As a first generation Italian, I was particularly interested in the cultural differences that exist when conducting business in Italy.  I was not surprised to learn that many of the values inherit to Italians also affect the way business is conducted. When dealing with any country outside of their own, business people must pay great attention to the cultural habits of the country they are dealing and Italy is no exception.  Here is a list of cultural differences that exist between America and Italy.

Punctuality

This explains a lot to me personally. Punctuality is not a priority for Italians.  When conducting business with Italians, be patient, expect delays, and be flexible.  Italians do not generally take work plans as absolute deadlines.  Italians tend to “multitask” and do many things at one which often shifts their priorities.  When dealing with an Italian partner or businessperson, communication in this area is of paramount importance.

Physical Contact

Italians are extremely social and naturally hospitable.  Physical contact such as a hug or pat are commonplace among men while kisses on the both cheeks is the traditional greeting among women.  Shaking hands on departure and arrival as a greeting is important particularly in business meetings.

Formality

Italians use formal names with a Sir or Lady- Signor or Signora– plus the last name when conducting business.  In addition, academic statuses, rankings and titles are all used during conversations.  First names are not permitted until there has been a long acquaintance.

Business Lunch

As a country known for its love of food, the business lunch in Italy should not come as a surprise.  Lunch after a successful meeting is a custom and can last up to three hours.  Italians like to spend this time discussing architecture, art, music, fashion, culture and customs, in other words, things other than just business. Keeping conversation relaxed is important but there are still land mines to avoid with Italian counterparts such as politics, religion, wars and mafia as locals can be extremely sensitive to these topics.

Business Dress Code

As Milan is one of the World’s four main centers of fashion, it should come as no surprise that dress and attire plays an important role in Italian culture.  Often, great care is taken when selecting clothing and accessories and formal attire is expected for business meetings.  Expect men to be dressed in darker colors with quality fabrics and women to wear elegant and modest pant or skirt suits accessorizing with tasteful jewelry and understated makeup.

Hierarchy

In Italian business culture as well as their social culture, hierarchy is highly valued and respected.  Managers often avoid socializing with others in an organizations which is why building working relationships during the day, and yes this includes the business lunch, is essential.

Emotions

Finally, remember that Italians are a boisterous bunch and are not afraid to express their emotions, even at work.  Meetings can sometimes appear to turn into heated debates.  It is important to view this from a perspective other than your own and consider this constructive conflict that will help everyone work more effectively and build stronger relationships of trust.

 

Sources:

Milicevic, M. (2018, July 11). How to Deal with Italians in a Business Meeting? Italics Magazine. https://italicsmag.com/2018/07/11/italians-business-meeting-etiquette/

Moran, R.T., Abramson, N.R., & Moran, S.V. (2014). Managing Cultural Differences (9^th ed). Chapter 14. Routledge.

As an emerging leader, it is important to study the theoretical frameworks of leadership.  In the United States, business leaders who think critically and strategically are often successful and challenge the status quo.  They challenge assumptions and encourage diverse points of view.  After careful thought and consideration, successful leaders will then act.

In China, business leaders are taught the Western strategic planning frameworks, but also ancient Chinese military and tactical strategic thinking and learn how to apply it to business situations.  This dual approach to leadership makes Chinese business leaders better at strategic thinking than their Western counterparts.

Chinese Approach to Strategic Thinking

The Chinese’s approach to strategic thinking stems from General Sun Tzu, a military strategist who wrote The Art of War.  Sun Tzu said:

“So it is said that if you know your enemies and know yourself, you can win a hundred battles without a single loss. If you only know yourself, but not your opponent, you many win or may lose.  If you know neither yourself nor your enemy, you will always endanger yourself.”

This simple strategy gives Chinese businesspeople an advantage because they typically have studied Western frameworks of leadership as well as their own, whereas the United States are not taught and do not take the time to learn Chinese strategic thinking.

“Sun Tzu argued that good leaders put the needs and expectations of others ahead of their own and are willing to sacrifice” (Moran & Moran, 423).

Learn from the Chinese

Strategic leaders help build successful organizations and promote a culture of inquiry but leaders in the United States must familiarize themselves not with just the culture of China but the way of thinking that expands into the business world.  Learning how to think like the Chinese can help level the playing field and promote better collaboration.

 

 

References:

Hout, T., & Michael, D. (2014). A Chinese approach to management. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2014/09/a-chinese-approach-to-management

Moran, R.T., Abramson, N.R., & Moran, S.V. (2014). Managing Cultural Differences (9^th ed). Chapter 5. Routledge.

Schoemaker, P.H., Krupp, S., &Howland, S. (2013). Strategic leadership: The essential skills, Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2013/01/strategic-leadership-the-esssential-skills

Zhongqi, P. (2016). Guanxi, Weiqi and Chinese strategic thinking. Chinese Political Science Review,  1, 303-321. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41111-016-0015-1

 

According to research, there is a dichotomy that exists between two sexist ideologies: one type of sexism believes that women are to be protected and taken care of while the other believes that women are inferior to men.  These sexist ideologies are responsible for stereotypes against women.  They are so ingrained into our culture that women and men are often unaware of  how they affect the dynamics and demographics of leadership in the workplace.  As women redefine traditional gender roles and climb the corporate ladder, holding positions of power previously only held by men, these stereotypes continue to be counterproductive obstacles that women must overcome.

Back in 2011, ForbesWoman published an article on the ten worst stereotypes facing women in the workplace today.  These stereotypes reflect how dangerous biases regarding women’s success can be and how they are still a part of the collective subconscious a decade later.

 

No 1.  The Ice Queen

Thank the media for this stereotype.  From movies to magazine covers, powerful women are often represented as emotionless and uncaring ice queens. The only alternative is a woman who is the opposite, emotional and unstable, which makes her unfit to lead.

No. 2.   Single and Lonely

Women cannot have families and successful careers. If a woman seeks a power of position, she is better equipped to be single and childless and thus able to devote her time to her career.

No. 3. Tough

A tough woman is often seen as unfeminine and aggressive, while this same trait is celebrated in her male counterparts.

No. 4. Weak

Women often seek consensus from their followers, and this participative and democratic type of  leadership can be viewed as weak and indecisive.

No. 5 Masculine

Women often feed into this stereotype that insists a powerful woman must dress and act like men to be successful.

No. 6. Conniving

This damaging stereotype asserts that to get ahead, a woman must be conniving and manipulative as her talent simply is not enough.

No. 7. Emotional

This one is tied to a long-standing joke among both women and men regarding female bosses.  Women are seen as prone to emotional outbursts making them inferior to men.  God forbid a woman is emotional in front of her colleagues; hence another ugly joke about a certain time of the month will ensue.  Often passion is mistaken for emotion further perpetuating this stereotype.

No 8.  Angry

Men showing their anger in the workplace is acceptable and expected.  If a woman displays her anger, once again, she is viewed negatively and seen as unstable.

No. 9. A Token

Statistically, far fewer women hold high-level leadership positions than their male counterparts.  Those numbers decrease even more for women of color.  Many women who attain executive positions are often seen as a diversity token or a box checked by the company rather than earning the job based on education and experience.

No. 10. A Cheerleader

Women who display their femininity are often seen as cheerleaders versus strong leaders.

At any given time in a woman’s career, she is likely to face one or more of these stereotypes as well as contribute to the perpetuation of such stereotypes.  Men are seen as strong, assertive providers, while women are viewed as nurturing and social creatures that provide comfort.  To overcome such common stereotypes, companies and their employees will have to let go of cultural biases and embrace initiatives that allow women more access to leadership positions.

What are some common stereotypes or biases you have encountered, and what will you do to help overcome them?

 

Sources:

Goudreau, J. (2011, October 24). The 10 Worst Stereotypes About Powerful Women. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/2011/10/24/worst-stereotypes-powerful-women-christine-lagarde-hillary-clinton/?sh=487219dd61ca

Moran, R.T., Abramson, N.R., & Moran, S.V. (2014). Managing Cultural Differences (9^th ed). Chapter 5. Routledge.

Hi Everyone!

My name is Michelle and I am returning to college after many years (I will not say how many).  This is my second semester as a transfer student at Penn State.  I am majoring in Organizational Leadership. I am excited to be back at school and look forward to this class.

I grew up a midwestern girl in Wisconsin and moved to Dallas, Texas, during high school. I now consider Texas my home.  I am a single mother of two boys, ages 18 and 14, and that alone keeps me busy. We also have recently added not one, but two puppies (English Bulldogs) to our family because I thrive on chaos.  I enjoy entertaining and throwing big parties, particularly at Halloween, when we go all out. We often spend our weekends out on the boat at a local lake and come home exhausted from too much sun and too much water. As a family, we try to travel as much as our budget allows.

We are Italian and not a quiet bunch, so our household is loud and lively at all times. Cooking is a religion around here and creates some of my favorite family moments.  We often cook together and will dance to music in the kitchen.  We also are extremely competitive with one another and will often hold impromptu family cook-offs (think Chopped with familiar ingredients) to see whose dish is better. We also enjoy hunkering down on the couch with tons of blankets, pillows, and puppies to watch a good movie.

Perhaps one of the main reasons that I did not complete school the first time was that I did not have a passion for any career.  However, I was always fortunate with the jobs I held. They were interesting, I gained knowledge, and generally, they paid well. I entered the financial sector early, and I have extensive real estate, title insurance, banking, and mortgage lending experience. Last year, as my own son started preparing for college, and we talked about the importance of getting an education, I realized that one of my life regrets was not finishing school for myself. These conversations coincided with a promotion I received at work into a management role. Where I previously just had a job that was fine, and it paid the bills, I had never experienced the joy of wanting to go to work and genuinely have a passion for being there.  That changed with my new role, and I found myself wanting to become a better leader and grow professionally.

I currently work as a manager for a financial company and love every single day. I enjoy leading a team, acknowledging their hard work, and coming up with out of the box solutions.  While Covid-19 has added stress to an already stressful and hectic life, it has provided a blessing in many ways. I was able to slow down for a bit and really look at the life I had built and the life that I wanted. I was able to spend more time with my children and have some enlightening conversations with them both. I realized that there was no better time to pursue my degree than right now, and there would be no more excuses.

I am glad to be here and wish each one of you a successful semester!