Cross-cultural
Communication
Presentation
Featuring: England & Italy
Eye contact/Oculesics
Prolonged eye contact can
make people uncomfortable
Staring is impolite.
If talking to a group,
equal eye contact with all
who are present is ideal.
Eye contact is essential for it
shows someone's sign of respect
and it conveys that the listener is
listening carefully to the speaker.
People in Italy may inadvertently
stare out of curiosity.
However, a person with low
social status staring at
someone higher than
them represents an act of
defiance or rudeness.
Hand Gestures
The V sign with an outward-facing
hand is considered an insult as if
giving someone the middle finger.
However, Italians make a V sign
from the mouth and pull it to say,
"Can I have a cigarette, please?"
Tapping your nose means that
I’m not going to tell you something.
Tapping your nose in Italy can
also mean, “watch out!”.
Haptics
Handshake is the most common
greeting, and should be firm yet
not too strong
Handshake is a formal greeting
expressing a polite approach
Hug or kiss on the cheek is a
greeting for close friends.
Air kisses on both cheeks when
greeting those you know well, this
is called the 'il bacetto'.
This implies intimacy and
familiarity.
Grabbing the other person’s
forearm with your other hand
while shaking hands, means
something like, “It’s a real honor
to meet you”
Holding the other person’s
shoulders means something
like, “Are you holding up okay?”
In Southern Italy, men generally
only kiss family members and
prefer to give a pat on the back
to show affection in a greeting.
Proxemics
A personal zone that is between
1.5 to 4 ft.
For intimate distance; embracing,
touching, and whispering is less
than 6 inches (15 cm)
For personal distance; such as
interactions with friends or family
members, is around 1.5 to 2.5 ft.
(46 to 76 cm)
For social distance; which is
interactions with strangers, the
close phase can be 4 to 7 ft. while
the far phase can be 25 ft. or more
The norm for personal space is
2-3 ft.
In Italy, it is common for people
to extend physical contact
when exchanging greetings.
In Italy, it is considered rude when
you turn your back on others
Dining, Meeting & Customs
They follow a certain dress code.
For men: Tucking one's shirt in
For ladies: Less exposing clothes
Social Manners
Using any form of a gadget on the
table is a big no for them
Men should seat the ladies first
and rise when they leave and
return to the table.
Shaking hands is a standard
practice.
When meeting the person for
the first time, avoid using their
first name until they give you
permission.
The most common toast is
Salute which means "to your
health" or more cin-cin.
Don't cut your pasta, and never
slurp the pasta strands into
your mouth.
Upon meeting and leave-taking,
both friends and strangers wish
each other a good day or good
evening. Friends, greet each
other with a kiss.
In dining, hands should be
visible above the table
Time Orientation
Monochronic Culture
(values time)
They follow strict time
schedules, focus on one task
at a time and set deadlines that
they aim to meet at all costs.
This greatly describes the time orientation
for England as they see time as tangible
and sequential.
Polychronic Culture
(takes their time)
They often have a much less
formal perception of time, and
are not ruled by precise
calendars and schedules.
Which brings us to Italy as arbitrary divisions
of clock time and calendars have less
importance to them.
Chromatics
In England, the color purple
represents royalty and wealth.
Whereas in Italy, it indicates
death.
In traditional weddings, brides
will wear white bridal dresses.
However, in Italy, the color white
is traditionally used for funerals.
In England, blue indicates
serenity.
While in Italy, it represents
mourning.
References
Brooks, R. (2016, December 21). Colours and their Meanings Around the World. K-International. Retrieved from https://www.k-international.com/blog/color-meanings-around-theworld/#:~:text=Because%20purple%20dye%20was%20historically,Europe%2C%20it's%20associated%20with%20death.
‌Business meeting etiquette. (2013, June 30). Business Culture.
Case, A. (2019, January 25). British Body Language. UsingEnglish.com. Retrieved from
Cultural Atlas. (n.d.). British Culture Greetings. Retrieved from
Cultural Atlas. (n.d.). Italian Culture Greetings. Retrieved from
Editor, F. (n.d.). Customs and Etiquette in Italy: 15 Things Every Visitor Should Know. Fodors Travel Guide. Retrieved April 9, 2022, from
English Etiquette and good manners. (n.d.). Historic UK. Retrieved April 9, 2022, from
Filippo, A. (2018, June 30). Italian Non-verbal Greetings. Life in Italy. Retrieved from
http://www.exactlywhatistime.com/other-aspects-of-time/time-in-different-cultures/
https://businessculture.org/southern-europe/business-culture-in-italy/meeting-etiquette-in-italy/?fbclid=IwAR0O3U4EkZCvzNvhFUytuVHtTcrzm4XxklSpge65e7iItRTGhE3YE5VrBs#:~:text=Meeting%20protocol
https://culturalatlas.sbs.com.au/british-culture/british-culture-greetings
https://culturalatlas.sbs.com.au/italian-culture/italian-culture-greetings
https://globalreputationmanagement.wordpress.com/2014/03/05/cultural-metrics-the-united-kingdom/
https://lifeinitaly.com/non-verbal-communication/#:~:text=Italians%20are%20famous%20for%20their,than%20you%20can%20with%20words.
https://studyabroadsorrento.wordpress.com/2014/06/03/tanner/
https://www.etiquettescholar.com/dining_etiquette/table-etiquette/europem_table_manners/italian_dining_etiquette.html
https://www.fodors.com/news/italy-101-a-gui-3872?fbclid=IwAR1Cnf_vgyiSJpdPkzbFHceBuiy78tJryWhPSGozS2Jvz6lyveBN1p4l20M
https://www.historic-uk.com/CultureUK/British-Etiquette/?
fbclid=IwAR2vMp7lr1b1XCs7HurRRYiLhO0L_IKWL_E6mhvlyz9CUzJV2BLVNYXRNDY#:~:text=British%20etiquette%20dictates%20courteousness%20at
https://www.sableinternational.com/blog/the-dos-and-don-ts-of-uk-business-etiquette
https://www.translatemedia.com/translation-blog/understanding-6-dimensions-uk-culture/#:~:text=Long%2Dterm%20orientation,be%20hostile%20to%20social%20change.
https://www.usingenglish.com/teachers/articles/british-body-language.html
https://www.victoriaeggs.com/blogs/news/mind-your-manners-great-british-dining-etiquette?
fbclid=IwAR2OyvItRRxeWIrDji7GRmkU9AdhFI5xYWBOm7qgDMNOcenQZGyoTZzwK8g#:~:text=When%20eating%20is%20complete%2C%20place
Italy Dining Etiquette. (n.d.). Etiquette Scholar.
Mind Your Manners - Great British Dining Etiquette. (n.d.). Victoria Eggs. Retrieved April 9, 2022, from
Six-degrees. (n.d.). International Color Symbolism. Retrieved from http://www.six-degrees.com/pdf/International-Color-Symbolism-Chart.pdf
The dos and don’ts of UK business etiquette. (n.d.). Www.sableinternational.com.