Business meals
The dining etiquette is very much the same in Finland as in most of other European countries. Table manners are Continental. The best rule for most situations is to use common sense, general dining manners and simply following the host’s / hostess’s lead. The same guidelines apply to dining at a restaurant or in someone’s home.
When in a restaurant, service charges are included in your bill and it is not usual or necessary to leave a tip. If you make the invitation, you should also pay. A foreign businesswoman may invite a Finnish man to dinner and pay without any difficulty. Smoking in public buildings and workplaces is prohibited and in restaurants there are separate areas for smokers and non-smokers.
Business meals
Coffee drinking is an essential part of Finnish culture. More coffee is drunk per person in Finland than anywhere else in the world. The coffee that most Finns drink is light-roasted and more bitter than coffee drunk in continental Europe.
Business etiquette in Latvia
Latvians think of themselves as straight forward and trustworthy and they expect their business partner to be the same. Many Latvians had the opportunity to work with foreigners who were brought in to help train them. In this process, there were obvious clashes, because of differences in attitudes and values. Latvians are well educated and do not like the idea of a foreigner telling them what to do in their country.
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