ITALY Travis Pline

History After many unsuccessful attempts, the second and the third wars of Italian independence resulted in the unification of most of present-day Italy between 1859 and From the late 19th century to the early 20th century, the new Kingdom of Italy rapidly industrialized and acquired a colonial empire becoming a Great Power. Despite victory in World War I as one of the Big Four with permanent membership in the security council of the League of Nations, Italy entered a period of economic crisis and social turmoil, which favored the establishment of a Fascist dictatorship in 1922.

History cont... The subsequent participation in World War II, at the side of Nazi Germany and Japan forming the Axis Alliance, ended in military defeat, economic destruction and civil war. In the years that followed, Italy abolished the monarchy, reinstated democracy, and enjoyed a prolonged economic boom, thus becoming one of the most developed nations in the world.

Appearance Dress  Italy is a nation that cherishes outward appearances.  Italians would expect you to have well-groomed hair, an impeccable sense of dressing and a really neat pair of shoes.  In a business setting, dress tends to be on the formal side for both men and women. Aim for clothing choices that are both tasteful and stylish. Italians enjoy designer clothes and often invest in big name brands.

Appearance cont... Dining/Entertainment  Dress elegantly but conservatively.  Jackets and ties are required in better restaurants.  Men and women dress conservatively and formally for business (men wear suits and ties, women wear dresses or suits). Women should wear feminine clothing.

Appearance cont... Human Touching  When being introduced during a business or social meeting, shake hands with everyone present -- men, women and children. Shake hands again when leaving.  Ladies should extend their hand first to men.  Friends may greet each other with a kiss on both cheeks.

Behavior Business  Italians take punctuality for business meetings very seriously and expect that you will do likewise.  Business cards should be exchanged only at the first meeting.  Meeting style is unstructured and informal. Formal presentations are not common.

Behavior cont... Social  Upon introductions and departures, shake hands with everyone individually in a group; the American "group wave" will not be appreciated.  Don't be surprised if your Italian colleagues stand much closer to you than you are used to or even feel comfortable with. Italian personal space is smaller than that of northern Europeans and significantly smaller than that of Americans.

Behavior cont... Religious  Dressing appropriately is required to enter some churches in Italy. A dress code is strictly enforced in places such as St. Peter’s in the Vatican.  Mini-skirts, short shorts, tank tops, exposed knees or shoulders are not acceptable.  Men should expect to wear pants to enter most major churches. Also short or long sleeve shirts are fine, NO tank tops.

Communication Face- to- Face  It is polite while greeting someone in Italy to say "buon giorno" (in the morning) and "buona sera" (in the evening).  Italian conversations are often described as loud; however they are also known to converse eloquently and are very good at the art of persuasion.  They enjoy face-to-face conversations over phone conversations because they believe it is easier to speak with someone in person.

Communication cont... Business  English is very common in Italian business, but check ahead of time to find out if an interpreter is necessary.  Generally, business discussions begin after a few minutes of small talk.  Establish personal relationships while discussing business with Italians. Italians like to deal with people they know and trust. They also tend to believe that work should not be a burden or taken too seriously.

Tourism Focus on identifying the top destinations for tourists in Italy. Come up with different travel packages that meet different criteria (airfare, hotel, car etc...). Work with local businesses to help them cater to the tourist crowd. Come up with new ideas on how we can back the tourism business in Italy more successful.

References italy/ Y/Italy%20Verbal%20Communication.html