Italy

Greetings

Man greeting Man – Men usually shake hands when greeting one another while maintaining direct eye contact. Good friends and family will engage in a light hug. In certain regions, good friends and family may even exchange a kiss on each cheek.

Woman greeting Woman- Light kisses on the cheeks (usually 2 or 3) are the most common form of greeting for friends and family. Often times it is just a light touching of cheeks rather than actual kisses. At a first meeting a regular handshake or simple nod of acknowledgment will usually do.

Greetings between Men & Women- Light kisses (usually 2 or 3) on the cheeks are the most common form of greeting for friends and family. Often times it is just a light touching of cheeks rather than actual kisses. At a first meeting a regular handshake will do. It is customary to let the woman offer her hand first.

Note: The number of kisses may vary depending on the region you are in. Foreigners often have a hard time determining which side to kiss first. In this case, follow the Italian person’s lead.

Communication Style

• Italians tend to be direct but in a diplomatic way. The will tell you the truth but often in a polite manner.
• Communication tends to be more on the formal side when in public and much less so in private.
• Italians are known for being very animated and dramatic (sometimes overly) during conversations.
• Large displays of emotion are very common and acceptable in public situations. Often times it may appear that people are arguing when in fact they are just having a conversation.

Personal Space & Touch

• An arm's length distance or a bit less is usually an appropriate amount of personal space during conversations. This space tends to be considerably less between friends and family.
• Italians tend to touch quite a bit during conversations. This is more common with good friends and family then say in business or formal situations.
• It is common to see people hug in public; couples kiss in public, women interlock arms with men while walking in the street, etc. Public physical contact is considered normal within certain limits.

Eye Contact

• Direct eye contact tends to be the norm and is expected and appreciated. It is usually considered extremely rude to not look someone in the eyes when speaking, especially when shaking hands.

Gestures

• Italians talk with their hands quite a bit. In most conversations, hands are waving around giving emphasis to what is being said. Click here for a video of several common gestures.
• Extending the pinky and index finger while bending the middle and ring finger (UT hook’em horns) can mean one’s wife is cheating on them
• Tapping the side of your head with the index finger mean someone is “crazy”.
• The chin flick; flicking your fingers under your chin signifies not knowing or not caring.

Views of Time

• The view of time in tends to be somewhat flexible. In social situations it is common to show up late but being on time for business situations is expected.
• Appointments and deadlines tend to be kept and most transportation services run on time.
• The view of time may shift slightly depending on the region. For example in rural areas people tend be more relaxed about time than in urban.
• Many restaurants and shops will close in the middle of the day for 2-3 hours.

Gender Roles

• Women are socially and legally equal to men. That being said, there is still discrimination and older generations tend to view women as the housewife and homemaker.
• Women hold a variety of positions of power in several industries, although salaries tend to be lower.

Law & Order

• The legal purchasing age for alcohol is 16 and is somewhat enforced. There is no legal drinking age.
• Penalties for possession, use, or trafficking in illegal drugs are severe, and convicted offenders can expect long jail sentences and heavy fines.

Dress

• Business dress in is for the most part very formal. In some creative fields the dress code may be a bit more relaxed, but relatively speaking, Italian businessmen and women are elegant and well-put together.
• One’s manner of dress is a reflection of one’s public image, and hence brand names and sense of style are all important ways to judge someone in Italy.
• For Men: Stylish suits with shirts and ties. Bright color shirts are usually acceptable.
• For Women: Stylish business suits or dresses and blouses. Accessories are usually worn as are high heels. Somewhat revealing clothing may be acceptable in various situations.

Titles & Business Cards

• Titles are important and it is best to address people directly by using Mr., Mrs., or Miss, followed by the surname. Note: “Signore” is for Mr., "Signora " is Mrs. and "Signorina”" is Miss.

• People with university degrees are usually addressed as “Dottore” or “Dottoressa” followed by the family name.

• You should always wait to be invited to use first names before doing so yourself.

• It is very common to have your title prominent on your business card.

• Before a meeting, business cards are usually exchanged using one hand, it doesn’t tend to matter if it is the right or left.

Meetings

• It is important to be on time to meetings, perhaps five minutes late will be accepted but not ten. If you are the younger or more junior party involved, it is especially important to be on time as a sign of respect.
• Most meetings start with some small talk, such as comments on the facilities or weather, but this does not usually last long.
• In general, the farther south one goes, the less formal things are.

Negotiations

• It is best to be straight forward and direct when negotiating. In general, the farther south one goes, the less formal and direct people tend to be.
• It is important to understand internal politics; sometimes one’s job description does not exactly correspond with the real decision making power.

Gift Giving

• Gifts are generally not given in business settings, unless perhaps there is a very important delegation that visits. In which case, something locally made might be given as a souvenir.
• If invited over for dinner you should always bring a gift. Either a bottle of high quality wine/liquor or a nicely wrapped chocolates/sweets is a good idea.

• Avoid gifts like a letter opener, knives, and or scissors as they can mean a severing of relations.

• Gifts tend to be opened when received.

In the Classroom

• The school year usually starts in mid-September and ends in June or the beginning of July, after exams are finished.
• There are not that many school vacations; two weeks for Christmas and a long weekend for Easter tends to be the norm.

• University students can usually dress however the want, although sometimes style depends on what subject is studied. For example, business students might dress more formally than philosophy or language art students.

• Most grades are based on a scale from 0-30, with thirty being the best. A grade of at least 18 is needed to pass. There are generally 8 exams each year, four after each semester, and one must receive at least 18 on each exam to pass. They do not take the average of tall of the exam scores.

• In low level required course, large lecture style classes are common. Once one has moved up to more specialized courses, small group work and seminars are more common.

Other Observations

• Never underestimate the important of secretaries and assistants. They are constantly in contact with the top management and can help facilitate one’s access to these executives.
• Beware of public administration- they can be very slow and bureaucratic.
• Similar to many countries on the continent, once hired it can be difficult to be fired.

• The biggest problem for most students, Italian or other, is finding a student apartment. Often times, you will be required to share a bedroom and even then, prices are quite high.
• It also helps to know some Italian before you arrive. Certainly once you are there, it's best to make an effort to learn the language.