Gifts should always be chosen with great care. An ideal gift is one that represents the giver's own culture while being sensitive to the recipient's. For example, a Finn may give a Suunto compass to a Saudi business partner (to help him determine the direction for daily prayers). Some gifts are not suitable: clocks or other timepieces are symbols of death in China, while handkerchiefs symbolize tears in Latin America and Korea. What can a company do to culture-sensitize its staff

Culture Training

If a company has to do business with people from another part of the world, the company should endeavor to train its staff in the etiquette required of them by the people of that country so as to avoid any unfortunate incidents.

They could hire a culture expert who would come around and give classes to the employees to get them ready for interaction with the other people.

Hiring a Culture expert

In addition to culture training, the company could hire an onsite culture expert who can advise the company on such matters. Such an expert would be able to offer expedient advice to the company as employees can simply go to them and ask for advice rather than going through a long class.

Such an expert could also vet the gifts that are to be exchanged with people of other cultures for appropriateness as well.