Other World Religions

Judaism
 Judaism is one of the oldest religions.
 It began as the religion of the small nation of the Hebrews.
 Today, 14 million people identify themselves as Jewish.
 Modern Judaism is a complex phenomenon that incorporates both a nation and a religion, and often combines strict
adherence to ritual laws with a more liberal attitude towards religious belief.
 Date founded :1300
:1300 BC, Mesopotamia
 Founder: Abraham
 Spiritual Leader : Rabbi
 Place of worship: synagogue ("temple" in Reform Judaism )
 Day of Worship : Saturday
 There ten commandments:
Worship no other gods.
Do not worship idols.
Do not misuse the name of the Lord.
Keep the Sabbath holy.
Honor your father and mother.
Do not murder.
Do not commit adultery.
Do not steal.
Do not give false testimony
Do not covet.
 Zoroastrianism
 Zoroastrianism was founded by Zarathushtra in Persia which
followed an aboriginal polytheistic religion.
 He preached the first monotheism with a single supreme god,
Ahura Mazda.
 Belief in the dualism of good and evil.
 The holy book is called the Avesta (includes teachings of
Zarathushtra written in a series of five hymns called the Gathas).
 They are abstract sacred poetry directed towards the worship of
One God.
 They worshipped through
prayers/symbolic ceremonies that are
conducted before a sacred fire .
 They dedicate their lives to a three-fold
path represented by their motto:
"Good thoughts, good words, good deeds."
 Shinto
 Shinto is an ancient Japanese religion, closely tied to nature, which recognizes
the existence of various "Kami", nature deities.
 The first two deities, Izanagi and Izanami, gave birth to the Japanese islands
and their children became the deities of the various Japanese clans.
 They serve only to sustain and protect.
 Followers of Shinto desire peace and believe all human life is sacred.
 They aspire to have "makoto“ (sincerity or true heart).
 "Four Affirmations" in Shinto are:
 Tradition and family: the family is the main mechanism by
which traditions are preserved.
 Love of nature: nature is sacred and natural objects are to be
worshipped as sacred spirits.
 Physical cleanliness: they must take baths, wash their hands,
and rinse
their mouth often.
 "Matsuri": festival which honors the spirits.
 Confucianism
 K'ung Fu Tzu ( Founder) was born in 551 BCE in the state of Lu in
China.
 He traveled throughout China giving advice to its rulers.
 His teachings/ writings dealt with individual morality and ethics,
and political power.
 He stressed the following values:
 Li: ritual, propriety, etiquette, etc.
 Hsiao: love among family members
 Yi: righteousness
 Xin: honesty and trustworthiness
 Jen: benevolence towards others; the highest Confucian
virtue
 Chung: loyalty to the state, etc.
 Confucianism is primarily an ethical system with rituals at
important times during one's lifetime.
 The most important periods recognized in the
Confucian
tradition are birth, reaching maturity, marriage, and
death.
 Taoism
 Taoism was founded by Lao-Tse, a Confucius
in China.
 Taoism began as a combination of
psychology and philosophy.
 His writings, the Tao- te - Ching, describe
the nature of life, the way to peace and how
a ruler should lead his life.
 Taoism became a religion in 440 CE (state
religion).
 Tao, roughly translated as path, is a force
which flows through all life and is the first
cause of everything.
 Tai Chi, a technique of exercise using slow
deliberate movements (used to balance the
flow of energy within the body).
 People should develop virtue, seek
compassion, moderation and humility.
 One should plan any action in advance and
achieve it through minimal action.
 Taoists believe that people are by nature,
good, and that one should be kind to others
simply because such treatment will probably
be reciprocated.
 Bahá'í
 The Bahá'í Faith arose from Islam in 1800.
 Based on the teachings of Baha'u'llah it is now a distinct
worldwide faith.
 The faith's followers believe that God has sent nine great
prophets to mankind through whom the Holy Spirit has
revealed the "Word of God.“
 Bahá'í beliefs promote gender and race equality, freedom
of expression/assembly, world peace and world
government.
 They believe that a single world
government led by Bahá'ís will be
established at some point in the future.
 Bahá'ís believe that every person has
an immortal soul which can not die
but is freed to travel through
the spirit world after death.
Business culture of
France, china and
Germany…..!
Business Culture throughout
France
 French business culture is formal and hierarchical.
 Titles (Monsieur, Mademoiselle or Madame) should be used when
addressing your business contacts.
 It conceals a system in which personal relationships and networks
are very important, and it is crucial to establish good contacts.
 The culture is very male dominated, with relatively few women in
senior positions.
 You should make appointments in advance and try to arrive on
time, although a delay of up to 15 minutes is acceptable.
 Try to avoid the holiday periods of August, Christmas and Easter.
 Business hours vary, but are generally between 8.30 a.m. and
6.30 p.m. Mondays to Fridays, with a two-hour lunch break.
 Although many French people can speak English, always
translate written materials into French. If you
cannot conduct business in French, be sure to apologize for
your lack of proficiency in the language.
 Try to dress conservatively in smart and stylish clothes.
 A light, quick handshake is the normal form of greeting, and
an air kiss is often used between close friends.
 The French are lively, passionate negotiators, who use a
direct, probing style of communication.
 Appreciates presentations which are practical and well-
reasoned, with plenty of hard data, but dislike hype.
 Meetings can be lengthy as they analyze points in great
detail.
 Business lunches are common and usually consist of a
substantial meal with several courses,
and wine.
 Business is not normally discussed until
near the end, as the French like to enjoy
their food first.
 Gifts are not generally exchanged in
business.
 It is best not to take wine, as French
hosts like to select their own.
 Germany
 Germans can be considered the masters of planning. Germany is one of the biggest business centers of
Europe.

 This is a culture that prizes forward thinking and knowing what they will be doing at a specific time on a
specific day.

  Careful planning, in one's business and personal life, provides a sense of security. Germans never
bring personal relation into the business sphere.

  Rules and regulations allow people to know what is expected and plan their life accordingly. They are
very strict about their time schedules and targets.

  Once the proper way to perform a task is discovered, there is no need to think of doing it any other
way.

 Germans believe that maintaining clear lines of demarcation between people, places, and things is the
surest way to lead a structured and ordered life.

 Work and personal lives are rigidly divided.

 There is a proper time for every activity. When the business day
ends, you are expected to leave the office. If you must remain
after normal closing, it indicates that you did not plan your day properly.

 Any kind of official meeting requires an appointment and the

time mentioned is to be strictly followed.
 It is a very conservative country and this feature is also reflected
in their way of business.

 Besides their conservatism their innovation, productivity and

excellence are distinct characteristics of German business.

 They usually maintain very formal attire at work and greet each
other by shaking hands.

 The German manager concentrates intensely on two objectives: product

quality and product service.

 But the manager also places a high premium on customer satisfaction, and
Germans are ready to style a product to suit a customer's wishes.

 German management is sensitive to

government standards, government policies,
and government regulations.
 China
 The business culture of China is unique.
 The Chinese people follow certain ethics in business.
 Patience and humility are the two main features of the
Chinese business culture.
 “Guanxi” (relationships) is a very important characteristic of the Chinese
business culture..
 Forming a good relationship is very important step in Chinese business culture.
 Exchanging favors is an important part of the Chinese business culture . It also
means to be friendly and develop good feelings about each other.
 Chinese will make dealings with people whom they think are trustworthy. If the
Western countries want to do business then they have to prove them
trustworthy.
 In the Chinese business culture relationships are made on the personal stage.
 The Chinese business culture does not depend on money. Every individual
members are treated fairly .
 Chinese believe that both the parties have to be faith full. The Chinese do no
support bribery .
 Controversial Issues in
China
 There are some taboo areas in social conversations with
the Chinese. Try to avoid these conversational topics as
much as possible.
 1. You must not mention that Taiwan is an independent
state or a country.
2. You must NEVER praise the Japanese or be seen to
be good buddies with them
4. You must not praise Shanghai in front of natives of
Beijing and similarly vice versa
 Other than that, you are pretty safe to converse
with the Chinese anything.
Chandni kundel -Msc(Sim)