(Bk Business) Carol Kinsey Goman Ph.D.-The Nonverbal Advantage_ Secrets and Science of Body Language at Work -Berrett-Koehler Publishers (2008)

Chapter 9: Translating Body Language across Cultures
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Head nods—yes and no A Canadian businesswoman, on
a trip in India, stopped at the hotel’s concierge desk to ask
about transportation to her meeting. “Does the hotel have
a car service you could recommend?” The man behind the
counter shook his head from side to side. “Is there taxi service
to the office building?” Again, the man shook his head.
Frustrated, the woman asked, “Well, how can I get there?”
The man behind the counter calmly answered, “Whichever
way you prefer,” while still moving his head from side to side.
In most parts of the world, shaking the head up and
down indicates “yes” and shaking the head left to right indicates
“no.” Indians however, tend to shake their heads about
270 degrees to indicate a “yes” as well as a “no.” This is a confusing
gesture for people who do not understand the prevalence
of this practice on the subcontinent.
The businesswoman might have been even more confused
in Bulgaria, where a nod is “no” and a head shake
means “yes.” In Japan there’s yet another twist: a nod of the
head does not necessarily imply agreement; more often it
only means that the listener has understood the message.
Eye contact The rules of eye contact vary from culture to
culture. The Finns and the French expect direct eye contact,
whereas the Japanese and the South Koreans tend to avoid
it, considering it impolite and intimidating. In the United
States, direct eye contact between strangers lasts for only a
split second. In Italy, Spain, and other Latin countries, there
is prolonged eye contact. But in Latin America as well as some
African cultures, prolonged eye contact from someone of
lesser status is considered disrespectful. In the United States,
people are taught to look at each other during conversations,
but in some cultures avoiding eye contact by looking down
is considered a sign of respect. Throughout Southeast Asia it’s
best to avoid prolonged eye contact until the relationship is
firmly established.