Etiquette tips for globe-trotters

Proper etiquette is generally acquired through a combination of upbringing and common sense, augmented by the occasional attention- focusing embarrassing moment in one's youth.

Lillian Chaney, professor of office management and an expert in business etiquette at the University of Memphis and a colleague, Jeanette Martin, an associate professor at the University of Mississippi business school, have published a book called "Global Business Etiquette: A Guide to International Communication and Customs."

I don't normally put a lot of stock in books on things like business manners because, to put it impolitely, so many of them are full of baloney, with silly tips like not wearing a striped tie in Britain because you might offend some chap who regards your tie as an infringement on his regimental colors.

"Global Business Etiquette" does, in fact, address the British stripe fixation, but in a more sensible way: Avoid giving striped ties as gifts. "Purchasing a striped tie would not be an appropriate gift for a British man; it may represent a British regiment other than his own," they write.

"When you're working with people from all over the world, you learn very quickly that we don't always do things the same way," Martin said. "Common sense helps, of course, but it isn't always enough. Sometimes you need some tips along the way.

Such etiquette involve how you dress, dine and speak in different cultures. Employers want their staff to take cultural nuances seriously so that staff don't embarass them abroad.

There are seminars and workshops that can help you learn these cultural differences before you venture across borders in today's globalized world.