The Culture of Doing Business in Italy

Travelling to Italy for work or business?

Want to make a good impression?

Then this is for you!

We're going to give you a quick-fire overview of some key cultural insights that might come in handy.

We will look at:

At the end of each section, you will find links for further reading.

The Capital: Rome
Notable Cities: Milan, Naples, Turin, Palermo, Genoa
Population: 60+ million
Major Religion: Italy is a Christian country (some 88% of the population are Catholics)
Dialling Code: +82
Domain: .it
Currency: Euro

Italian is the official language of Italy.
It is also an official language in Switzerland, San, Marino, the Vatican City and Istria.
Globally Italian is spoken by over 85 million people.
It is a Romance language and its vocabulary is closely related to Latin.
There are a number of Italian dialects spoken in the different regions.

Clothes are important to Italians.
They are extremely fashion conscious and judge people on their appearance.
You will be judged on your clothes, shoes, accessories and the way you carry yourself.
Bella figura is more than dressing well. It extends to the aura you project too - i.e. confidence, style, demeanour, etc.
When meeting and leaving, Italians (whether friends or strangers) with each other “good day” or “good evening”.
Where there is an existing relationship, Italians greet each other with a kiss on both cheeks (kiss the left cheek first).
Table manners are an important part of Italian culture.
Wait for your hostess to seat herself before you do and ensure that you don’t begin eating until your hostess has begun.
Wine is commonly served with meals and it’s likely to be regularly topped up.
It’s considered rude if you refuse a top-up, so if you don’t require more wine, try to keep your glass relatively full!

Read more about Etiquette in Italy.

Punctuality is expected in Italy, so always try to be on time.
Shake hands with people when meeting someone for the first time.
Building close relationships is key to doing business in Italy.
Networking can be an almost full-time occupation in Italy.
Take the time to ask questions about your business colleagues' family and personal interests.
Italians tend to be wordy, eloquent, emotional, and demonstrative, often using facial and hand gestures to prove their point.
Status and hierarchy are well respected in business, as well as all aspects of Italian society, and there is also a huge amount of respect given to older people and people in positions of power.
Avoid organising meetings in August and during Catholic festivities.
The exchange of business cards is common in Italy and it’s a good idea to have it translated into Italian on the reverse.
Business might be conducted over a long lunch which could last up to 2-3 hours.

Read more about Business in Italy.

Cross-cultural management in Italy is more likely to succeed if you understand the level of bureaucracy when attempting to conduct business in Italy.
When managing in Italy, it is important to keep in mind that each person has a very distinct role within the organization, and maintaining that role helps to keep order.
Italy’s intercultural adaptability and readiness for change is developing all the time. Italy is seen to have a medium tolerance for change and risk. It is important for innovations to have a track record or history noting the benefits if they are to be accepted and implemented.
Italy is a moderate time culture and typically and there may be some flexibility to strict adherence to schedules and deadlines.
For effective cross-cultural management, it is important to remember that hierarchy in business is strictly observed.