Hofstede's Dimensions Of Culture In Italy

Language

The official language of Italy is Italian, with around 93% of the population being native Italian speakers. A large amount of dialects is spoken in Italy, although accents and dialects may differ extensively from one region to another (Italia, n.d.). When doing business in Italy, it needs to be taken into consideration that not many Italians speak English. It has widely been publicised that the Italians lack of English deters foreign investments (Scammell, 2013).

Business Etiquette

Business Meeting Etiquette

When arranging a meeting with your Italian counterpart you must make an appointment 2 to 3 weeks in advance and the appointment request must be in writing (Italian). It’s also suggested to reconfirm the week by fax or telephone,

This would suggest that Italians will tend to prioritise and take care of themselves and their immediate family first (Maclachlan, 2010).

In a business perspective, individualism influences an Italians preference to do business with individuals that they have previously acquainted with. Italy is a high individualist country and according to (Hill, 2011), high individualist’s countries tend to be more advanced economically.

Bella Figura In an article for ‘Los Angeles Times’, (Wilkinson, 2003) stated that “The concept of Bella Figura, of making a good impression, underpins nearly every aspect of Italian society. It starts with the physical and superficial but goes beyond. It governs behaviour, language, customs; it directs the etiquette of business dealings and the machinations of politics.” In Italian culture, appearance and others opinions are considered tremendously influential. It is vital therefore, when undertaking business in Italy, to make sure that all presentations and business materials are aesthetically pleasing to your Italian

Higher power distance countries tend to be more autocratic, have more centralised decision making and have tight controls (Hill, 2011). Italians seem to expect dissimilarities in authority amongst individuals, yet they are often sceptical about personnel in positions of power. Breaking trivial rules is seen as a source of enjoyment amongst many Italians. Offices in Italy are governed by formality. Subordinates are seldom permitted to call their superiors by their first names (Italia, n.d.). Personal titles are also very important in Italy. You must always say “Signore” or “Signora” followed by their surname, you must continue to do this until invited to use a person’s first name (Chesters,