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BUSINESS ETIQUETTE IN LATIN AMERICA

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Topic: Business Etiquette

Sort Desciption: BUSINESS ETIQUETTE IN LATIN AMERICA. Some awareness of a countrys culture will influence favourably how you interact with ...

Content Inside: Published: Guardian Public Affairs. Pg 27. Wed. July 20 th 2005 BUSINESS ETIQUETTE IN LATIN AMERICA Some awareness of a country’s culture will influence favourably how you interact with customers and businessmen in neighbouring Spanish-speaking countries. Here are a few things you might want to take into consideration: • HOLIDAYS AND BUSINESS HOURS Be aware of the country’s holidays and the hours in which it is suitable to conduct business there. In many Latin American countries very little business is conducted in the weeks before and after Easter. In Venezuela it is also difficult to schedule business meetings during the weeks leading up to carnival and Christmas. It should also be noted that it is not unusual for Venezuelans to leave their workplaces early on Friday afternoons. Some firms usually the smaller ones located away from main business hubs may also adhere to the custom of going home for a midday meal and ‘siesta’. • PUNCTUALITY Some Spanish-speaking countries in Latin America are not very rigid about punctuality. One source states that in Argentina you should be prepared for meetings which start after the scheduled time. However it should be noted that this is not always the case in other Spanish- speaking countries. For example attempts to arrive on time for business appointments are respected in the Dominican Republic and Venezuela. Latin Americans are more likely to expect punctuality if they are attached to an international firm. However for social events such as dinners coming late by at least fifteen minutes is not usually considered bad manners. • SMALL TALK Expect some ‘small talk’ or discussion of extraneous topics at the beginning of business meetings. This helps to establish some rapport and older businessmen especially would prefer to know something about the person with whom they are dealing. Younger ones may be less concerned about this social aspect. • GESTUR ...

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