Global Business Cultural Analysis: Italy
Abstract
Introduction
Italy is the eighth biggest economy on the planet and the nineteenth biggest market for United States trades. There are numerous advantages to doing business in Italy. The valuation for the Euro, the maturing population, the inundation of migrants, the Italian quality in plan and advancement, and the accentuation on sustainable power source are only a couple of the various motivating forces. In 2010, the Italian GDP was $1.77 trillion (Povera Italia, 2018). Since the end of World War II, the Italian economy has changed significantly. Once an agriculturally based economy to now a developed industrial state. Italy is a member of the European Union and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), and have its place as the Group of Eight (G8) industrialized nations. “Italy's economic strength is in the processing and the manufacturing of goods, primarily in small and medium-sized family-owned firms. Its major industries are precision machinery, motor vehicles, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, electric goods, and fashion and clothing” (Superintendent of Documents, 2005, p.6). The United States and Italian have a solid and developing economic relationship. The United States and Italy participate closely on major economic issues. Italy has a huge population and a high per capita income and is one of the United States most important trade partners. In 2002 the United States was the fifth-biggest foreign provider of the Italian market and the biggest provider outside the European Union. The total exchange between the United States and Italy was $34.4 billion in 2002. The U.S. ran a $14.2 billion deficit with Italy in 2002. Italy has an amazing geographic position which offers global organizations working together in Italy access to the two its inside market and that of its flanking nations, the country additionally boasts a solid and diversified economy (Superintendent of Documents, 2005). “63% of Italy’s national income is provided by tourism, which adds to the gratefulness that numerous Italians have for foreigners visiting their country” (Lirette, 2018, para. 4).
This paper intends to analyze the significant elements and six dimensions of Italian culture. It will explore how those elements and dimensions are coordinated by local people directing business in the country. This paper will then investigate how these things compare with US business and culture. Lastly, it will examine the suggestions for US organizations wishing to direct business in Italy.
The Major Elements and Dimensions of Polish Culture in Italy
According to Satterlee (2018), culture is defined as, “the set of shared goals, values, practices, and attitudes that characterize a society, or in the business sense, an organization” (p. 36). Satterlee (2018) states that “in order for a business to be successful overseas, there are six dimensions of culture that a global business professional must understand, they are: Communication, Religion, Ethics, Values and Attitudes, Manners and Customs, and Social Structures an Organizations” (p. 37)
Communication
Communication is defined as the process of understanding and sharing meaning (Pearson & Nelson, 2000, p. 6). Significant factors in communication contain verbal communication, non-verbal communication, and context either high or low. “A communication style is the way people communicate with others, verbally and nonverbally. It combines both language and nonverbal cues and is the meta-message that dictates how listeners receive and interpret verbal messages” (Liu, 2016, p. 2). It is critical for Italians to be able to utilize the correct language and the correct gestures when communicating. Using hand motions and personal contacts are a component of Italian conversations. It is a generalization that Italians love to talk. It is realized that they placed confidence in information given to them orally by someone with whom they have a solid, trusting relationship than any information sent in composing from a remote place.
Understanding differences in communication styles and where these differences originate from enables us to amend the identified to thinking about what things mean to your solid basic structures on which bigger things can be built. We will in general make sense of the value, sum, or nature of socially distinction of others and this is a critical advance toward picking up a more noteworthy understanding of ourselves as well as other people (Liu, 2016, p. 2). “Body, face, voice, appearance, touch, distancing, timing, and physical surroundings all play a
part in creating the total communication” (Burgoon, Guerrero, & Floyd, 2010, p. 3). Each communication variables will be discussed as it applies to the Italian communication style.
Verbal communication refers to the utilization of sounds and language to relay a message. It accommodates as a conveyance for expressing desires, conceptions, and ideas and is vital to the processes of learning and teaching. The dominant verbal language in Italy is the romance dialect of Italian. “This language is spoken by approximately 85 million people throughout the world and serves as one of the working languages of the Council of Europe” (Pariona, 2017, para. 1).
Direct Communication: Italians will in general talk in flamboyant voices to make themselves heard and to express enjoyment or conviction. However, they can likewise be modest, unexpected and mocking. Italians are direct communicators. They will, in general, be open about their feelings and talk distinctly about their point. They normally expect the same genuineness from their discussion accomplice and may neglect to peruse into under-representations. Italians can become uneasy with lingering periods of silence and may normally speak to fill the awkwardness. Italians regularly appreciate joking throughout the conversation to help lighten the mood (Cultural Atlas, 2018).