Table of Contents
What is the business culture in Colombia?
Business in Colombia is run traditionally with established hierarchies. Decisions will come from key senior employees. Those decision points will happen in-office, while meals are for creating personal relationships. Those relationships are critical to ongoing business and the decisions at hand.
What is business etiquette in Colombia?
Colombians are generally punctual when it comes to business engagements. Punctuality conveys respect for the person’s time and attention. A five-minute delay is forgivable. Address people with their appropriate titles and wait for the other party to initiate a transition to first-name basis.
What is Colombia’s cultural traditions?
Colombia celebrates Christmas and holidays The most typical Colombian Christmas traditions include eating natilla (a custard dish resembling a flan) and buñuelos (fried dough balls) and attending a Novena de Aguinaldos, when families come together to eat, sing carols (villancicos) and recite a set of prayers.
What is important to Colombian culture?
Family life is extremely important in Colombian culture (as it is in many Latin American cultures due to the influence of the Catholic religion). For most Colombians, family is the basic element of community and social order. Families are very close, and they stay close.
How are Colombians at work?
Some of the most important customs you are likely to find in a typical Colombian workplace are punctuality, enthusiastic greetings, good personal appearance, and being respectful and helpful to others. Being on time is important, however, Colombians sometimes run on a what they call ‘Colombian time’.
What is considered disrespectful in Colombia?
It is rude to speak with your hands in your pockets or chew gum with your mouth open. Slouching and leaning against things is bad form. Punctuality is not tight in Colombia. Expect people to follow a looser “tiempo colombiano” (Colombian time) for social and casual engagements.
What is taboo Colombia?
Being a deeply Catholic country, there are some social prohibitions. The topic of sex and sexuality is a generally taboo subject. Many Colombians have had to move into cities as a result of the violence in rural provinces. Internal displacement has been a huge problem for the country.
Do Colombians work hard?
Personal relationships are better in Colombia than in, for example, the USA, Colombians felt less cared for and more independent than they do in Colombia when working in a team. Colombians are also known to be very hard workers and are very dedicated to their job.
What do Colombians value most?
People generally place a high value on manners, formality and dignified behaviour. They tend to be conscious of upholding their honour and moral integrity regardless of their class or background. Many Colombians derive a great deal of personal pride from the achievements of their children and family.
Are Colombians hard workers?
It is important to recognise that Colombians have maintained a strong sense of pride and dignity despite the country’s social and political issues. In the face of hardships, they have remained resourceful, hard working and peace loving.
What are Colombians values?
Verifying previous research, it was found that Colombians presented a value orientation which was more social than personal, and more idealistic (humanist) than materialistic. The main values were success, maturity and affection. The least important were power, tradition, beauty and emotion.