Business Etiquette and Culture in Greece

Business Etiquette and Culture of:

Greece

Holidays and Traditions

Punctuality

• Easter is the most important celebration (more important than Christmas)
• Dye eggs in red, bake buns, spend Good Friday mourning, Saturday is spent at church and eating, Easter Sunday they roast a lamb

• For Greeks, punctuality is not necessarliy important
• Most tend to be late, regardless of the importance of the meeting
• To make an appointment is a curtious action to them, showing they care for the time they will spend together
• Being on time to these appointments is not an issue, it is the act of creating the time that matters
• Business dinner parties tend to last for several hours due to lengthy conversations and socialization

Greek Gods

Business Etiquette

Greek Culture

• To the people of Greece, Ancient Greek Mythology is a large part of their culture which they take pride in
• The pride in the Gods and Goddesses is reflected through their teachings of the Ancient Greek times to their youth and naming their children after Greek Godly figures in hopes to become as the God/Goddess was
• The most important gods were the Olympian Gods, led by Zues, and consisted of Apollo, Aphrodite, Poseidon and many others
• Their unique past has created a staple in their culture, and become a large learning insentitive for many others (ex. Grade 9 English in our own culture)

Business Attire

Cultural points of interest:

• There is no specific dress code for business etiquette in the Greek culture
• It is advisable to dress conservatively in business meetings; Dark and subtle colours, avoiding provocative clothing
• In some conditions, less formal clothing is acceptable
• Due to hot weather, it is acceptable for men to wear trousers and a white shirt, with no tie
• Women can be lightly dressed while avoiding tight clothing
• In Greece, first impressions are based largely on the way one is dressed

Lindos: a medieval village on the island of Rhodes that is made up of a network of cobbled streets amid whitewashed houses, offering spectacular views of the surrounding harbors and coastline

Santorini: a volcanic island in the Cyclades group of the Greek islands. It is famous for its dramatic views, stunning sunsets, the white-washed houses, and its very own active volcano. The white cobblestone streets bustle with shops, tavernas, hotels and cafes, while clinging on the edge of the 400 meter (1,300 ft) high cliffs.

Mount Athos: A mountain and penninsula in northern greece, 1,400 monks and 20 Eastern orthodox monesaries, entry is strickly conrtolled and only men can enter

Gender Roles and Status

• Male dominance- public figures
• Males approve of what females do i.e Marriage
• Females-private (take care of homes and churches)

Delphi Theatre: In ancient times Delphi was the most important site in ancient Greek religion, home to the sanctuary and oracle of Apollo. The ancient theatre of Delphi was built on a hill giving spectators a view of the entire sanctuary and the spectacular landscape below. It was originally built in the 4th and could seat 5,000 spectators

Meteora: (“suspended in the air”) in central Greece is a collection of six monasteries spectacular situated on top of several rock pillars. The first monastery in Metéora was founded in the 14th century. Access to the monasteries was deliberately difficult, requiring either long ladders or large nets used to haul up both goods and people.

Myrtos Beach: Myrtos Beach is world-famous for the magical colors of the water. The blue and turquoise colors of the sea contrast sharply with the bright white of the smooth marble pebbles of the beach.

• Companies are constructed in hiearchies; most decision making comes from the top position of the company
• When meeting someone for the first time, Greeks smile, give a firm handshake and give direct eye contact
• Prior to a business meeting, Greek business people like to ask personal questions to get to know who they are doing business with
• During a business meeting, many people speak at the same time, which is considerd normal in their culture
• Greeks prefer having a face to face meeting; are not as fond of technology advancement
• Greek businessmen are skilled negoiators
• Business is conducted over a slow period of time

Relationships within

Business

• Greeks enjoy doing business with family, due to the fact that they enjoy doing business with people who they know and trust

Weddings

• Performed in an Orthodoz church in their language
• The joining of hands (tie their hands together)
• The crowning
• The common cup (Share wine)
• The possession (7 times around the table)
• Removal of the crown (offically married)

Languages

Gift Giving

• Greek is the official language of Greece (spoken by 98% of the population)
• 2% of the population speaks Macedonian, Albanian, Turkish (countries that boarder Greece)
• English widely spoken
• Greek culture is keen on learning foreign languages to find commonality with those who speak German, Italian, Spanish, and French
• Learning Greek phrases is appreciated for business relations

• In Greece, gifts are not expected or essential in business relationships
• However, during the holidays, an excellent bottle of wine/alcohol, fine choocolate or office decor is exchanged between business partners
• In a non-business environment, it is more common to celebrate ones "nameday", rather than their birthday
• A nameday is the feast day of the saint one was named after

Where is Greece Located?

• Located in the southern part of Europe
• This country has a strategic geopolitical location between Europe, Africa and Western Asia.
• It is a peninsular country, boarding the Ionian Sea in the west, Mediterranean Sea in the south and the Aegean Sea to its east.
• Its land boundary is shared with Bulgaria in the north, Albania in the northwest, Republic of Macedonia in the north and Turkey in the northeast

Fun Facts About Greece

History of Greece

The history of Greece is sectioned into the difference stages of the countries development:

• About 7% of the world's marble is produced in Greece
• National Sport of Greece- Football (soccer)
• The Olympic Games originated in Ancient Greece
• Capital City- Athens
• Greece is the third largest producer of olives
• Greece has anywhere from 1200-6000 islands
• Greek National Cheese- Feta (comes from goat milk)
• Greeks wave with the palm of their hands closed. It is considered rude to have their palms showing and fingeres extended.

• Neolithic Period: Greek beginning of agriculture 7000- 3200 BC
• Helladic (Bronze Ages) Period: transitioning the economy from 3100- 1100 BC
• Greek Dark Ages: the fall of the Mycenaean Civilization from 1100- 900BC
• Ancient Greece: the break of the dark ages and start of new development 900-146 BC
• Roman Greece: the Roman conquest of Greece from 146 BC - 324 AD
• Byzantine Greece: the establihsment of the city from 324 AD - 1453 AD
• Ottoman Greece: the Greek revolution from 1453 AD- 1821
• Modern Greece: the countries current state from 1821- present

By Chloe Danieli & Julia Boria