Relationship matters: Business Entertainment in the land of Tango

Bonding plays a significant role in Argentina´ s relationship oriented culture; and business culture reflects the importance of the socializing in corporate settings.

In comparison to European countries and English-speaking North America, workdays are longer (office hours are usually Monday to Friday from 9.00am to 7.00pm/ 8.00pm), while workplace productivity is lower. One of the main reasons for this is the amount of time devoted to establishing and nurturing relationships. In large cities such as Buenos Aires, executives tend to spend considerable time and energy at extending their social networks by attending long work lunches or dinners, business meetings or the so called “after office” events, which take place after work hours in trendy bars. This is a very adaptive behavior in a society where a personal circle of powerful contacts, usually helps speed up bureaucratic transactions and facilitates access to certain benefits leading to business success.

Establishing relationships is also related to the need to get to know the people involved in a project and gaining trust before getting down to business. Newcomers arriving in Argentina should be prepared to allow time to build relationships with prospective partners and colleagues, rather than sticking to tight schedules and strict rules.

Typical social events to attend with business colleagues are business meals (eg. teams designate one day/ week to go out for lunch with colleagues), joint sport activities (usually soccer, but also golf in upper management level), birthdays, farewell parties, end of the year celebrations and achievements of common goals.

Since it is customary to work long hours, business dinners in restaurants can take place at as late as 9.00pm or 10.00pm.
On average, Argentines eat 68 kg of meat every year. Since vegetarianism is not commonplace, it is worthwhile mentioning meals preferences to the counterpart before making restaurant reservations.
When receiving international visitors, Argentine business people are usually very welcoming and hospitable. It is common to take newcomers to a tango show or to trendy restaurants. In upper management level, it is also usual to take foreign visitors to spend the day on the countryside in an “estancia” (cattle ranch).

Picture source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/levt/2119219568