Culture Shock! Austria - A Survival Guide to Customs and Etiquette

Doing Business in Austria 241

to the process of any business meeting and is a principle
adhered to by employees. Appointments should be made
well in advance and it is considered rude to cancel a
meeting at the last minute. Meetings are formal and follow
a certain protocol. It is best to get to the point at hand after
only a bit of small talk. Stick to your agenda and schedule,
the meeting should end at the prearranged time. Do not
be offended if the Austrians seem blunt; they merely
want to discuss the topic at hand and will expect detailed
information. Meetings are followed by significant amounts
of written communication.

Business Cards

Exchanging business cards is customary although it is not
done with any type of fanfare. Because of their interest in
titles, it would be a good idea to put any advanced degrees
or honours you have received on your card. It is also a
nice gesture to have one side of your business card written
in German.

Dress

At work, the average businessman or businesswoman wears
a classic, dark-coloured suit to work, civil servants dress
down and blue-collar workers wear uniforms. For instance,
garbage collectors wear orange and construction workers
wear blue.

How to Conduct Business

„ Be punctual.

„ Dress conservatively.

„ Shake hands.

„ Use the formal ‘you’ (Sie) and last names.

„ Stick to the agenda and schedule.

„ Follow up with written correspondence.

„ Offices are formal and colleagues don’t normally

socialise after hours.