queenschamber.org THIS IS QUEENSBOROUGH DOING BUSINESS IN COSTA RICA: BRIDGING THE CULTURAL DIVIDE WITH OUR FRIENDS IN CENTRAL AMERICA By Joshua Bienstock 4 Costa Rica is one of the most beautiful and hospitable places in the world. It has a population of approximately 5 million citizens and its official language is Spanish. Approximately 94% of its residents are of European or Mestizo ethnicity and less than 1% of Costa Ricans are of indigenous ancestry. Its population has a life expectancy of approximately 78 years, which is one of the higher life expectancies in the world. In 1821, Costa Rica declared its independence from Spain. The Costa Rican government is democratic, with Presidential elections held every 4 years. This very peaceful society has no standing army. It features rugged rainforests, volcanoes and spectacular coastlines with serene beaches on both the Atlantic and Pacific coastlines. Costa Rica hosts more than 5% of the world’s biodiversity, though its land mass takes up only .03% of the earth’s surface. Its jungles are abundant with exotic wildlife such as spider monkeys and tropical birds. Popular tourist destinations include Arenal Volcano, Manuel Antonio National Park, Corcovado National Park, Tortuguero National Park and Monteverdi Cloud Forest home of the resplendent Quetzal. Its capital, San Jose, is known worldwide for its cultural institutions such as the Pre-Columbian Gold Museum. Since the global economic crisis of 2007-2009, Costa Rica has maintained a stable economic growth of approximately 4% per year. Its key agricultural exports include bananas, coffee, sugar, and beef. Recently, Costa Rica has expanded its exports to include a variety of industrial and specialized agricultural products, although tourism continues to be the country’s economic backbone, as Costa Rica's impressive diversity makes it a key destination for ecotourism. Costa Ricans place considerable reliance on relationship building and harmony, so it is important to avoid hardselling pressure tactics and any sort of conflict or confrontation. They are a high- context society, which means that they prefer to communicate in an indirect and nuanced fashion. Business decision making is grouporiented and depends upon consensus, which inevitably lengthens the amount of time it takes to make a business deal. Business attire for both men and women is conservative; dark stylish business suits and a conservative tie for men is the norm. For women, dark colored conservative suits or a dress is acceptable. Clothing should not be too revealing. Consider the following tips on more effectively negotiating with our Costa Rican business partners: Introductions and Greetings • Arriving on time for a meeting is important, as Costa Ricans tend be quite punctual in business situations. • There is usually some form of small talk before getting down to business. It is best to allow your host to begin the business discussion. • Handshakes and maintaining eye contact are important when greeting one another. Getting Down to Business • Expect a fair amount of small talk at the initial meeting; there will be no business trans-action until there has been relationship-building. • Ticos (the term that Costa Ricans use to refer to themselves) see everyone as deserving respect and dignity. • If one is not fluent in Spanish, it is best to bring an interpreter. • Negotiations are conducted in a collaborative team approach; do not be too direct or con-frontational. Being mindful of the cultural norms of Costa Rica and embracing their very methodical and teamwork style, will yield good results. Upcoming articles will focus on how to effectively negotiate around the world. Next month we will explore “Doing Business in “Australia.” Future articles will focus on Egypt, Russia, Kenya, Switzerland, Columbia and other critical international business partners. There will also be a future article advising our international business partners on the cultural nuances of doing business in the United States. Joshua E. Bienstock is the Director of the Dispute Resolution Institute of New York (“DRINY”), a not for profit educational institute dedicated to promoting conflict resolution at the workplace. He also serves as an Assistant Professor of Business Law at New York Institute of Technology’s School of Management. He has also served as a guest Lecturer at Cornell and CUNY as well at several Chinese Universities, Business Organizations, NGOs and Law Firms on the subject of Negotiations and Conflict Resolution. Contact Information: Joshua E. Bienstock, Esq. 917-854-6403 [email protected] Joshua Bienstock SAVE TH E DATE! Wednesday, May 17, 2017 at Cit i Field Special Sponsorship P ackages Available Email us [email protected]
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