Switzerland

Camila Herrera 20-0256

English IV
Sec. 03
This country is situated at the confluence of Western,
Central, and Southern Europe. Switzerland is a
landlocked country bordered by Italy to the south,
France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria
and Liechtenstein to the east.

It is geographically divided among the Swiss Plateau, the

Alps, and the Jura, spanning a total area of 41,285 km2
(15,940 sq mi), and land area of 39,997 km2 (15,443 sq
mi).
THEY VALUE...
SOBRIETY
TOLERANCE
PUNCTUALITY
SENSE OF RESPONSIBILITY
HONESTY
 OFFENSIVE In the Swiss society, it’s unacceptable
BEHAVIOR to litter and throw garbage on the
streets.
Breaking eye contact is
considered to be very rude.

If you’re in the mood for gum, try not to

chew it while in public. It’s considered a
rude and irritable act by the Swiss.
 TIME
First and foremost, you should go and be
there on time. You can go there earlier
but no later than 15 minutes. You
shouldn’t take for granted this invitation
because if you miss one or two dinners,
they’ll remove you from their invitation
list and in swiss culture is seen a as a lack
of responsibility to be late, which is one
of their most important values
 When meeting someone for the first time in Switzerland, a handshake

GREETINGS will do. You deliver the handshake while maintaining eye contact with
that person. Breaking eye contact is considered to be very rude.
However, if you’ve met someone more than one time, the greeting is
more informal. Now, you can kiss them lightly on the cheek three
times.
When talking to someone you’ve never met, you should approach
them with the family name, or use the formal pronoun (Sie). You’ll
continue this formal approach until they tell you otherwise.

When in the street or in the shops, you should greet everyone. This
applies to small towns and villages where everyone knows everybody.
Swiss people really appreciate this. They’ll make you feel welcome
for as long as you’re respectful to them. In which language they’ll
greet you depends on which canton you are. Usually, the most used
greetings are “Grüetzi,” “Salü,” “Hoi,” or “Ciao.” You can certainly try
to speak in English. Even if they don’t know much English, they sure
can return a simple greeting.
BUSINESS CARDS
There is no specific protocol surrounding the
exchange of business cards. It is recommended to
hand out your business card to every person you
meet with. Cards should mention academic title
and job title, the latter being more important than
the former. When designing a card, it would be best
to have your professional title printed in a different
font. It is also recommended to have one side of
your business card translated into regional
languages of Switzerland (German and French in
particular). English business cards are also
accepted widely.
 Appearance should always be clean
1 and neat. The Swiss are known for
conservative and neat attire.

2 Overly casual or sloppy attire is not

appreciated.

3 For business meetings, men should

wear suits and ties; women should
wear suits or dresses.
 MEETINGS
No one in Switzerland will meet you
without an appointment. They’re
crucial, especially in the business area.
If you’re planning on meeting a
particular person, you have to schedule
an appointment beforehand.

There are a number of topics you can choose from to make a

conversation with your Swiss colleagues. From world politics

and economics to swiss cuisine, to sports and positive

aspects of Switzerland. However, some are suggested to

avoid, such as Switzerland neutrality, military, and personal

questions.
 GIFTS
It’s not necessary to exchange gifts at the very first
meeting. If you really want to give your colleague a gift,
you should do that once the business negotiations are
over.