In My Backyard CANADA

Assignment
1. Two cultural traits prevalent in your country that impact peoples ability to do business there
(things that are generally true).
Canadians get down to business quickly. Meetings are well-organized, and extraneous discussion is kept to a minimum. A
premium is placed on time.
Canadians are direct in their communication style and can usually be taken on face value without the need to try to decipher
coded messages.
2. Two prevalent cultural myths about your country that impact peoples ability to do business there
(things people [typically foreigners] assume, that are generally not true).
Everybody speaks English in Canada (or everybody speaks French in Qubec): Canada has two official languages, French
and English. The majority of the population does speak English but there are sizable French minorities throughout the country. Qubec, of course, is predominantly French speaking but it also has a sizable population who speak English as a first
language. In addition, many Canadians speak a non-official language at home, such as Chinese, Punjabi, Spanish or Italian.
Canadians are like Americans: Generally speaking, Canadians are more reserved and polite than Americans. Canadians
generally don't touch very much when conversing. Maintaining a certain amount of personal space is important and
Canadians take matters of etiquette a little more seriously.
3. Your top two tips for leading, managing, and working with people from or in your country.
(things that would help foreigners successfully work in your country).
Detailed preparation prior to meetings is expected and respected - decisions are not usually made until all the facts are to
hand.
Canada has encouraged a multi-ethnic approach to its immigration policies. Cultural diversity should be recognized and
respected. It is very likely that you will encounter people from a wide range of cultural backgrounds.