Business

Culture of
Business Culture of
Australia Presented By:-
Ritu Rathi
 Facts & Statistics
l Location: Oceania, continent between the Indian
Ocean and the South Pacific Ocean
l Capital: Canberra
l Climate: generally arid to semiarid; temperate in
south and east; tropical in north.
l Population: 19,913,144 (July 2004 est.)
l Ethnic Make-up: Caucasian 92%, Asian 7%,
aboriginal and other 1%
l Religions: Anglican 26.1%, Roman Catholic 26%,
other Christian 24.3%, non-Christian 11%, other
12.6%.
l Government: democratic, federal-state system
recognizing the British monarch as sovereign.
Language In Australia
l Englishis the primary language
used in Australia.
 Fun Fact

Australia is a very friendly and open culture.

Religion In Australia
 Apparence
•Men wear a conservative dark business suit and tie
•Women may wear a dress, or skirt and blouse, for
business.
•Informal clothing is appropriate when not attending
business functions. Casual pants are fine for both
men and women.
• Men should not become physically demonstrative
with another man, or wink at a woman.
 Behavior
l Being punctual is critical.
l Maintain good eye contact during meetings and
conversations.
l A single, male passenger using a taxi should sit in the
front seat.
l Gift giving is not a common practice in business.
l You may bring a small gift of chocolate, wine or flowers if
invited to someone's home.
l Should you approach a line/queue, go to the end/back
and wait your turn
l Do not litter.
 communication

•Shake hands when meeting and when leaving.

•Although uncommon, some women may greet each other with a kiss
on the cheek.
•Exchanging business cards is common among professional workers.
•Opinions are respected, and opinionated discussions are
entertaining.
•Be an active listener, and ask if you do not understand something in
the conversation.
•Do not hype yourself, your company or your information.
•Sightseeing and sports are good conversational topics
•Afternoon tea is about 4:00pm
•Tea is between 6:00 - 8:00pm and is an evening meal
•Supper is a late night light meal or snack
 Hofstede Analysis
l Power distance-----Low
l Individual Index-----High
l Uncertainty avoidance-----Low
l Masculinity--------Low
l Long-Term orientation------Low
Australien society &Culture
Society &
Culture
 Aussie Modesty
l Australians are very down to earth and always mindful
of not giving the impression that they think they are
better than anyone else.
l They value authenticity, sincerity, and loathe
pretentiousness.
l Australians prefer people who are modest, humble, self-
deprecating and with a sense of humor.
l They do not draw attention to their academic or other
achievements and tend to distrust people who do.
l They often downplay their own success, which may
make them appear not to be achievement-oriented.
 Mates
l Australians place a high value on relationships.
l With a relatively small population, it is
important to get along with everyone, since
you never know when your paths may cross
again.
l This leads to a win-win negotiating style, since
having everyone come away with positive
feelings helps facilitate future business
dealings.
Netherlands
Grecce
Europe

Multicultural
Society
Germany Italy
 Meeting Etiquette
l Australians are not very formal so greetings are
casual and relaxed.
l A handshake and smile suffices.
l While an Australian may say, 'G'day' or 'G'day,
mate', this may sound patronizing from a
foreigner. Visitors should simply say, 'Hello' or
'Hello, how are you?‘
l Aussies prefer to use first names, even at the
initial meeting.
 GiftGiving
Gift Giving Etiquette
Etiquette
•Small gifts are commonly exchanged with family
members, close friends, and neighbors on birthdays and
Christmas.
•Trades people such as sanitation workers may be given a
small amount of cash, or more likely, a bottle of wine or a
six-pack of beer!
•If invited to someone's home for dinner, it is polite to bring
a box of chocolates or flowers to the hostess. A good
quality bottle of wine is always appreciated.
• Gifts are opened when received.
 DINING ETIQUETTE
l Many invitations to an Aussies home will be for a
'barbie' (BBQ).
l Guests to a barbeque typically bring wine or beer for
their personal consumption. In some cases, very
informal barbecues may suggest that you bring your
own meat!
l Arrive on time if invited to dinner; no more than 15
minutes late if invited to a barbeque or a large party.
l Contact the hostess ahead of time to see if she would
like you to bring a dish.
l Offer to help the hostess with the preparation or
WATCH YOUR TABLE MANNERS

l Table manners are Continental -- hold the

fork in the left hand and the knife in the
right while eating.
l Indicate you have finished eating by laying
your knife and fork parallel on your plate
with the handles facing to the right.
l Keep your elbows off the table and your
hands above the table when eating.
 RELATIONSHIPS &
COMMUNICATION
l Australians are very matter of fact when it comes
to business so do not need long- standing personal
relationships before they do business with people.
l Australians are very direct in the way they
communicate.
l There is often an element of humor, often self-
deprecating, in their speech.
l Aussies often use colorful language that would be
unthinkable in other countries.
 BUSINESS MEETING ETIQUETTE

l Appointments are necessary and relatively easy to schedule.

l They should be made with as much lead time as possible.
l Punctuality is important in business situations. It is better to
arrive a few minutes early than to keep someone waiting.
l Meetings are generally relaxed; however, they are serious
events.
l If an Australian takes exception to something that you say,
they will tell you so.
l you make a presentation, avoid hype, making exaggerated
claims, or bells and whistles.
l Present your business case with facts and figures. Emotions
and feelings are not important in the Australian business
 NEGOTIATING & DECISION
MAKING
l Australians get down to business quickly with a minimum
amount of small talk.
l They are quite direct and expect the same in return. They
appreciate brevity and are not impressed by too much detail.
l Negotiations proceed quickly. Bargaining is not customary.
They will expect your initial proposal to have only a small
margin for negotiation.
l They do not like high-pressure techniques.
l Decision-making is concentrated at the top of the company,
although decisions are made after consultation with
subordinates, which can make decision making slow and
protracted.
 WHAT TO WEAR???
l Business dress is conservative in Melbourne and
Sydney.
l Men should wear a dark colored, conservative
business suit.
l Women should wear a smart dress or a business
suit.
l In Brisbane or other tropical areas, depending on
the job function and company culture, men may
wear shirts, ties and Bermuda shorts.
 Edward Hall’s Cultural Factors

l Australia is a Low context society

l Australia is a High territoriality
l Australians are monochronic action