Portugal

First Impressions

Comparative International Management - December, 2005

Agenda

• General Impressions about Portugal

Positive Aspects

Negative Aspects

• Particular Impressions about Portugal

France Austria Poland Macau

The Netherland Sweden Czech Republic

Germany Slovenia Slovakia

• Hofstede’s Dimensions

• Gesteland’s Patterns of Cross-Cultural Business Behaviour

• Conclusions

General Impressions about Portugal

Positive Aspects

• Architecture / Beauty of Lisbon;

• Weather;

• Social Life – University, cafés and snack-bars;

• Night Life – Bairro Alto, discos;

General Impressions about Portugal

Negative Aspects

• Traffic;

• Smoking in public places;

• Queues / waiting time;

• Bureaucracy;

• Lisbon is a dirty city;

• Being late is “a national tradition”;

• People never look happy - they don't smile;

• Beauty / Architecture of the city;

• Food;

• Nice people;

• Transportation;

• Beautifull beaches close to the city;

• Portuguese are very open-minded;

• Laziness;

• Lack of green places;

Particular Impressions about Portugal

France

Particular Impressions about Portugal

The Netherland

• Language – Portuguese is not easy to learn;

• People - Friendly and helpful, but shy;

• Food - huge variety of sweet things;

• Architecture - It represents both modern and traditional parts of Europe;

• Weather – very dry, cause for enormous fires;

Particular Impressions about Portugal

Germany

• Good transportation;

• Shopping – nice places;

• University – Many presentations and work cases;

• Relaxed way of Portuguese life;

Particular Impressions about Portugal

Austria • People are very open, tolerant, patient and helpful;

• Great food – sofisticated kitchen;

• Parque das Nações is amazing;

• People have a good educational level and are willing to work;

• People Love Football;

• Catastrophic fires – no care for environment

• Low average income for people

• Bad economic situation

• Few infra-structure for bikers

Particular Impressions about Portugal

Sweden

• Architecture of Lisbon makes it a nice place to walk – calçada portuguesa;

• “Bica” and “Pastel de Nata”;

• Good transportation;

• Shopping – Good places;

Particular Impressions about Portugal

Slovenia • Fabulous wines and soup – cheap prices;

• Public transport is incredible and cheap;

• People are nice, kind and helpful;

• High costs of living – Food is very expensive;

• Illegal drugs sold by drug dealers;

• Poverty – homeless people, beggars;

• Abortion is forbidden and women prosecuted;

Particular Impressions about Portugal

Poland • Portuguese food – especially wine;

• Nice people;

• Historical country – monuments;

• Portuguese people speak english well;

• Lack of organization in public transportation;

• Laziness;

• Strange way of greeting people – kissing;

• Coexistence between poverty and richness;

• Generally prices are high.

Particular Impressions about Portugal

Czech Republic

• Passion for football;

• Air conditioned bus;

• Portuguese are friendly and helpful;

• Sense of group belonging;

• Illegal drugs sold by drug dealers;

• Easy access to alcoholic beverages (ISCTE);

• Restaurants are expensive;

• Poverty;

• Few people speak English;

Particular Impressions about Portugal

Slovakia • People rent dirty places and ask a lot of money for them;

• People are very nice;

• Nature – Beaches;

• Food – great atmosphere created by many good restaurants in Lisbon;

• Way of teaching in the Universities;

Particular Impressions about Portugal

Macau

• People are nice, kind and helpful;

• Traditional / Classic style of architecture

• High costs of living – Food is very expensive;

Hofstede’s Dimensions

Large power distance (score: 63)

Ex: Subordinates expect to be told what to do;

Collectivist society (score: 27)

Ex: Identity is based in the social network to which one belongs;

Low masculinity (score: 31)

Ex: People and relashionships are important;

Strong uncertainty avoidance (score: 104)

Ex: Many and precise laws and rules;

Portugal

Gestland’s Patterns of Cross-Cultural Business Behavior

Portugal

Moderately Deal-Focused

• Relationship is also important to do business

Formal Culture• Through status and hierarchy

Moderately Monochronic• Schedules, deadlines and “warm up”

Very Expressive Country• Close contact

Conclusions

• In some countries, the sample was not representative enough to allow us to take a pattern conclusion;

• All of the countries had focus more or less the same points;

• Poland was the country that gave us the most different point of view;

• All students had a positive first impression of Portugal.

Thank you for you attention!

Presented by:Bernardo FernandesPatrícia MotaRodrigo SantosVerónica Paulino

Any Questions?