Poelzl V. Culture Shock! Portugal: A Survival Guide to Customs and Etiquette
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CultureShock! Portugal
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In addition to business lunches, there are several other ways
for business partners or clients to socialise and talk business
informally. Such an occasion could be a breakfast meeting
at a hotel, or meeting for a coffee or cocktail at a bar in the
afternoon, or even a dinner at a restaurant, although dinners
are generally considered part of family life. Remember that
the primary purpose is to establish contacts and to keep in
touch, not to close business deals. If agreements are made
during such a conversation, it is customary to work out the
details at a proper business meeting at a later time.
Punctuality
‘Amanhã é outro dia.’
(‘Tomorrow is another day.’)
—Portuguese saying
The Portuguese are much more relaxed about timeliness
than northern Europeans or North Americans. The Anglo-
American attitude of ‘Time is money’ is not valid here, and it
is common for the Portuguese to arrive 15 to 30 minutes late
for appointments and meetings. The public sector especially
is very relaxed about punctuality, and opening hours should
not be taken too seriously. Nonetheless, as a foreigner, your
professionalism refl ects on the reputation and credibility of
your company, and it is best to arrive on time.
WOMEN IN BUSINESS
Women in Portugal are only just beginning to climb the
corporate ladder, and only on rare occasions will you fi nd
a woman in a higher position. Many Portuguese men still
see women as belonging in the home, and women may
not always receive the same respect as men in the business
world. When dealing with a Portuguese woman in a business
setting, make sure you extend all the courtesy that a lady
expects in Portugal. Open the door for her, help her take off
and put on her coat, and help her with the chair when sitting
down. On the other hand, as a foreign woman doing business
in Portugal, it is best to accept the courtesies extended to
you by Portuguese men. You may not share the Portuguese
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233
penchant for chivalric traditions and may fi nd the attention
from men a little patronising, but it is best to accept these
situations as ‘cultural experiences’ and not react with
consternation, especially in business situations.
DRESSING FOR BUSINESS AND WORK
How to dress for business depends on the type of business
and the occasion. The Portuguese business environment is
status-conscious and traditional. The better dressed you are
for business, the more seriously you will be taken. In case
of doubt, it is better to overdress, as to shed no doubt on
your professionalism and credibility. Women dress elegantly
although discreetly. They should avoid bright colours,
provocative clothing (such as tight-fi tting dresses or mini
skirts) as well as jeans, high heels and strong perfumes.
Women use light make-up and do not wear excessive
jewellery to work. Men usually wear a suit and tie, and in less
formal work environments, they can get away with slacks
and a jacket or just a shirt.
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‘Heróis do mar, nobre Povo,
Nação Valente, imortal
Levantai hoje de novo
O explendor de Portugal!’
(‘Heroes of the sea, noble People,
Valient nation, immortal
Elevate today once again
The splendor of Portugal’)
—from the Portuguese national anthem, music by Alfredo
Keil; lyrics by Henrique Lopes de Mendonça.
FAST FACTS
ABOUT PORTUGAL
CHAPTER 10
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Fast Facts about Portugal
235
Offi cial Name
Portuguese Republic
Capital
Lisbon
Flag
A vertical green band on the left covering two-fi fths of the fl ag
and a vertical red band on the right covering the remaining
three-fi fths, with Portugal’s coat of arms on the diving line.
Time
Portugal, unlike all other continental European countries, uses
the Greenwich Mean Time. This means that Portugal is one
hour earlier than central Europe, and fi ve hours later than the
east coast of the US. Portugal switches to daylight saving time
from late March through late October. Madeira is in the same
time zone as continental Portugal, but the Azores Islands are
one hour behind Greenwich Mean Time, which means that
it is one hour earlier than the rest of Portugal.
Telephone Country Code
351
Population
10.7 million (2009)
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Land
Located in south-western Europe, with Spain to its east and
the North Atlantic Ocean to its west.
Area
92,391 sq km (35,672.4 sq miles)
Highest Point
Ponto do Pico (2,351 m / 7,713.3 ft) on the Azores Islands
Climate
Maritime temperate climate with warmer and drier
weather in the south and cool and rainy weather in
the north.
Natural Resources
Arable land, clay, copper, cork forests, fi sh, gold, gypsum,
hydropower, iron ore, marble, salt, silver, tin, tungsten,
uranium, zinc
Ethnic Groups
Mediterranean. Those of African descent number about
123,000.
Religion
More than 90 per cent Roman Catholic
Offi cial Languages
Portuguese and Mirandese. The latter is spoken in a few
villages in the remote northeast, along the Spanish border.
Government Structure
Parliamentary democracy
Adminstrative Divisions
18 districts: Aveiro, Beja, Braga, Braganca, Castelo Branco,
Coimbra, Evora, Faro, Guarda, Leiria, Lisboa, Portalegre, Porto,
Santarem, Setubal, Viana do Castelo, Vila Real, Viseu
2 autonomous regions: Açores ( Azores) and Madeira
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Currency
Euro (€)
Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
US$ 223.3 billion (2007, at market exchange rate)
Agricultural Products
Grain, grapes, olives and potatoes
Other Products
Beef, cattle, dairy products, goats, poultry and sheep
Industries
Aerospace equipment, ceramics, chemicals, communication
equipment, cork, electronics, fi sh canning, footwear, metals
and metalworking, oil refi ning, rail transport equipment,
rubber and plastic products, ship construction and
refurbishment, textiles, tourism, wine and wood pulp
Exports
Chemicals, clothing, cork and paper products, footwear, hides
and machinery
Imports
Agricultural products, chemicals, machinery and transport
equipment, petroleum and textiles
Airports
The main international airports are in Lisbon and Faro
( Algarve coast).
FAMOUS PEOPLE
Luis Figo
One of Portugal’s best football players of all time. He was
named the FIFA World Player of the Year in 2001.
Cristiano Ronaldo
Portugal’s new rising football star. He was named FIFA World
Player of the Year in 2008.
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Teresa Salgueiro
The enigmatic voice of Portugal’s internationally best-known
music ensemble, Madredeus.
Mário Soares
Former prime minister and president; a veteran socialist
politician and icon for the left in Portugal.
Manoel de Oliveira
Portugal’s best-known director and legendary fi lm maker.
Luis Miguel Cintra
One of Portugal’s best-known actors.
Agustina Bessa-Luís
One of Portugal’s best-known female writers.
António Guterres
Former prime minister (1995–2001), and United Nations
High Commissioner for Refugees since 2005.
Joaquim de Almeida
Among the best contemporary Portuguese actors.
Leonor Silveira
Among Portugal’s best-known actresses, she participated in
many fi lms by Manoel de Oliveira.
José Manuel Barroso
Former prime minister (2002–2004), and since 2004 the
president of the European Commission, a governing body
of the European Union.
Mariza
Portugal’s new rising star, Mariza is a popular and
internationally known fado singer.
Amália Rodrigues (1920–1999)
Portugal’s most famous fado singer. Her name became
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synonymous with fado music, and she became a
kind of cultural ambassador for Portugal during the
Salazar dictatorship.
José Saramago
A famous writer and Portugal’s fi rst winner of the Nobel Prize
for Literature (in 1998).
ACRONYMS
CTT (Correios de Portugal)
The Portuguese Postal Service.
CP (Comboios de Portugal)
The Portuguese Railway system.
RNAP (Rede Nacional de Áreas Protegidas)
The National Network of Protected Areas, is a network of 25
nature preserves.
PT (Portugal Telecom Comunicações)
Portugal’s largest telecommunications company.
SA (sociedade anônima)
A common acronym following the name of a company. This
is equivalent to the English term LLC or Ltd.
SEF (Serviço de estrangeiros e fronteiras)
The Service of Foreigners and Borders, responsible for
immigration and residency permits for foreigners.
SIDA (Síndrome de imunodefi ciência adquirida)
The Portuguese acronym for AIDS.
RTP (Rádio e Televisão Portuguesa)
The two government TV channels.
RDP (Rádio Difusão Portuguesa)
The government broadcasting system.
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TAP (Transportes Aéreos Portugueses)
Portugal’s national airline, which is still partly owned by
the government.
GNR (Guarda Nacional Republicana)
The National Republican Guard, responsible for maintaining
order and security outside city limits.
UE (União Europeia)
The European Union.
IRS (imposto sobre as rendas de pessoas
singulares)
The individual income tax.
PLACES OF INTEREST
Jerónimos Monastery and the Tower of Belém
in Lisbon
Two magnifi cent buildings from the Age of Discovery.
Alfama
One of Lisbon’s traditional neighbourhoods and once the
centre of fado music.
Centro Cultural de Belém
A modern cultural centre and magnet for artistic activities
in Lisbon.
Parque das Nações
With concert venues, outdoor art, restaurants, exhibits and
an aquarium, this park is a popular weekend destination for
Lisbon residents.
Abbey at the Convent of Christ in Tomar
An important showcase of 15th and 16th century
Portuguese architecture.
Palace Convent at Mafra
A large 18th century baroque palace near Lisbon.
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Silves, with its Moorish fortress, is among the
Algarve’s most interesting historic towns.
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