hanns - Chile
	General Culture Human Resources Economics Trade Politics

Cultural Dimensions

High level of uncertainty avoidance:

• Have strict rules, laws, policies, and regulations to reduce the level of uncertainty. 
• Do not easily accept change and are not likely to take risks. 

Have a masculine nature:

• Women are at a slight disadvantage
• Although, woman have advanced in more professions than in other Latin countries.

Collectivist culture:

• Interests of the group before their own. 
• Loyal to the relationship and family first. 
• Family respect and loyalty will even take precedence over business responsibilities.

Cultural taboos:

• Holding the palm of the hand upward and then spreading the fingers signals that someone is stupid.
• Slapping your right fist into your left open palm is considered obscene.
• Do not raise your right fist to head level, as this is a communist sign.
• Do not serve wine with your left hand.  Wines, especially white wines, are a national treasure.
• Sloppy or tattered clothing
• Must suppress or conceal a yawn
• Items are not tossed to other people
• Excessive hand gestures
• Avoid discussing politics, human rights, and the 1988 grape export scare. 

Recommended topics include: 

Families, children, Easter Island, and the Chilean history.

Official language:

• Form of Spanish, called Castellano 
• Some terms are common to Chile that do not have the same meaning in other Spanish-speaking countries. 
• Commonly add a suffix (-ito) to words and names to form diminutives and to show affection. 
• Examples include:  Chaoito, a small good-bye, and Carlitos, which means Little Carlos or Dear Carlos.

Greetings:

• Very important because they stress that one is welcome and recognized. 
• Show significant outward affection to friends and relatives. 
• The Abrazo is the most common greeting among friends and relatives. 
• Consists of a handshake and a hug, supplemented with a kiss to the right cheek for women and family members. 
• This is then repeated with each individual when leaving a small social gathering of friends or family. 
• Eye contact is considered essential when greeting and a handshake is appropriate when meeting someone for the first time
• Some of the more traditional verbal greetings include:
•  Que Tal? (What’s going on?)
• Como estai? (informal How are you?)
• Gusto de verte? (Nice to see you)
• Qui’ubo? (What’s up?). 
• A common parting phrase is Chao.

Doing Business

• Customary to hold light conversation prior to conducting business discussions.
• Business entertaining is generally done at major hotels and restaurants. 
• Business cards are to be printed in English on one side and Spanish on the other.
• When presenting cards, everyone in a meeting should receive them except secretaries. 
• Gifts are not expected in business until a close relationship has developed.

Meetings:

• Punctuality is not stressed for social visits
• Typical for someone to arrive 30 minutes late to a dinner or scheduled visit. 
• Punctuality is respected in business settings. 
• Meetings should start and end on time.
• Prior appointments are necessary.

Business Hours:

• Cities: 9:AM to 6:PM, 5 – 6 days a week. 
• Smaller cities and rural areas:  midday meal breaks (siestas) are still practiced.
• Shops and offices may close for up to 2 hours during this time. 
• Standard banking hours are 9:AM to 2:PM.

Business dress:

• Men – dark blue or gray suit, a light shirt, and a conservative tie. 
• Women – suit and heels.

Customary to use titles to address people:

• Should be used whether the person is a stranger or an acquaintance. 
• Professional titles may be used to directly address a person 
• Doctor/a
• Director/a
• Profesor/a
• Ingeniero (engineer)
• Arquitecto (architect)
• Abogado (lawyer) 
• Those without a professional title
• Senor (Mr.)
• Senora (Mrs.)
• Senorita (Miss)
• To show special respect and familiarity,
• Elders are addressed:  Don / Dona
• All others:  Usted (more formal than tu)

Technologies Available:

• Satellite communications system
• Cable television
• Mobile phone system
• Some US cell phones are able to operate on the system
• If a US cell phone is not operable, cell phones may be rented for use within the country. 
• The Internet is also accessible
• WiFi areas are becoming more common in places like Santiago 
• Most hotels make Internet connections available to their guests

Key Chilean Holidays:

• New Year’s Day – Considered the most important time for family gatherings.
• Easter
• Labor Day (1 May)
• Naval Battle of Iquique (21 May)
• National Day (11 Sep)
• Independence Day (18 Sep) - Celebrated at parks where people eat empanadas, drink chichi (a sweet drink made from fermented grapes), and dance the cueca to guitar music.
• Armed Forces Day (19 Sep)
• Columbus Day (12 Oct)
• All Saint’s Day (1 Nov)
• Christmas - Celebrated in much the same way as in the US, but some activities are different since it is in the summer.  Some families have an outdoor barbecue on Christmas Eve and open their gifts at midnight.  It is considered an important family holiday.