Australian Culture

By-Ritika Yadav
MBA(2014-16)
Submitted toRicha Mam

CULTURE

The Land of Kangaroos

Introduction to Australia
Australia is a developed country and one
of the wealthiest in the world, with
the world's 12th-largest economy.
Australia is referred as an Continent.
It is also famous for its diversity because
many diversified religion of people are in
this country.

AUSTRALIA

OFFITIAL NAME : Commonwealth of Australia

CAPITAL: Canberra
POPULATION: 20 million people
LONGEST RIVER: the Darling (2,740 km)
NATIONAL HOLIDAY: Australian Day , 16 January
(1788)
MONEY: basic unit Australian dollar
NATIONAL SYMBOLS: Kangaroo and Emu
NATIONAL ANTHEM: Waltzing Matilda

Language

There is no particular language in Australia. It

is largely monolingual with English being the
national language.
80% speaks English and Christanity
Chinese 2.1%
Italian 1.9%
Greek 1.4%

AUSTRALIAN FLAG

SYMBOL

Australian
Communications

English is the spoken language

Shake hands when meeting and when
leaving.
Although uncommon, some women may
greet each other with a kiss on the
cheek.
Exchanging business cards is common
among professional workers.
Australians are friendly and open, but
directness and brevity are valued.
Be an active listener, and ask if you do
not understand something in the
conversation.

THE PEOPLE

Home to nearly five million immigrants

from 160 countries, Australia is rich in
cultural diversity.
Australians, or "Aussies," enjoy an easygoing lifestyle and are generally friendly
and relaxed. Modesty and equality are
valued.

CENTRE OF ATTRACTION

Meeting and Greeting

Shake hands with everyone present upon

meeting and before leaving. Allow women
to offer their hands first.
Women generally do not shake hands with
other women.
Use titles, Mr., Mrs., and Miss when first
introduced.
Australians generally move to a first-name
basis quickly. Still, wait to use first names
until invited to do so.

BODY LANGUAGE

BODY LANGUAGE

To beckon a waiter use a quiet hand

motion.
When yawning, cover your mouth and
excuse yourself.
The "V" sign (made with index and middle
fingers, palm facing inward) is a very
vulgar gesture. The "thumbs up" gesture
is also considered obscene.

CORPORATE CULTURE

Personal relationships are important in the Australian

business world. Connections are valued.

Australians take punctuality seriously. If possible, arrive

fifteen minutes early for a business meeting.
Australian business people appreciate straight-forward
open presentations.
Negotiations proceed quickly.
Australians will often negotiate major issues without overemphasis on details. However, contracts are generally
detailed and firm.

DINNING
ETTIQUATE
Always

arrive on time or a few

minutes early for a dinner.
The

person who makes the

invitation generally pays the bill in
restaurants
Australians follow continental-style
dining etiquette (fork held in the left
hand; knife in right).
The

guest of honor is generally

seated to the right of host.
Lay knife/fork parallel on plate at
5:25 position when finished eating.

Watch your table

manners

Table manners are Continental -- hold the fork

in the left hand and the knife in the right while
eating.
Indicate you have finished eating by laying your
knife and fork parallel on your plate with the
handles facing to the right.
Keep your elbows off the table and your hands
above the table when eating.

DRESS

Australians wear fashions

similar those worn by
Europeans and North
Americans
For business, men should
wear conservative jackets
and ties. During the
summer months, jackets
are often removed.
Women should wear dark
conservative skirts or
dresses.

GIFTS

It is not customary to
exchange business gifts
during initial meetings.
When invited to an
Australians home, bring a
small gift like flowers,
chocolates, or books for
your hosts.
Australia produces
excellent wine. Taking
wine would be like taking
sand to the desert.

Business Meeting Etiquette

Appointments are necessary and relatively easy to

schedule.
Punctuality is important in business situations. It is better
to arrive a few minutes early than to keep someone
waiting.
Meetings are generally relaxed; however, they are serious
events.
If an Australian takes exception to something that you
say, they will tell you so.
If you make a presentation, avoid hype, making
exaggerated claims, or bells and whistles.
Present your business case with facts and figures.
Emotions and feelings are not important in the Australian
business climate.

MATES

Australians place a high

value on relationships.
With a relatively small
population, it is important to
get along with everyone,
since you never know when
your paths may cross again.
This leads to a win-win
negotiating style, since
having everyone come away
with positive feelings helps
facilitate future business
dealings.

Business Cards

Business cards are exchanged at the initial

introduction without formal ritual.
If you are not given a business card, it is
not an insult; the person simply may not
have one.

SAARE JAHAN SE ACHA

HINDUSTAN HAMARA