Colombia

Cultural Investigation: Colombia

Geography

Colombia is located in the northwestern region of South America. It is bordered by Brazil, Ecuador, Panama, Peru and Venezuela and its coastline provides access to both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Colombia has an area of 1,138,914 km² and is home to almost 49 million people, making it the third most populous country in Latin America. The capital is Bogotá. Other significant cities include Medellín, Cali, Barranquilla, and Cartagena.

Language

The official language is Spanish. Although, there are 68 ethnic languages and dialects still in use today.

Religion

The dominant religion is Christian Catholicism. A breakdown of religion and denominations is presented below:

Roman Catholic 79%, Protestant 14% (includes Pentecostal 6%, mainline Protestant 2%, other 6%), other 2%, unspecified 5% (2014 est.)

Cultural Values, Traits & Worldview

Colombia is a highly collectivist culture and very group oriented. They have a strong value on the family unit. It is the central building block of Colombian society. Visiting with relatives and family get togethers are a regularly occurring part of everyday life. Compared to other countries, Colombians spend less time tending to their social life and more time with their family. Holding to their societies collectivist ideals, you’ll typically see elderly parents living with their children and even widowed spouses taken in to live with their families.

Religion plays a major role in the life of many Colombians. The influence can be seen in their everyday language. For example, some religious-infused phrases may include: “si dios quiere” (God willing), “dios te bendiga” (God bless you), or “gracias a dios.” (Thank God)

Colombians are very proud of their culture. They would rather not focus on the negative aspects of society or politics when speaking with foreigners. Try not to ask about politics, drugs, or terrorism. Instead, ask about Colombian history, food, music, dance, sports, or popular destinations. The response will be passionate and excited about these aspects of Colombian culture.

Regarding time, Colombians generally arrive late for appointments. To be 30 minutes late is acceptable and common. However, it is becoming less acceptable in certain scenarios such as doctor’s appointments. Overall, in a social or business setting, Colombians embrace fluid time, are relaxed and flexible.

Sports

Soccer is a very popular sport in Colombia. Colombian fans are known for their devotion, passion and support. It’s very normal for the country to go soccer crazy when their national team is playing a match. One reason why the sport has such support and following is because many of the Colombian soccer players don’t come from the big cities. Rather, they come come small rural villages and towns. The sport is accessible to everyone and played by all ages. It is very common to see fútbol played everywhere: parks, fields, and backyards. Soccer serves as a social event which brings about unity and a sense of national pride. Some notable soccer legends to come from Colombia are Carlos Valderrama, Tino Asprilla and Rene Higuita.

Another popular sport is cycling. Starting in the 1970s, Colombia regularly closes 120 kilometers of roads for cyclists and pedestrians. These road networks, ciclovias, are comprised of some of the steepest climbs in the world, producing some of the greatest world cycling competitors. Colombian Victor Hugo Pena is one such cyclist who rode on Lance Armstrong’s team. Nario Quintana finished second in the Tour de France.

Tejo is considered the national sport of Colombia. Similar to horseshoes, a participant throws a metal object, called a tejo, at a designated target comprised of several mechas. These mechas are folded triangles with gunpowder on the inside; They explode when hit with the tejo. It is normal to head a loud cheers when a mechas is hit.

Business Culture

In the Harvard Business Review interview with Mansour Javidan, Mansour pointed out that global managers have a natural tendency to follow the same style and behave the same way as they would in their native country. However, there are different expectations and styles in others countries and cultures. Using the same style an individual is familiar with may cause negative consequences. In order to build a successful business relationship, it is important to learn about the culture of the country you are visiting.

Colombian businesses value personal relationships and trust. They want to know you more personally before doing business with you. Be sure to accept social invitations and spend time getting to know your business partners. This will pay off in the long run.

It is preferred to do business in person, face to face. Eye contact, smiling and being respectful are important qualities. Additionally, when meeting for the first time expect to have small talk at the beginning and end of the conversation. Try not to leave early, this may be considered rude. Additionally, in order to build a strong and trusting relationship, it is recommended to let your counterpart bring up and initiate the subject of business first, not you.

It may be wise to avoid scheduling certain business meetings on Mondays as major holidays tend to fall on this day. These three day weekends are called puentes.

Colombians pay attention to appearance. Dress conservatively, nicely and be well groomed. A conservative European dress code is accepted and the norm. Casual dress may be accepted in small cities with more tropical climates.

Communication Styles

Colombians are very expressive, welcoming, warm and may display a closer talking distance compared to other cultures. Greetings are generally elaborate and include expressive gestures and excited speech. It is common in an initial meeting to greet with handshakes and big smiles first; Some women may grip your forearm instead of your hand. Hugs and cheek to cheek kisses are usually reserved for friends and relatives. Once a relationship is established, some check to cheek kisses may be considered acceptable. It is normal to occur between two men or two women.

Attempting to communicate in Spanish will be met with much appreciation and praise. When in doubt, bring a translator. Additionally, understanding hierarchies and titles can be important when addressing certain people. To be respectful you may use certain formal titles such as Señor, Señora, Profesor, Licenciado, or Doctor/a.

It is considered impolite and aggressive to point. Instead, gesture with your whole hand or gesture towards something by pursing your lips. It is also considered impolite to yawn in public. If you do yawn, be sure to cover your mouth. As mentioned before, Colombians have a closer personal space compared to other cultures, backing away may be considered rude.

Colombia is considered a high-context culture. This means there is less need for explicit and direct communication because information is generally gathered through implicit or nonverbal cues while interacting within interpersonal relationships.

Leadership Styles

Colombian business managers are increasingly having to deal with uncertain environments and balancing ambiguity. Managers are often geared towards uncertainty avoidance and the business climate tends to be risk averse. Several social and political factors have led to an increase in uncertainty across Colombia: Illegal drug trade, guerrilla armies, violent crime, shifting economic development models and institutional transformations. Despite all these factors, Colombia’s economy has become one of the fasted growing in all of Latin America (an average of 4.5%).

The business culture tolerates and accepts ambiguity which can lead to flexibility, creativity, open-mindedness and reflex capacity. However, this style can also open up the door for poor last minute planning and lax fixed rules.

Regarding management approaches, positive feedback can be given in public; This is positively viewed and enhances an employee’s status. If a manager wants to provide honest feedback on performance issues, it is best to do so in a private meeting to protect the reputation of the employee. In general, decisions follow a hierarchy, passed from the top of the company and down to the managers to implement with the subordinates.

Time and deadlines are viewed less strictly compared to other countries and cultures. As a manager, if you have a high priority deadline, it is best to follow up with several reminders to ensure projects are on time.

A study by Ogliastri and Davila (1987) described leadership practiced by the Colombian ruling class as closed and elitist.

A study by Hofstede (1980) showed that Colombians are highly oriented towards collectivist values, elitists, desire to avoid uncertainty, and tend to favor masculine values.

Hofstede studies indicate that Colombian business values tend to be masculine on the spectrum, valuing opportunities for career advancement, challenging work, opportunities for higher earnings and recognition for good performance. Some feminine values included a good working relationship with the boss, cooperative atmosphere in the office, job security and attractive work spaces.

Movement toward gender equality in the workplace is evidenced by the growing numbers of women in executive posts, especially the financial sector. In the 1970s, executive training programs enrolled 5% women. In the 1990s, the enrollment for women shot up to 35%. Today, the gender divide is closing even further.

Globalization

Colombian economy is ranked the 5th largest in all of Latin America. Trade plays a vital role in Colombia’s economy. In fact, the country places 45th in exports worldwide. Over the years, Colombia’s economic development model has shifted from domestic industry to exporting goods and services such as coal and oil.

Colombia has faced several challenging factors which have hindered their globalization goals: an escalation of violence, drug-trafficking groups, and political and economic instability.

In 2010, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Colombia published recommendations for achieving effective foreign policy. Some recommendations were: Make an effort to improve relations with neighboring countries, transition from a bilateral to a multilateral policy with the United States, expand relations with the United States, design a comprehensive policy on human rights, foster foreign trade (e.g. strengthen trade and investment ties with Asia), add a strategic goal for the preservation of a sustainable environment, and expand Colombian agricultural production (e.g. tap into fossil fuel resources - promote biofuel production, tap into water power - producing electricity, expand farming - only 1/4 of arable land is being farmed).

References:

6 Colombian Sports You Need to Know About. (2020, February 11). Retrieved August 25, 2020, from https://www.colombiaimmersion.com/top-6-colombian-sports/

Cobley, P. (2018). Definitions of Culture: In the International Encyclopedia of intercultural Communication. Medford, MA: Wiley Blackwell.

Colombia. (2018, April 13). Retrieved August 25, 2020, from https://www.iorworld.com/resources/colombia/

Cross Cultural Management Guide - Colombia. (n.d.). Retrieved August 25, 2020, from https://www.commisceo-global.com/resources/management-guides/colombia-management-guide

Javidan, M. (2017). Managing Yourself: Making It Overseas. Retrieved August 04 2020, from https://hbr.org/2010/04/managing-yourself-making-it-overseas

Nationsonline.org, K. (n.d.). Colombia. Retrieved August 25, 2020, from https://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/colombia.htm

Ogliastri, E. (1998). Culture and Organizational Leadership in Colombia. Retrived August 25, 2020, from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/252212235_Culture_and_organizational_leadership_in_Colombia

Publicador. (2020, February 15). 10 soccer players who are legends: Marca país Colombia. Retrieved August 25, 2020, from https://www.colombia.co/en/colombia-country/famous-people-from-colombia/athletes/10-soccer-players-legends-history-colombia/

Reina, M., Zuluaga, S. (n.d.). The Impact of Globalization on Latin America: The Case of Colombia. Retrieved August 25, 2020, from https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/e5f0/237665e9be3fb75f4f447a72af24a753dc5b.pdf

The World Factbook: Colombia. (2018, February 01). Retrieved August 25, 2020, from https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/co.html