Australians have a reputation for being easygoing, fun, friendly and informal (Moran, Abramson & Moran, 2014, p. 379). In fact, citizens are known to go barefoot in public, use humor and provocative language, and proudly overindulge in alcoholic beverages (Kimmorley, 2016; Today Translations, n.d.). Despite the seemingly laid-back atmosphere, it is important to know that Australia is serious when it comes to business and their economy is growing and getting stronger (Moran, Abramson & Moran, 2014, p. 379).
In 2010, Australia ranked tenth in the world for ease of doing business, twenty-third in exports and twenty-first in imports (Moran, Abramson & Moran, 2014, p. 366-367). Australia is a major exporter of coal, iron ore, copper, gold, petroleum gas and gold, as well beef, wool, wine and other commodities (Moran, Abramson & Moran, 2014, p. 379; OEC, n.d.). Australia is also a major importer of cars, refined petroleum, ships, broadcasting equipment, computers and trucks (OEC, n.d.). Australia continues to be forward thinking and welcomes new ideas and suggestions, which has made them major world trading partners with China, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Thailand, the United States and Germany (OEC, n.d.).
Visitors who plan to do business in Australia should be mindful that Australians are straightforward and bold and they may find debating and arguing entertaining (Kelly, 2019; Today Translations, n.d.). They seriously value punctuality, dress appropriately for the office, believe that everyone on the team is an equal despite their titles, are known to take their time making decisions, will not put much effort into preparing for meetings, may easily deviate from a prepared agenda, are typically less detailed oriented than some other countries, are offended by aggressive sales techniques and may invite visitors out for drinks after work hours (Kelly, 2019; World Business Culture, n.d.). “If agendas are produced, they tend to be followed loosely. If something important arises during the open debate it will not be excluded simply because it does not occur on the agenda” (World Business Culture, n.d.).
It is also important that visitors refrain from bragging about their qualifications, educational backgrounds, company successes or even look over prepared a meeting, as this could be misconstrued as trying to appear better than everyone else (World Business Culture, n.d.). “Being over-prepared for meetings can result in certain negative feelings towards those who have prepared in advance as they can be seen to be trying to dictate and force their ideas on other people” (World Business Culture, n.d.). As with most cultures, whether in a business environment or socially, it is best to avoid topics such as religion and politics, unless someone else brings them up (Today Translations, n.d.). In Australia, it is also important to avoid topics that involve Aboriginal issues, immigration and any comments on their accents (Today Translations, n.d.).
References
Kelly, D. (2019, January 23). Cultural tips for doing business in Australia. Trip Savvy. Retrieved October 30, 2019 from https://www.tripsavvy.com/doing-business-australia-468559
Kimmorley, S. (2016, December 26). 20 things about Australian working culture that can surprise foreigners. Business Insider. Retrieved October 30, 2019 from https://www.businessinsider.com.au/20-things-about-australian-working-culture-that-can-surprise-foreigners-2015-3
Moran, R., Abramson, N. R. & Moran, S. (2014). Managing cultural differences (9th ed). Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge.
OEC (n.d.). Australia. Retrieved October 30, 2019 from https://oec.world/en/profile/country/aus/
Today Translation (n.d.). Doing business in Australia. Retrieved October 28, 2019 from https://www.todaytranslations.com/consultancy-services/business-culture-and-etiquette/doing-business-in-australia/
World Business Culture (n.d.). Australian business meeting etiquette. Retrieved October 30, 2019 fromhttps://www.worldbusinessculture.com/country-profiles/australia/culture/business-meeting-etiquette/
World Business Culture (n.d.). Australian business tips. Retrieved October 30, 2019 from https://www.worldbusinessculture.com/country-profiles/australia/culture/business-tips/
World Business Culture (n.d.). Business dress code in Australia. Retrieved October 30, 2019 from https://www.worldbusinessculture.com/country-profiles/australia/culture/business-dress-code/
World Atlas (n.d.). Top ten agricultural exports of Australia. Retrieved October 31, 2019 from https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/top-10-agricultural-exports-of-australia.html
Hi Stephanie,
I really enjoyed your post about Australia. I have always enjoyed doing business with Australians and it is apparent from your blog post that it is due to having similar values. One thing I wanted to expand upon in regards to trade is that a reason they are so successful is that they have very few limitations on trade (Australian Government, 2019). Because of this they are known to be flexible and therefore easy to work with. I think their policies are representative of their attitude in business. As you stated they don’t react well to people who are over prepared or braggadocios. This is because they want to create policies in which they utilize their flexibility as well as welcome everyone despite their perceived status.
Reference:
Australian Government (2019). Australia and the World. Retrieved November 10th, 2019 from https://dfat.gov.au/about-australia/australia-world/Pages/trade.aspx
Stephanie,
Thanks for sharing your Blog regrading Australia. I find it rather interesting learning about how leadership styles and how people act in other countries. People are interesting to me. So many people act in different ways just here in America, now we are learning about other countries. My sister travels all over the world for business and now I admire her leadership styles even more. Not only must business leaders learn the styles of there people locally but also in other countries as well. You mention Australians are straightforward and even debate and argue for entertainment. This is very good to know ahead of time. Just as the language used or walking barefoot in Australia could seem odd to some business leaders it is everyday life to Aussies. If a business leader travels to a place like Australia or any other location they really need to be open minded on the local culture otherwise wrong impressions could be made and failed business deals could result.
Steve