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backEUROtalk May, 2012

Destination Profile: Italy

The distinctive value that Italians place on relationships permeates—and strengthens—all aspects of their culture. Understanding the convivial lifestyle in context with workplace interactions is essential to professional effectiveness and cultural acclimation.

Italy is a place of amazing natural resources, spanning from its sandy or rugged coastlines to the towering Alps, the serene hills, and the blissful lakes. The monuments and artifacts are a testimony to thousands of years of civilization and love of the arts: This is where the Renaissance happened! Everything in the land has influenced innumerable generations to appreciate such incredible beauty and develop a sense of unmatched aesthetics. From the fashion to the stunning art to the beauty infused in the objects of everyday life, there is a sense that, in Italy, you can find everything you normally use, but with more appeal to the senses.

Every king and emperor in the history of Europe has made a point of having a vacation residence in Italy—often more than one. Relocating employees who learn about Italian culture and the norms of business interaction will acclimate more quickly into the assignment, learn a lot, and have a tremendous amount of fun living in one of the most beautiful parts of the world.

Italian Culture
Italian culture, as any other, is complex and cannot be summarized in a pocket-sized travel guide. In fact, the culture is interwoven in the language itself, underpinned by the high value that Italians place on relationships (reflected in family lifestyles and friendships, work-life balance priorities, and other aspects of life). As part of convivial living, traditions and food are an important part of Italian character. So are work-life balance, education, politics, religion, and, for that matter, soccer—or rather football, as everyone outside the U.S. refers to the game.

The Importance of Relationships
To understand a foundation of Italian culture, it is imperative to recognize the importance of family. The value Italians place on relationships permeates all aspects of their culture and is evident in personal settings as well as the work environment. Spending time with one’s family is a daily priority that contributes to having a more enriched life.

In fact, because of the value Italians place on relationships within the family, adoption of an Italian child is quite rare. Whatever happens, there always seems to be a way for the extended family to take care of every child. This translates into a much more balanced work and family life. Even today, when parents work, children spend their vacation from school with part of the family or extended family. Having more than a month of vacation per year, plus unlimited sick leave, is the norm for Italian employees.

The term “extended family” in Italy is much more significant than generally defined in the U.S. It often includes non-biological family members whose relationships have become culturally integrated into the family over time. It is common in Italy for close friends to become “aunt/uncle” or “Grandma/Grandpa” to younger generations.

A Country in Transition
Although Italy is only about three-fourths the size of the state of California, its population is 60 percent larger. Moreover, its population has remained virtually unchanged since 1980, in stark contrast to the old familiar images. For the most part, Italian families with six to eight children are a thing of the past.

This year is a difficult one for all of Europe and in particular for Italy. Many workplace norms are shifting in response to the financial crisis, which is compelling substantial change in employment benefits to help reduce the deficit. In general, the European Union is trying to ameliorate the state of its financial health by aligning many economic factors, including retirement age and access to pensions. In Italy, this means accelerating the shift in retirement age from about 57 to 66, which was originally planned for implementation by 2050. Depending on their employment category, employees will experience this change in 2012 and 2013, influencing culture and daily life in ways that may not be apparent to relocating employees.

Business Ambience
In Italy, business decisions arise out of relationships and emerge from dialogue—generally, outside of scheduled meetings. This might lead some to conclude that Italian culture involves a rather casual business approach, but the underlying reason is that more seems to get done outside of meetings than in them. This can be a complex idea for some people to grasp. The process of decision-making and ongoing project development seems to be a continuous flow—inside and outside of meetings—that dispenses with formality whenever something needs to be accomplished. Hence, the importance of maintaining healthy business relationships translates to being able to catch people in the corridors between meetings, at lunch, and the like. Relocating employees can benefit by observing these norms to support more comfortable and effective integration into the workplace.

To read entire article, please click here.

Source: MOBILITY Magazine - GAI

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