China is a crazy, beautiful, frustrating, enlightening, contradictory, 
wonderful place. But whether you are doing business in China or entertaining visitors from that part of the world, it is important to understand Chinese business etiquette so that you can save ‘face’ and the ‘face’ of others. Watch this instructional video for a good insight into the behaviours you should be aware of…
Read more.. »
Communicating successfully across cultures to multicultural 
audiences isn’t just about the linguistic differences , but rather about the attitudes that lie behind them, and the cultural values that give rise to those attitudes. Most importantly, it is about the true identification of how to adjust your mindset to ‘fit’ others. Here are my tips on how to do so…
Read more.. »
The average size of a bribe in Russia nearly tripled between 
2008 and 2009 and officials there accepted a whopping $33.5 billion in bribes from Russian companies last year, according to a new Russian government report cited in the St. Petersburg Times….
Read more.. »
to see the Cultural Whole.
By Matthew Hill
When we think of “culture”, we may see pictures, remember what we were taught in a geography class in school or think that sophisticated stereotypes represent the values and behaviours of a country and its people.
A large body of culture specialists exist working in this area including – academics, students and practitioners. Some of them are now feeling frustrated or even trapped by cultural oversimplifications. Psychometric tests, models and questionnaires appear to reduce and limit the individual or team being measured…
Read more.. »
By
Beauty Bogwasi
Dumelang, bagaetsho ( Hello all) These little words can save your life in Botswana. Greetings are key and pivotal in Botswana culture. Oh, sorry you are probably wondering where in the world is that! Botswana is the land of diamonds and game. It was first spoken in Botswana!
Read more.. »
Why we need to become global networkers
When organisations ‘go global’ we often think of the formal networks that need to be stretched and expanded to accommodate the increase in communication that results. What we often fail to realise is that as individuals, we now need to network on a global scale as well, in order to maintain the effectiveness of our role. Having teams spread out across the globe, having key opinion leaders in remote offices means that our influencing skills can be severely tested as we try to continue applying them but now mostly virtually instead of face to face…
Read more.. »
A picture speaks a thousand words! What a wonderful cartoon depicting the differences between Globish and the English language. We’d better practice for better cross-cultural communication.
Cartoon found at Minitrue
There is still concern about the notorious ‘‘dark’’ side of 
Russian business affairs, which includes a range of activities that could be regarded as violations of universal codes of human integrity, including extortion and flagrant breach of contract. The Russian phrase ‘nel’zya, no mozhno’ (prohibited, but possible) sums up the attitude of getting around the ‘official system’ where “nothing is legal, but everything is possible”…
Read more.. »
On May 21st I Connected With People From All Over The World.First In New Zealand, Where I Learned A Few Words In The Maori Language “Noho Ora Mai, Nga Mihi Mahana” (Stay Well And Warmest Best Wishes)…
Read more.. »
Hello, I'm Deborah Swallow and, for the last fifteen years, I've worked in over thirty countries addressing the complexities of people working internationally across multiple cultures, so individuals and organisations alike can gain an authentic competitive edge and win in international markets.
Contact me now for better international performance and increased profits
Tel: +44 (0) 207 1936 281
Email: deborah@deborahswallow.com
