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Chile

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Submitted By dnll1978
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As, Business and Administrative Communication Ninth Edition, states culture provides patterns of acceptable behavior and beliefs (Locker & Kienzler, 2010, p. 140). When planning assignments in a foreign country, successful communicators need to be aware of the values, belief, verbal/nonverbal behavior, and sensitivity to the differences among individuals within a culture (Locker & Kienzler, 2010, p. 140). There are many topics that are to be considered when assigned to Chile beside the language barrier.

History of Chile

Chile is surrounded on three sides by virtually impassable mountains and remained largely unknown to the outside world until the middle of the fifteenth century, when the Incas began their great conquests of much of the continent (www.geographia.com, 2010). The Incas encountered the Mapuche, one of the three Araucanian peoples who occupied the Rio Maule in the Lake District. The Spanish landed in 1541 and in February, Pedro de Valdivia, founded Santiago. In 1817 Chile gained independence from Spain after seven years of war. General Augusto Pinochet Ugarte seized control of the government with help from the United States Central Intelligence Agency in 1973 and maintained control for the next decade and a half.

Population

Chile's population is composed predominantly of mestizos, who are descended from marriage between the Spanish colonizers and the indigenous people (www.geographia.com, 2010). The major ethnic groups in Chile are Mestizo (mixed Native American and European ancestry), which comprise 66 percent of the population; Europeans, which compromise 25 percent of the population and Native American who make up 7 percent. Literacy is very high in Chile, and the majority of the people are Roman Catholic (www.historycentral.com, N.D.). As of July 2002 the population was 15,498,930 with 65.5% of the population between 15 – 64 years (www.historycentral.com, N.D.).

Culture

Religion: (taken from http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/chile.html)

1. Most Chileans are Roman Catholics.

2. The religion has played a large role in defining social and political life.

3. Religious instruction in public schools is almost exclusively Roman Catholic.

4. Abortion is actually illegal due to the influence of the Church.

5. Divorce was illegal until 2004.

6. Most national holidays are religious in nature.

7. Chileans of more mature generations still celebrate their saint's day as much as they do their own birthday.

The Role of the Family (taken from http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/chile.html)

1. The family occupies a central role in Chilean life.

2. Extended families are very close and will frequently congregate for major occasions and celebrations.

3. Family and business are intertwined to the extent that nepotism is seen as a positive concept.

4. Many small firms will be 100% family run.

Class Structure (taken from http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/chile.html)

1. Chilean history has had a large influence on modern day class lines.

2. Generally speaking, class in drawn along financial lines.

3. Today's wealthiest class are more or less the same land owning families of before.

4. A middle class has developed of late and now accounts for nearly a half of the population.

5. Classes are fluid and it is possible to move either upwards or downwards depending on your salary.

Social Profiling (taken from http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/chile.html)

1. Due to class structures it is commonplace for people to try and deduce another's position in the social rank.

2. This is primarily done through external appearances, i.e. dress, etc.

3. As a result they present themselves in the best possible way.

Cost of Living

The cost of living in Chile affordable and on par with that of a medium-sized American city, like Houston, or an emerging Asian metropolis, like Bangkok, Thailand. The nation's consistent political and economic stability has landed it a position as one of the more expensive South American countries, but it still remains far cheaper than the continental industrial giants of Brazil and Venezuela (ExpatArrivals, 2010). Both the buying and renting prices in the nation are among the cheapest in Latin America, and a construction boom yielding sleek skyscrapers and an array of housing developments and there is plenty of opportunity to negotiate for incredibly cheap shared housing, either with a Chilean family or in a furnished space with others (ExpatArrivals, 2010). Utilities are not included in rent, and should be factored into the monthly budget. Water, gas and electricity are reasonably priced, but as Chilean accommodation can lack insulation, heating bills during winter can become costly (ExpatArrivals, 2010).

The cost of food in Chile registers as cheap on a global scale, but more expensive than in neighbouring South American nations like Peru and Argentina. Supermarket prices are slightly higher, and purchasing typically western, imported food items can be costly (ExpatArrivals, 2010).

Chile prides itself on its urban infrastructure and it follows that its systems of public transport are well-connected, and affordable to boot. The country's main modes of transit are buses (micros) and the metro (for expats in Santiago), and both are efficient, safe and economical (ExpatArrivals, 2010). Taxis are more expensive, and drivers are notorious for ripping off foreigners (ExpatArrivals, 2010).

Cost of living in Santiago Chart (Chilean pesos - CLP)

|Food and Drink |
|Milk |418 CLP |
|1 Pound Butter |675 CLP |
|400g Noodles |420 CLP |
|White bread |840 CLP |
|1 Kg Cheese |2560 CLP |
|1 Kg Tomatoes |420 CLP |
|1 Kg Avocados |2090 CLP |
|1 LStill mineral water |300 CLP |
|Espresso at a Restaurant |510 CLP |
|Draft Beer |1250 CLP |
|1 Kg Beef |2560 CLP |

(ExpatArrivals, 2010)

Money

The Chilean Peso is the currency in Chile (CL, CHL). The Chilean Peso is divided into 100 centavos (Ostermiller, 2012). The purchasing power of foreign currencies, like the USD, Euro and British Pound, is strong when compared to the Chilean Peso (CLP) (ExpatArrivals, 2010).

|CLP |
|USD |
| |
|coinmill.com |
| |
|500 |
|1.03 |
| |
|1000 |
|2.06 |
| |
|2000 |
|4.11 |
| |
|5000 |
|10.28 |
| |
|10,000 |
|20.56 |
| |
|20,000 |
|41.12 |
| |
|50,000 |
|102.79 |
| |
|100,000 |
|205.58 |
| |
|200,000 |
|411.17 |
| |
|500,000 |
|1027.92 |
| |
|1,000,000 |
|2055.83 |
| |
|2,000,000 |
|4111.66 |
| |
|5,000,000 |
|10,279.16 |
| |
|10,000,000 |
|20,558.32 |
| |
|20,000,000 |
|41,116.64 |
| |
|50,000,000 |
|102,791.59 |
| |
|100,000,000 |
|205,583.19 |
| |
|CLP rate |
|March 28, 2012 |
|USD |
|CLP |
| |
|coinmill.com |
| |
|0.50 |
|243 |
| |
|1.00 |
|486 |
| |
|2.00 |
|973 |
| |
|5.00 |
|2432 |
| |
|10.00 |
|4864 |
| |
|20.00 |
|9728 |
| |
|50.00 |
|24,321 |
| |
|100.00 |
|48,642 |
| |
|200.00 |
|97,284 |
| |
|500.00 |
|243,211 |
| |
|1000.00 |
|486,421 |
| |
|2000.00 |
|972,842 |
| |
|5000.00 |
|2,432,106 |
| |
|10,000.00 |
|4,864,211 |
| |
|20,000.00 |
|9,728,422 |
| |
|50,000.00 |
|24,321,055 |
| |
|100,000.00 |
|48,642,110 |
| |
|USD rate |
|March 28, 2012 |
| |

Business Policies

Chile is an incredible country that has a lot of opportunities for business. Its economy is stable, inflation is very low and it is now considered to be one of the best places to invest and do business in all of Latin America. With many free trade agreements having come into effect (USA, Europe, Asia), Chile is on the threshold of a very bright future (South America, 2012). The 'pitutos' or contacts are one of the most common ways of getting a job in Chile. If you don't know anyone, one of the best places to start looking for a job is with the Sunday edition of 'El Mercurio'. This newspaper is the main and most respected Newspaper in Chile and Sunday is the BIG edition. You need a contract to get the work visa, and companies normally won't give you a contract unless you have the work visa. This is not the case with large or international companies as they normally have their own lawyers to work out what is necessary and their legal obligations. The following are the general office hours in Chile:

Monday to Friday 8.30am - 6pm (some companies start at 9am)

Banks are only open to the public from 9am - 2pm.

Lunch breaks are normally 1 hour though can sometimes be up to 2 hours for top level workers. In Santiago and other big urban areas, it is not common to go home for lunch, nor to take a 'siesta'.

It is common practice for office workers to work past their finish time. Those that do, almost never get paid overtime and it is done to appear as though they are committed hard-workers in the eyes of their boss. Sometimes they don't have anything to do but they stay on anyway. In some cases it is even frowned upon if your leave your job at the right time (it is not considered as inefficiency as in some other countries).

(South America, 2012)

Works Cited

ExpatArrivals. (2010). Cost of Living in Chile. Retrieved from expatarrivals.com: http://www.expatarrivals.com/chile/cost-of-living-in-chile

Kwintessential. (n.d.). Chile - Language, Culture, Customs and Etiquette . Retrieved from www.kwintessential.co.uk: http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/chile.html

Locker, K. O., & Kienzler, D. S. (2010). Business and Administrative Communication, Ninth Edition. McGraw-Hill.

Ostermiller, S. (2012, March 2012). CoinMill.com - The Currency Converter. Retrieved from CoinMill.com - The Currency Converter: http://coinmill.com/CLP_USD.html#USD=1

South America. (2012, January 27). Doing Business in Chile. Retrieved from www.southamerica.cl: http://www.southamerica.cl/Chile/Business.htm

www.geographia.com. (2010). CHILE: History & Culture. Retrieved from www.geographia.com: http://www.geographia.com/chile/chilehistory.htm

www.historycentral.com. (N.D.). Chile Population. Retrieved from www.historycentral.com: http://www.historycentral.com/nationbynation/Chile/Population.html

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