
- contains so much fat, sugar, salt
- breakfast:
porridge, fry up, tomatoes, beans, large slice of bread
- lunch
boiled potatoes, vegetables, bacon or roast beef
fish and chips
- pub grub (bar snacks)
soup, sandwiches, steak, kidney pie
SCOTLAND
- Celtic kingdom
- industrial power
- famous for shipbuilding
- capital: Glasgow
- agriculture highlands
- sheep => wool, meat
- hospitable
- proud of their nation - Celts
- happy to be British
- never call a British person English
- love family
- interested who is related to whom
WALES
- Celtic
- different from Scottish
- own language
- dependent on coal mining and agriculture
THE NOTHERN IRELAND
- its own parliament and government
The Republic of Ireland
Young people
o well educated
o articulate
o sophisticated
o forward looking
o very sure of their position in the world
o if you say: I love your music, writers, dance,.. => you will lost their goodwill
and respect
o friendliness
- power distance: 28
o managers do not hold themselves aloof from their subordinates
o first name terms but doesn´ t mean familiarity
o invisible border
- individualism: 70
o highly prized in firms
o you get task to be done in a certain time how you complete is up to you
o high level
- masculinity: 68
- uncertainty avoiding index: 35
o unwritten, unspoken limits
o they need less explicit laws
Japanese Culture
- 3000 islands
- the eastern coast of Asia
- population: over 120 million
- 70 % of the people live in the area from Tokyo to Kyushu Island
- 75 % of the area is covered by forests
- parliamentary democracy under the rule of a constitutional monarch
- official language: Japanese
- literacy: 100 %
- secondary school education: 95 % of the population
- masculinity is the most significant value (=> Hofstede)
- the lowest ranking factor individualism
- collectivistic culture
- status: age, rank and hierarchy determine position
- tradition: focus on heritage and precedent
- idealism: doing things the right way
- ambiguous work roles: no specific job description
- formality: respect demonstrated trough formality
- indirectness: saving face is the priority
- highly non-verbal: understanding from context
- reserved: avoid any position on others
- focus on relationship
- group come first!!!
- physical pleasure
o good and worthy
o love hot baths, sleeping, eating
VERBAL SIGNALS
- conversational counterpoint phrases
o listener active part in the dialogue short phrases every few seconds
o ensuring speaker of your attention
o keep conversation going
- indirect expressions
o large hedging vocabulary neither yes or no
- abundant number of greetings and social phrases
o social phrases in introduction, when entering / leaving the room, when starting a dialogue
NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATIONS
- high context
- implicit culture
- same gestures as at us, but with different meaning
- bowing rather than shaking each others hand
- poker face
- mask of smile use in adverse situations
- face of surprise form of flattery14
- eye contact give themselves privacy in crowded places
- silence important part of non-verbal communication; pauses between words
BUSINESS:
- starts with small talk (weather, golf tournament,..)
- during the meeting all related matters should be discussed (systematically, in great details)
- relationships
- loyalty to the group
- long term orientation
- mutual trust personal trust is more important than the contract
- people-oriented business business relations = family ties15; agreement to work together
- reaching the agreement need of trust; long time
- working style job assignments are given to team, not to the individual
- team one big open space office
- group orientation
o the main difference between Japan and West
o group defines the individual and the individual is only significant as he/she
represents the group
- emotions
o negative one not openly expressed
- hierarchy
o hierarchical relationships are essential in the whole society
o ranking very important
o seniority traditionally an important criterion for promotion
- shame society
DECISION-MAKING PROCESS
- down to top system
HISTORY
- two main points which characterize Japanese history:
o over 10 000 years of cultural continuity
o the ability to adopt imported culture and technology to improve Japanese living
standards
- 1945-55 post war recovery
- 1955-72 rapid growth
- 1987-90 period of domestic demand-led expansion; increasing industrial and lifestyle sophistication
- 1990´ s collapse of bubble economy
- 1998 - recovery
- nowadays 1, 3 million corporations; concentration of economic power
EMPLOYMENT
- tertiary sector 60 % of all Japanese workers
- primary sector less than 10 % of workers
- employment system 3 essential institutions
o lifetime employment
mutual commitment and loyalty
recruited immediately upon graduation, continue till retirement (65)
academic credentials very importan
graduating from good university essential
o the seniority system
based on employee´ s rank
salary, qualification based on length of service in the company
o Enterprise Unionism
unusual link between individual employee company
this relationship should be harmonious
- hard workers
- strong Buddhist traditions
- women
o lower salaries (60 % of men´ s salary)
o administration positions (men managerial positions)
o expect to leave the position when they marry
What behavior would offend the Japanese in a business situation:
- losing your temper
- slouching in a chair
- putting your feet on your desk
- interrupting someone, or not letting someone finish his sentence
- refusing to accept a drink when offered, it can be non-alcoholic
- wearing shoes in the house, using the wrong slippers for the toilet
China
- 1, 3 bn people => 1/5thof the world´ s population
- changing lifestyle
- One child policy
- minority groups live in border areas
- world´ s fastest growing economy
- trading giant, 5thworld´ s exporteur
- communist party
- traditional values in Chinese society
o high power distance
o low ranking factor individualism
strong relationships in society
everyone takes responsibility for fellow members of his / her group
o masculine country
high degree of gender differenciation
men take decisions in their families => accepted by Chinese women => part of culture
o long-term orientation
very high level
- the value of harmony
o harmony in all aspects of life is very important
o all people have to depend on each other
o in a broad sense
hierarchy (dependence)
o in a narrow sense
dependence within a family
- to achieve harmony one must fulfill duties and obligations in five cardinal relationships:
o between the emperor and the subject
o between father and son
o between husband and wife
o between brothers
o between friends
- group orientation
o one of the most characteristic features
o the group defines the individual
o belonging to the group / family gives the Chinese a feeling of psychological and
social security
- face consciousness
o shame society
o keeping face very important
o shame = reaction to public criticism
o one does not need to worry as long as his bad behaviour does not get him out from
the group, as long as does not lose face
- family
o very important
o sociability, security, support in need, loyalty, faithfulness16, devotion17, face
o grandparents + in-laws + other relatives => in one house
o children
have to obey their parents
centre of attention
- communication
o high context; implicit communication
o fixed word phrases
- Chinese weakness
o corruption
almost every commercial transaction in China
o nepotism18
distance between ordinary people and government
the Chinese as a whole never desired to change the structural arrangement of
Chinese society
o unemployment
especially in rural areas
o AIDS
1.3 million people is infected
o the ageing population
- religion
o before communist revolution - number of religious
o Taoism, Confucianism, Buddhism, Christian, Islam,
- Chinese conservatism
o modernization, compromise typical
o interpretation of law based on human feelings and situation
o what is right / wrong relative
- business culture
o do not like doing business with foreigners
o establish relationships
o presenting business card has its own etiquette both hands, face up
o last name + given name use both!
o like to ask personal questions
o do not like to be touched
o business launches, evening banquets very popular
o giving gifts Chinese decline it two or three tomes before they accept it
they should not be open immediately
never wrapped in white paper
fine whisky, cognac, foreign cigarettes, quality wines,
o better than saying NO MAYBE
o being late for appointment rude