Costa Rica

By: Jaime Cummings

Capital:

San Jose

Language of Costa Rica:Spanish

Religion:Catholic ( more than 76% of

population)

Ecotourism

o La Paz Waterfalls Gardens

Series of 5 Waterfalls

Has Hiking Trails

Worlds Largest Butterfly Garden

Cartago

o Was the capital of Costa Rica until 1823

o Explore pre-Columbian times

o Located near foothills of the Irazu Volcano

The Local Cuisine:

Patacones Tres Leches Cake

Stereotypes by Americans:

Costa Rica is a Surfer Land. It is not just a come do what you like country. There are laws for drugs and behaviors that are strictly upheld

Tomorrow, Tomorrowo They take life easy, and reduce stress factors. But they only look at it that way if you are a local, they don’t

want others to be like that.

Superstitions:

•Dogs have the ability to see demons and evil spirits and bark to drive them away. Rubbing one’s eye with the dog’s tears in an attempt to acquire its power is considered dangerous since it might lead to insanity.

•Costa Ricans believe that each saint has its own expertise. For example, they pray to St. Anthony if they misplaced or lost something.

Hand Gestures:

It’s so crowded This means “cheap” or “stingy”

Business Culture: (Etiquette & Body Language)

Handshaking the common greeting for men and women in business, it is seen as a way of expressing partnership.

They aren’t big on a friendly embrace as other neighboring Countries are

Women may sometimes pat each other on the shoulder or right forearm instead of shaking hands. Close female friends may kiss each other on the cheeks, most women usually touch cheeks while kissing the air.

Strong direct eye contact is favored among business associates

Business Culture (Relationship Building)

Costa Ricans are most comfortable doing business with people they have strong personal relationships with, they are usually friends and family. Costa Rican’s will want to establish a relationship with you before they agree to a business deal.

Meetings and negotiations usually open with a period of small talk.

It's not unusual for investors to be invited to business dinners and parties where very little business is discussed. This is how they get to know you outside of a business context, and is very important in the decision-making process.

Business Culture ( Communication Styles)

Group harmony is important to Costa Ricans.

Costa Ricans don’t respond well to pushy sales tactics—they are seen as overly confrontational.

When interacting with Costa Ricans, it's important not to get to the point too quickly. It's considered rude not to ask about the person's family and well-being first. Even the most perfunctory exchanges should be preceded by a round of small talk—this indicates you care about the person you're speaking to, not just the business transaction.(GRW)

Business Culture (Power structures in Decision Making)

Most corporate hierarchies are egalitarian. Executives include all people from their corporation, from the top all the way to the bottom.

It's important to consider a proposal from the point of view of a wide variety of perspectives within Costa Rican companies—and to be aware in presentations that all those present may have a say in decisions.

Business Culture Differences:

It seems like Costa Rica and the US are similar in business etiquette. We both use firm hand shakes, direct eye contact, and also don’t favor hugs or embraces when meeting an associate.

On the other hand, Costa Rican women kiss each other on the cheeks when greeting, where as in the United States, our women use the handshake just like men do.

Business Culture Differences:

They like to go about business at a much slower rate, they don’t like pushiness and take their time making their decisions.

In the US ,a lot of companies are very pushy and seem to close deals because of this tactic that would otherwise scare Costa Rican's away.

Our corporate men and women have small groups of people they rely on to make important decisions for them, where Costa Ricans go throughout the company and get the opinions of the top to the bottom of the ladder.

Business Culture Differences:

Decision-making in Costa Rica can often seem to progress very slowly compared to our standards. It's crucial not to display impatience—this will lower your credibility in the eyes of Costa Rican’s.

In the US however, most places of business seem to want things to go as fast as possible with as little personalization as possible. We are more private and keep business separate. Costa Rican's like to get to know you on a personal level and make things more intimate.

Internet Penetration Rate:

Facebook is the top social networking site

Costa Rica is served by a relatively modern telecom infrastructure and has the second highest Internet penetration for South America.

2,000,000 Internet users as of June, 2012;

43.1% of the population

Masculinity

With a score of 21 on masculinity it is considered the most feminine society in Latin America and few countries in the world score more feminine. Ticos are afraid of any kind of personal criticism. There is a very high acceptance for women in business. Suffrage for women was introduced in 1948 and half of the country’s university students are female. Costa Rica wants to become the first carbon neutral country in the world by 2021.

Power Distance

With a score of 35, Costa Rica scores the lowest on this dimension in the region. A lot of the countries close to Costa Rica are military ruled, but in 1948, their army was abolished. Their president even received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1987 for his effort to end civil wars in Central America. They are focused on equality and they try to not separate white and blue collar workers.

Uncertainty Avoidance

At 86, Costa Rica scores high on uncertainty avoidance. A strong need for structure and rules is important, even if it’s not always working or followed. Bureaucracy is very time consuming in Costa Rica, documentation, and written instructions are important. Costa Ricans are rather conservative, they do not always embrace strange and different ideas.

Individualism

Costa Rica, with a score of 15 is like all the other Latin American countries, a collectivistic society. In collectivistic countries, trust, loyalty, personal relations and networking is essential. Family, and especially mothers, is very sacred in Costa Rica. To get straight to the point is regarded as rude. Helping somebody out of a difficult situation will never be forgotten. As relationships matter very much, a lot of time is spent on building up trust.

Masculinity

United States 62

driven by competition, achievement and success

a “can-do” mentality which creates a lot of dynamism in the society

Costa Rica 21

society are caring for others and quality of life

are very afraid of any kind of personal criticism

a very high acceptance for women in business

Power Distance

United States 40

The fact that everybody is unique implies that we are all unequal

Costa Rica 35

The scores between these two are fairly similar

Uncertainty Avoidance

United States 46

There is a fair degree of acceptance for new ideas

Americans tend to be more tolerant of ideas or opinions from anyone and allow the freedom of expression

Do not require a lot of rules and are less emotionally expressive

Costa Rica 86

A strong emotional need for structure and rules is important

Are rather conservative

Individualism

Unites States 91

Equal rights in all aspects of American society and government.

Accustomed to doing business or interacting with people they don’t know well

Are not shy about approaching their prospective counterparts in order to obtain or seek information

That people look after themselves and their immediate families only and should not rely (too much) on authorities for support.

Costa Rica 15

Trust, loyalty, personal relations and networking is essential

Family is very sacred

A lot of time is spent on building up trust

Costa Rica’s Current Events:

Costa Rica Repudiates ISIS and Stands With France.

Costa Rica’s Coast Guard seized 1.5 tons of marijuana that was thrown into the Carribean Sea by smugglers

Citations:

Costa Rica Marijuana Seizure." Associated Press, 13 Sept. 2014. Web. 2 Oct. 2014.

Lopez, Jaime. "Costa Rica Repudiates ISIS and Stands With France." N.p., 30 Sept. 2014. Web. 2 Oct. 2014.

http://www.internetworldstats.com/am/cr.htm

The Global Road Warrior. Costa Rica: Country Snapshot. Retrieved October 12, 2014, from http://0-www.globalroadwarrior.com.library.ccbcmd.edu/contentinfo.asp?cid=34&nid=65&next_nid=66

"THE HOFSTEDE CENTRE." Cultural Insights. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Oct. 2014.