1. WORKING IN SRI LANKA YOUR FRENCH INFORMANTS: VIVIAN, LAUREN, ANN

2. BASIC INFORMATION LOCATION CAPITAL POPULATION ETHNIC MAKE-UP CURRENCY

3. WEATHER Tropical (wet and dry season) Humidity 80% year-round. Yala monsoon (May - September) Dry season (December- March)

4. FLAG

5. RELIGION

6. EVERYDAY CLOTHING The sarong and Sari

7. CUISINE

8. WORKING IN SRI LANKA Working week Salary Greeting Clothing Language Typical problems How to improve your job opportunities

9. WOMEN IN WORK Difficulty for women to enter the business world. Low status, low skilled and low paying jobs. Garment industry Female unemployment rate 22% (double that of men)

10. HIGH V LOW CONTEXT Refer to styles of communication Words do not convey whole messages Example: U.S. translation system

11. HIGH V LOW Things may be left unsaid Few words can convey a complex message Word choices important More explicit communication Highly codified language Value of word less important

13. DETERMINING FACTORS Emotions in a close relationship Directness of message Use of Non-Verbal Communication Use of digital/analogous language

14. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR YOU? East Asia (Sri Lanka included): non confrontational business Building relationships > strict principled business codes Company culture and networks

15. NEUTRAL CULTURES Tend to not display emotions overtly Interactions with others are cool and detached Discussion and negotiations are focused on topic Showing too much emotion may detract from respectability

16. AFFECTIVE CULTURES Willing to reveal their feelings and thoughts Warm and enthusiastic behaviour Discussion and negotiations focused on people Consider those from neutral contexts as cold or less important

17. NEUTRALPortugalDenmark EthiopiaSwedenItaly JapanNetherlandsSwitzerland PolandHungaryMalaysia New ZealandEnglandFrance Hong KongCzech RepublicIreland AustriaUSAArgentina ChinaMexicoRussia IndonesiaFinlandVenezuela IndiaBelgiumSaudi Arabia BulgariaBrazilCuba CanadaNorwaySpain SingaporeThailandEgypt AustraliaGreeceKuwait UAEIsraelAFFECTIVE NigeriaGermany Source: adapted from Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner (2005)

18. SRI LANKAN ENVIRONMENT Public displays of emotion are frowned upon Strict order of hierarchy – religious influences Face integral to the reputation and honour of an individual or family

19. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR THE FRENCH? Affective culture of France Avoid debates and interruptions Be aware of the spiritual influences that surround decision making Decisions always made at the highest level

20. DO YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES? Team player Work/Life balance Exhibit emotional and spiritual values Workforce flexible and trainable Loyalty and integrity Friendly, easy going and fun loving

21. SOURCES http://www.immi.se/jicc/index.php/jicc/article/view/135/103 http://academy.eurochambres.eu/upload/4b66b8228740e.pdf http://web4.cs.ucl.ac.uk/uclic/people/n.berthouze/paper/IwC0 6.pdf http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global- etiquette/srilanka.html http://www.iptu.co.uk/content/srilanka_business_cult.asp http://www.worldbusinessculture.com/French-Business- Communication-Style.html