Career
Abroad is the ideal guide to facts on work culture abroad. Do's
and don'ts on etiquette, work ethics and conversational pleasantries,
find them all here.
IRELAND
GREETINGS
Shake hands and extend a warm
greeting as you maintain eye contact.
When meeting a woman, men
should wait for her to extend her hand before initiating a handshake.
iriash
Use a person's last name with
the proper courtesy title.
Keep in mind that surgeons
are referred to as Mr, rather than Doctor.
PUNCTUALITY
ALERTS!
The Irish are rather relaxed with time. However, you as a business
traveller, must strive to be on time for all your appointments.
If you are made to wait for as long as 30 minutes, do not pass
any comments on that front. Business hours are generally between
9am to 5 pm. You must avoid the month of August, since most Irish
are on vacation during this period. The holiday spirit starts
from December and strches through the first week of January. The
holy week is closely observed, the period between palm sunday
and easter sunday. May is the time for business fair, you might
not find too many executives during the first half of the month.
CONVERSATION
WITH IRISH
Maintain low moderates tone
The Irish tend to get personal,
gracefully step out of the conversation if you want to avoid getting
too personal
Do not put Irish culture in
the same category as the English
Avoid political or religious
debates
Dispaly knowledge and appreciation
towards Irish literary geniuses
Suggested
topic of conversation :
Travels in Ireland
Irish literature and other
forms of art
Gaelic culture
Irish sports
Drinks
pets-animals
positive aspects of the Irish
economy
Weather, do not complain about
the rains.
Avoid
:
Controversial social issues
Irish politics
Comparing native Irish with
Irish Americans
IRISH DRESSING
Ostentation is frowned upon, so there no need to be preoccupied
with designer labels, elaborate jewellery. Conservative dressing
is followed in Irish business culture. It's preferable for both
men and women to wear clothes made from wool and tweed, in subdued
colours. Suits and ties are standard attire for businessmen. In
business settings, pants are best avoided, although for casual
settings, its absolutly perfect. Restaurants and private parties
usually do not require jackets and ties. Formal wear is usually
in the form of dinner jackets. In many situations, sneakers and
jeans are still unacceptable. Since it rains a great deal in Ireland,
and often unpredictably, its recommended that you always
carry a raincoat and, if you wish, an umbrella.
BUSINESS
ATTITUDE
Exchanging business cards
is not a commonplace business practice
However, if you are asked
for a business card at the end of a meeting, it is a sign of appreciation
In large organisation there
is a huge divide between management and staff.
Uirish tend to value conservative
demeanor
General rule is larger the
industry, the more conservative it is
Follow the example of your
Irish collegue, behave in a warm, friendly and a hospitable manner
Any information you give must
be accurate
Irish do not usually say no,
they rather be non commmital
sarcasm is not appreciated
Golf is an integral part of
establishing business contacts
In the organisational hierrachy,
the managing director takes the final call.
Irish take a kong time to
take decisions, so be patient
BUSINESS
ENTERTAINMENT
Lunch is served between one
and two.
Business lunches are popular
time for socialising
High tea is often observed
in irerland. It is considered to be a substitue for dinner. The
Irish take their High tea between four and six.
Spouses are often part of
business dinners
If you are invited home bring
a token gift like chocolates or flowers
You can arrive about ten munutes
late to a dinner party without offending anyone
Couple are occassionally broken
up and made to sit next to people they do not know.
Serving bread with meals is
not a part of the iriash culture
After you finsish your meal,
plaxce your knife and fork parelle to each other on the rigth
hand side of the plate
Offer help to clean up after
dinner
The one who invites pays tye
bill, however the guest must pffer
Tip is about 10 to 15% on
the bill amount
Drinking is very much a part
of the Irish culture, getting drunk isnt.
In a pub, everyone present
takes turns to buy the rest of the group a drink
make a point to sample irish
beer
Beer is popular during lunches.
Guiness is considered the national drink.
Serving drinks with ice is
a big no no
Refrain from ordering Scotch
whisky in a pub
Another popular drink is the
shandy, a mixture of beer and lemonade
You are not expected tip waiters
in a pub
GESTURES
When introduced, make an effort
to engage in immediate eye contact,
The distance between speakers
is usually less than between other northern Europeans
Keep your hands out of your
pockets, particularly when speaking
Avoid using the North American
expression Have a nice day
Pointing by using the head
or chin, rather than the fingers
Touching ones nose is
a sign of confidentiality
Use the index finger to indicate
the number one, and the thumb for number five
The peace sign or V
made by extending the index and middle finger with the palm facing
out, is an obscene gesture in Ireland and should be avoided
Public toilets are available
in Ireland. Bear in mind that the door labelled Fir
is the mens room, while the one with Mna is
the womens room
Instead of asking for a ride,
follow the example of the Irish and use the word lift.
GIFT-GIVING
Gifts are expected for family and social events. For business
meetings, it is not impratibve to bring a gift along. As a matter
of fact, if you do want to give gifts to your Irish counter parts,
wait until your meeting reaches a conclusion. Bring a long a gift
that reflects your own culture. The best gift for a dinner party
is a good bottle of wine, a box of chocolates, or a simple arrangement
of flowers. Red roses are reserved for romantic occasions, while
lilies are for funerals. Most other types of flowers, however,
are acceptable. When you are presented with a gift, ensure that
you thank the giver and proceed to open it in front of him or
her.