ITALY

Italy is located in the Italian Peninsula, near the Mediterranean Sea. Italy is bordered by
water on three sides and shares it northern mountainous border with France, Switzerland,
Austria and Slovenia. Italy's capital, Rome, was for centuries the political centre of
Western civilisation as the capital of the Roman Empire. Italy plays a prominent role in
European and global military, cultural and diplomatic affairs, and it is affiliated with
worldwide organizations such as the Food and Agriculture Organization, World Food
Programme, International Fund for Agricultural Development, Glocal Forum,[17] and the
NATO Defense College, which are headquartered in Rome.

Italy being part of the European union is also part of the European currency the euro one
of the most powerful and stable currency in the world.

Italian Society & Culture

Italian Family Values

• The family is the centre of the social structure and provides a stabilizing
influence for its members.
• In the north, generally only the nuclear family lives together; while in the
south, the extended family often resides together in one house.
• The family provides both emotional and financial support to its members.

Italian Style
• Appearances matter in Italy.
• The way you dress can indicate your social status, your family's background, and
your education level.
• First impressions are lasting impressions in Italy.
• The concept of 'bella figura' or good image is important to Italians.
• They unconsciously assess another person's age and social standing in the first
few seconds of meeting them, often before any words are exchanged.
• Clothes are important to Italians.
• They are extremely fashion conscious and judge people on their appearance.
Political System

• Italy is a democratic state based on the parliament.

• The Republic consists of 20 regions.

• 24 parties support the actual Government.

• Frequent change in government.

• Low political effectiveness.

• Government always bouncing from left wing to right wing.

Business Climate

• Italians generally prefer doing business with someone they know or have been
introduced to. Italy is a law-trust society and Italians are suspicious of people we
don’t know, especially in the business arena. Word of mouth and a friend’s
recommendation are very important.

• Another aspect one should consider for a business in Italy is the time keeping.
Italians are lively and sociable people and we think that finishing a conversation
with a colleague is much more important than breaking it off to be punctual for a
business meeting. But if for Italians to be late it’s the normality, they expect
foreign business people to be on time. By arriving promptly you show your
consideration and courtesy, that is very important for Italian people.