Many International students who come and study in Australia want to stay in the country. If yo would like to work Down Under, it is important to know about the business culture. Business culture is all about how Aussies behave during work and what is expected from you. As we saw last week (click here) Aussies do not like it when you openly to stand out from the crowd. Achievements are admired but you should not talk about it. A second important point is that Australian business thinking is more and more influenced by US business modelling. Some people would argue that this influence has been too slavishly followed whilst others believe that a more US-style entrepreneurial, risk-taking attitude amongst Australian business people would benefit the nation. It means that Australian organisations are fairly non-hierarchical and little attention is paid to titles and rankings within organisations. You will build up status through achievement rather than organisational position.

Managers

Meetings

Ten important Do's and Don’t’s to remember:

1. Australians do tend to initiate a first name basis with their fellow business associates quickly. This is an indication of mutual respect and equality.
2. Do establish a personal relationship with those you are conducting business with. So you may take somebody out for lunch or to the football.
3. Do not use your titles. Australians tend to be more informal in their business dealings. However, when initially introduced, you should address your Australian counterparts by their last names preceded by “Mr.”, “Mrs.”, or “Miss.”, until they initiate this informality.
4. Do shake hands firmly but briefly when meeting your Australian associates for the first time. This is the preferred gesture for both male and female colleagues, although men should allow a woman to offer their hand first.
5. Do take part in some initial “small talk” before a business meeting begins. Australians use this as a way of establishing rapport with their colleagues and is an important part of business etiquette.
6. Do dress formal, suit for man and dress or shirt and skirt for women during first meeting. If your Australian counterpart dresses more informal during further meetings, it is advised to follow their example.
7. Do keep a certain amount of distance when in conversations. Personal space is highly valued in Australian culture.
8. Do maintain direct eye contact with your Australian colleagues during all business meetings and conversations as this helps to establish trust.
9. Don’t use aggressive sales techniques whilst negotiating. Your Australian business colleagues will dislike being pressured and may be put off by this approach.
10. Do use humour to relax a situation. There are not many situations in which Australians would view humour as inapproriate.