Chris Radtke
Dennis Duarte
Sean Berry
Matt Owens




Five well defined regions
Different climate types
6,435 km of coast line
Elevation 0m to 6,880m


Accelerated economic development
Environmental awareness

43% of the worlds copper


2010 Copiapó mining accident
33 miners Trapped for 69 days



February 27, 2010 earthquake 8.8
January 2, 2011 earthquake 7.1
March 25, 2012 earthquake 6.7

1989 Christian Democrat Patricio Aylwin is
elected president




Government policy seeks foreign investment
Tax system
Local business favor foreign investment
Foreign investors provide new field and work
opportunities
Section 2



Religion plays a crucial part in Chilean society
when it comes to business.
With Roman Catholicsm making up over 73%
of the population most national holidays are
of a religious nature.
Religion has had great emphasis on such
topics as abortion and divorce which was
illegal up until 2004.



Knowing how big a role religion plays, a person
should keep in mind important dates of religious
importance in Chilean society.
Religious topics are a great piece of conversation
to build rapport when conducting business.
When doing business holidays such as All Saints
Day (celebrated as much as birthdays) when most
memorialize loved ones passed on and have to
be taken into consideration when making
appointments and setting up meetings.

The celebration of Chilean independence in
1810 takes place on 18 September. It should
also be taken into consideration when
conducting business. Chileans go into the
streets to celebrate with folk dances and
national dishes. This is the country's most
important secular celebration.



Women play just as big a part in the Chilean
business community as they make up at least
37% of the workforce.
They hold positions such doctors, nurses,
lawyers, business executives, and teachers to
name just a few.
While they may not hold as many high up
positions their influence is regarded as very
high in many realms of Chilean life.


Men customarily wear dark blue or gray suit, a light
shirt, and a conservative tie. Bright colors and flashy
fashions are not suitable, nor is wearing anything on
the lapel. Women should wear a suit and heels
Men should note that when a woman enters a room,
the polite gesture is to rise and be prepared to shake
her hand if she offers it. A seated woman, however,
need not rise nor is she obliged to offer her hand. It
also important that women are allowed to sit first.
The People





-Regional Subcultures
85% of the population is Urban with a high
concentration in the main city of Santiago.
Chile's subcultures are divided by proximity to
Roman Catholic church and social class.
Parents tend to channel these subcultures into
the schools that they pick for their children.
Chileans are more likely to affiliate themselves
with people of similar occupations regardless of
their religious identity or preference.




- Greetings
Men will usually shake hands when greeting
someone.
Women generally pat each other on the right
forearm or shoulder.
Usually, Buenos Dias (Good Morning), Buenos
Tardes (Good Afternoon), or Buenos Noches
(Good Night) usually accompanies the first
initiation of contact.




Between friends and family things will relax and
become more unreserved - men may embrace
and energetically pat each other on the back
whilst women will kiss once on the right cheek.
Like many South Americans, Chileans use both
their maternal and paternal
surnames. The
father's surname is listed first and is the one
used in conversation.
If no title exists then simply use "Senor" (male) or
"Senora" (female) followed by
the surname.
First names are to be used between close friends.
You must wait until invited to move into a first
name basis.




Prior appointments are necessary at all times.
In business, punctuality should always be
respected. Meetings should also always start
and end on time.
Have business cards printed with English on
one side and Spanish on the other
Business cards should be handed to everyone
in a meeting except the secretary.





Business entertaining should generally be
done at hotels and restaurants.
Always engage in light conversation before
starting business discussions.
Never serve wine with your left hand. Wines
are a national treasure and should be treated
with the utmost respect.
Proper table manners are important.
Chileans do not bargain in either stores or
street markets. It is illegal to sell something
and not issue a receipt.






Chile's Culture is generally group oriented.
Business relationships are between people, not companies.
Spanish is the dominant language in business meetings
with a bit of English. Some business professionals do
speak English but Spanish is the preferred language.
Choose an intermediary to make the first initial contact
between two companies.
The senior executive of your company should attend the
first meeting.
It is better to negotiate with a team instead of a single
individual. Because of the large emphasis on the collective,
it reflects greatly on your company to do so.







Negotiating is generally a joint problem solving
process.
Even when relationships are strong, Chilean
counterparts are often reluctant to share information.
Avoid aggressiveness and open conflict at all costs.
Chileans are not very fond of bargaining or haggling.
Chileans often move very fast in their negotiations,
unlike many of their Latin counterparts. Tough this is
true, impatience can be seen as a sign of weakness.
Chileans are often very serious and straightforward
negotiators.
There is a shared belief within Chilean culture with
the concept of win-win. This should always be
reciprocated when negotiating with them.

Remember that in Chile, “people” are the only
“business”… they should be treated as such!
◦ Technology and telecommunications are readily
available and prominent.
◦ Chile ranks 45th worldwide (out of 142) in
technological readiness and 22nd in FDI and
technology transfer

32nd in quality of overall infrastructure
◦ Which is also number one in Latin America


Chile has a total of 37 airports and airfields
serving 18 international airlines
Ports move 90% of the commercial exchange
of the country.
◦ Port operations include 10 state ports and 23
private ports.

Chile has a policy of free trade with no
barriers.
◦ LAIA (Latin American Integration Association)
◦ MERCOSUR

Chile ranks 22nd worldwide according to the
2011 Corruption Perceptions Index published
by Transparency International.
◦ This ranking signifies the 22nd least corrupt in the
world.


Generally, Chilean businesspeople are
conservative thinkers and take business
ethics seriously.
Bribery is very seldom used and is not a
commonly accepted practice.

Chilean culture is very group-oriented and
building deep and lasting relationships is
important. Personal contacts and networks are
prerequisites for successful deals where the
establishment of trust, loyalty and strong bonds
facilitates business operations in Chile.
◦ The extended use of networks & connections

Personal relationships with colleagues are highly
valued in Chile.
◦ It is highly recommended to use every opportunity to
socialize with your Chilean counterparts outside the
office.

Chilean business is relatively hierarchical and managers
are somewhat more autocratic than in many other
countries.
◦ Managers do not seek a consensus before making decisions.

Managers tell subordinates what they want done and how
they expect them to perform the task.
◦ Sometime paternalistic
◦ Employees follow a manager’s instructions without comment, as it
would be rude to challenge someone of a higher status.

Successful cross cultural management will rely on the
individual’s interpersonal skills and ability to maintain
cordial relationships with their subordinates. This can be
as important as their technical knowledge.
• Decisions are reached at the top of the company,
often after seeking input from all the stakeholders.
Since Chileans believe business should be "win-win"
scenarios, they attempt to find solutions that are in
the best interest of all concerned.