An American executive goes to Yemen to finalize a business deal. He hands over his documents to his Yemeni host with his left hand, which Muslims in Yemen consider unclean. Moreover, he refuses to accept the dry fruits that he is offered, a behaviour that deeply offends his host. As a result, the American loses the business deal to his Australian counterpart who was better versed in Yemeni ways. The lack of understanding of ___ is most likely to have resulted in the loss of business for the American executive.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The lack of understanding of Yemeni culture led to the American's loss of business. The left hand is considered unclean in Muslim culture and it is important to use the right hand for handling documents and other objects. Refusing food offered is also considered impolite and offensive in Yemeni culture, which may have led to the host reconsidering the business deal with the American and instead choosing the Australian counterpart who was likely more familiar with such customs.

An American Executive Goes to Yemen to Finalize a Business