Terri Morrison: Speaker & Author

Archive Articles

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ESPN Magazine - What other parts of the globe are we irrevocably alienating with our sporty gestures?
Sign Language

National Geographic Magazine - There is no ubiquitous gesture - not even a smile - that can open every door

Talking With Your Hands
National Geographic Magazine - There is no ubiquitous gesture - not even a smile - that can open every door
Mind The Gap

A few notes on the surprisingly wide variety of drinking customs and toasts around the world
Bottoms Up!

Clothes make the man (or woman): some hints on how to make the right sartorial impression in five countries.
Dress for Success

Chileans pride themselves on their literary tradition. Since the 1920s, Chile has challenged Argentina's place as South America's biggest producer of books in the Spanish language.
Inside Literary Chile

Five North American gestures which foreigners might find confusing
V for Victory

Starting out on the right foot in a business speech is crucial. But when cultural differences come into play, this can be a real challenge.
First Impressions in Business

Everyone likes to get gifts, and business associates are no exception. But what gifts are appropriate?
The Business of Gifts

Being aware of cultural no-nos around the world can greatly contribute to the success of a business trip.
Blunders and Faux Pas

Selecting appropriate neckties for business meetings in five parts of the world
All Tied Up

Some general guidelines on greetings and terms of address
Kiss, Bow or Shake Hands?

Some hints on Business Card Usage around the World
Allow Me to Introduce Myself

Or is it? Some useful hints on giving flowers in business and social situations in four countries.
A Rose Is a Rose

Tips on Chinese traditions in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore
Hints for Business in China

Rules for an office visit in Latin America
Office Visits in Latin America

Few of us negotiate global deals from the comfort of home... But when you are far from the home-field support system, how do you keep that advantage?
Negotiating in Different Cultures

Executives from different cultures use different criteria for decision-making. Our respective cultures teach us what is important. Consequently, it is possible to make predictions on how the average executive from a specific culture may act.
It's Evident

We have become so accustomed to crossing time zones that it is easy to forget that the very concept of universal, globe-spanning chronology is a recent convention.
Dating Yourself

For a business traveler, sharing a meal with an international client is a necessary part of establishing a relationship. And just as each culture has its own cuisine, it has its own dining etiquette. If you want to create a good impression when dining abroad, here are some tips.
Dining Etiquette

All currently-used languages of European origin are read from left to right. Consequently, natives of societies using European languages tend to look at everything from left to right, following the flow of their text. Forgetting that not all the world reads from left to right can have disastrous efffects.
Reading in Reverse

In the US you can almost always catch a game of American football, baseball, golf, tennis or basketball on cable. But what about sports abroad? Every country has some type of "national sport" that they're wild over. But do you know why they love the game? How they score? That supporting the wrong team can hurt your career?
Scoring

It is a well-known fact that world obesity levels are highest in the US, lending to the validity of the stereotype "overfed American." Overweight and tall Americans quickly find that the infrastructure in foreign countries for handling larger visitors is often absent.
Super-sized Americans Abroad

At the start of a new year, many of us assess our physical, emotional and professional states. If your goals include a new international job, get ready by testing your knowledge of some of the differences in interviewing around the world. Good luck!
Get a Job!

Anti-Americanism has been a hazard to US travelers for decades. Protests, sometimes violent, have taken place all over the world. Here is a brief guide for the global traveler on the causes of anti-Americanism in several countries.
Anti-Americanism – Why Don’t They Like Us?

Have you ever kept secret a certain fishing hole, or a perfect vacation spot? We all know what happens when too many people flock to a limited resource. Prices go up and availability goes down, and if limits aren’t set, the resource can become depleted and even destroyed. This is the dilemma many islands in the Caribbean are facing today.
Trouble in Paradise

Mergers and acquisitions between firms based in different counties experience an additional challenge... the merger of cultures.
Merger Rage

What constitutes a lie? Per the dictionary, it’s, "An untrue statement made with intent to deceive." Most of us don’t need to be reminded by a lawyer, or by Moses (“Thou shalt not bear false witness...”), that lying is wrong, but the justification for lies and their ramifications are different around the world. Here’s what you need to know.
Lie to Me

Many Americans feel that any version of lying, at any time, for any reason is wrong. However, standards of appropriate conduct can be totally different outside the US depending upon the circumstances and the people involved.
What is Stealing?

When multinational firms consider where to put their global marketing dollars, they may select an international trade show. But since the investment required is so substantial, it's wise to do extensive research to ensure success in each international venue.
International Trade Shows

What if you could find an exceedingly well regarded program for your meeting with tremendous long-term benefits to not only your employees, but to others around the world?
Higher Ground: Meetings with a Purpose

Gift-giving is an art. It is an ancient social tradition, and is taken very seriously in many parts of the world. In most places, business relationships are built upon personal relationships, and appropriate gifts are a very important means of cementing those bonds.
International Gift-giving

Many cultural anthropologists divide countries into low-context and high-context societies. In low-context cultures, information is predominantly communicated verbally or in writing, in an overt, frank manner. But in high-context societies, much information is transmitted non-verbally, with subtle, indirect cues.
Gestures or Subtle Cues?

You’ve been allocated a new budget for a worldwide publicity campaign. Millions are at your fingertips, and hundreds of millions will see the results of your efforts. But how do you advertise across the globe? Where do you start?
Buying Good PR

Certain colors and symbols can have a tremendous impact in different cultures. Color combinations can be so powerful, they can influence voters and sway elections
International Colors & Symbols

You should find a knowledgeable, in-country attorney who can ensure that your contracts are prepared with all the clauses required by their legal systems.
Contracts

Being female means you must carefully orchestrate your business and social activities to protect your credibility.
Gender Matters

Everyone has made a mistake or two at the dining table. Whether you knock over a glass of milk at the age of 4, or use the wrong fork when you’re 40, we all commit food faux pas.
Food Faux Pas

Most of us think we know a "Yes" from a "No." But if you’re crossing some multi-lingual lines, even basic communications can take a wrong turn.
Conversational Mistakes

What happens when one culture’s method of selling and negotiating is applied to different international business and social situations?
Negotiating Errors

"Dressing for Success" can vary from country to country. One person’s power suit is another’s poor taste, and none of us want to distract potential clients with our wild attire.
Fashion Faux Pas

Quite often, a contract in Latin America is based upon the relationship that the two parties develop over the course of time
Doing Business in Latin America

Airport clinics at international airports are on the front line of the war against disease. At international airports, passengers arrive from all around the world, and can be afflicted with diseases most physicians know only from medical textbooks.
Airport Clinics: On the Front Lines

Africa is a vast, ethnically rich environment full of contrasts and contradictions. Expending the effort to learn about each country independently is well worth your time
Doing Business in Africa

On May 1, 2004, 10 new countries joined the European Union. The world’s premier trade block grew from 15 nations to 25. This unprecedented expansion represents both challenges and opportunities to businesspeople from non-EU nations.
Doing Business in the European Union

Attitudes about punctuality vary from country to country.
The Relativity of Time

Mimic local customs to make a good first impression.
How's Your Foreign Image?

Lack of cultural consciousness translates to major marketing mistakes.
Consumers React To Insults, However Unintentional

Forms of address vary across countries and cultures.
What's in a Name?

The world's calendars serve the needs of differing cultures.
Eight Days a Week

Writing patterns differ around the world.
Left to Right Can Be Wrong

In some countries, popularity means business.
Cult of Personality

Hues can offend or draw attention depending on culture.
The Color of Money

Don't fall for cultural misconceptions.
Not-So-Great Expectations

Words alone can't reveal the complexity of a culture.
Lost In Translation

Gifts carry hidden meanings in foreign cultures.
Pandora's Box


Women executives need to practice formality, reserve in many cultures.
The Feminine Mistake


Accept varying attitudes toward odors and hygiene -- rudeness smells worse.
Global Business Basics


And other translation blunders from the annals of bad global marketing
'Bite The Wax Tadpole'


'Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you what you are.'
Business travel can mean daunting dining


'A person who speaks two languages is worth two people.'
A language barrier can be breached with skillful interpretation.


If there's one truism about doing business outside North America and Europe, it is this: People do business with people they like. In most of the world, business and social relationships are interconnected
Establishing a social relationship can be vital for business success overseas.


There are many other ways of counting the years besides the Gregorian calendar used in the Western world.
The New Year is a good time to review the world's many calendars.


'Personal space' varies from culture to culture.
The Problems of Proxemics


Sometimes a foreign market can offer things that a domestic stock exchange can't.
Uncommon Stock

Preparing for the worst may be the best thing you do for yourself, your employees, and your company's bottom line.
Unnatural disasters


Stealing, human-rights violations, graft, copyright infringement, discriminatory practices, and industrial espionage. All can land you on a legal stand in the U.S. court system. But in other cultures, any of these might be either
Good vs. Evil


commonly accepted behaviors -- or crimes punishable by death.
What to take, who to contact, and where to find help.
Traveler's Tips for Medical Emergencies


To be accepted around the world, a company must be a good corporate citizen.
The Price of Globalization


Pacific Rim philosophies can make your work environment more productive and help turn a profit.
The Business of Luck


Understanding cultural differences is especially important during turbulent times.
Business and Islam

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