Switzerland - Culture Smart!

Author: Culture Smart!
Publisher: Kuperard
ISBN: 1787028615
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 200

Book Description
Don't just see the sights—get to know the people. Set aside your preconceptions of postcard scenery, chocolate and cheese, faceless bankers, and spotless cities. The real Switzerland is anything but bland. This small, multilingual, and fiercely independent country at the heart of Europe is full of surprises. Culture Smart! Switzerland reveals the human dimension of this enigmatic country. It provides an historical overview, explores Swiss values and attitudes, and looks at the cultural continuity of festivals and traditions. It will help you navigate your way through various aspects of Swiss life and society and reveal the warmth, decency, wit and intelligence that characterizes its inhabitants. Have a richer and more meaningful experience abroad through a better understanding of the local culture. Chapters on history, values, attitudes, and traditions will help you to better understand your hosts, while tips on etiquette and communicating will help you to navigate unfamiliar situations and avoid faux pas.

Switzerland - Culture Smart!

Author: Kendall Maycock
Publisher: Bravo Limited
ISBN: 1857338448
Category : Etiquette
Languages : en
Pages : 169

Book Description
There is far more to Switzerland than beautiful scenery, chocolate, watches, faceless bankers, and spotless cities. The real Switzerland is full of surprises and anything but bland. This small, rugged, landlocked country at the heart of Europe has been a confederation since the first three cantons came together in a defensive alliance in 1291. Four national languages are spoken within its borders. Its present twenty-six cantons are largely autonomous and retain their individual characters. In this grassroots democracy real power lies with the people, who exercise it directly through frequent referendums. "Swissness" is, above all, a spirit of independence and of communal involvement. Although it is a model of peace and multicultural cooperation, with one of the highest standards of living in Europe, Switzerland's prosperity has been hard-won. Historically neutral, it maintains a semi-detached relationship within the European Union. In 2014, a national referendum supported quotas on EU migrants. Despite the several hundred thousand EU nationals living and working within its borders, and almost half a million Swiss working in the EU, this small, resource-poor country appears determined to retain its independence. Culture Smart! Switzerland provides an historical perspective, explores Swiss values and attitudes, and looks at the cultural continuity of festivals and traditions. It helps you navigate the workplace, the neighborhood, and the social scene. It offers crucial insights into Swiss business culture, and more generally on differences in communication style. Swiss people are not always easy to get to know. Proud, industrious, fair-minded, and creative, they respect the individual, which means that while they appreciate clear thinking and direct talking, they avoid confrontation. They will never intrude, yet will willingly help out if asked. Make the effort, and people will respond. Warmth, decency, intelligence, and wit are among the many hidden riches of this fascinating society.

Switzerland - Culture Smart!

Author: Kendall Hunter
Publisher: Culture Smart! The Essential G
ISBN: 9781787028609
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 200

Book Description
Set aside your preconceptions of postcard scenery, chocolate, cheese, faceless bankers, and spotless cities. The real Switzerland is anything but bland. This small, multilingual, and fiercely independent country in the heart of Europe is full of surprises. Culture Smart! Switzerland reveals the human dimension of this enigmatic country. It provides an historical overview, explores Swiss values and attitudes, and looks at the cultural continuity of festivals and traditions.

Germany - Culture Smart!

Author: Culture Smart!
Publisher: Kuperard
ISBN: 1787028852
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 200

Book Description
Don't just see the sights—get to know the people. Germany powerhouse of Europe and pillar of the Eurozone feels reassuringly familiar. However, despite superficial appearances, this is a country that operates very differently from the USA and Britain. German history is more than a thousand years old and the relatively new German nation-state encompasses an astonishing variety of cultural and regional differences. German society is also in a state of flux, as people respond to immigration and a tough economic climate, and traditional attitudes such as formality and rigid protocol are softening as German business globalizes. Culture Smart! Germany sets out to show you how to be a good and sensitive guest. With chapters on core values and attitudes, and a practical business briefing, it is a valuable introduction to the German way of life. It tells you what treatment to expect, what pitfalls to avoid, and how to build rapport and credibility with this culturally rich and inventive people at the heart of Europe. Have a richer and more meaningful experience abroad through a better understanding of the local culture. Chapters on history, values, attitudes, and traditions will help you to better understand your hosts, while tips on etiquette and communicating will help you to navigate unfamiliar situations and avoid faux pas.

Slow Train to Switzerland

Author: Diccon Bewes
Publisher: Hachette UK
ISBN: 1857889762
Category : Travel
Languages : en
Pages : 243

Book Description
A travel diary from 1863 inspires author Diccon Bewes to retrace Thomas Cook's historic train trip that revolutionized tourism forever.

National Geographic Traveler: Switzerland

Author: Teresa Fisher
Publisher: National Geographic Books
ISBN: 142620860X
Category : Travel
Languages : en
Pages : 324

Book Description
From bustling Zurich to the Swiss capital of Bern, from the Matterhorn in Zermatt to the Italian-speaking canton of Ticino in the south, National Geographic Traveler: Switzerland guides you to the better- and lesser-known sights of this pristine European country. In between, you'll discover the cultural and natural treasures--including hundreds of museums, architectural masterpieces, parks, and lakes--Switzerland has to offer. Among the special features of National Geographic Traveler: Switzerland are sidebars detailing experiences throughout the country, to make sure that you get to know the culture, and the people, inside and out. You can learn about Swiss watchmaking in Biel, for example, make your own Swiss chocolate at a culinary workshop, and find the best local designers' clothing in Zurich. Insider tips, in addition, provided by an array of National Geographic experts--photographers, writers, and grantees who have spent significant time in Switzerland--direct you to favorite restaurants, festivals, and other information that only locals know. Guided walks and drives are always a popular feature in our guides, and in National Geographic Traveler: Switzerland, these include a drive across the famous Great St. Bernard Pass, a hike through Appenzellerland and the Lake Constance region, and a walk from Sugiez to M tier through the countryside during grape harvest. To top it off, an extensive Travelwise section at the back of the guide provides hand-picked hotels and restaurants, tour recommendations, and a glossary that covers must-know words.

Swiss Watching

Author: Diccon Bewes
Publisher: Hachette UK
ISBN: 1857889916
Category : Travel
Languages : en
Pages : 337

Book Description
A Financial Times Book of the Year and international bestseller.

A Concise History of Switzerland

Author: Clive H. Church
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1107244196
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 325

Book Description
Despite its position at the heart of Europe and its quintessentially European nature, Switzerland's history is often overlooked within the English-speaking world. This comprehensive and engaging history of Switzerland traces the historical and cultural development of this fascinating but neglected European country from the end of the Dark Ages up to the present. The authors focus on the initial Confederacy of the Middle Ages; the religious divisions which threatened it after 1500 and its surprising survival amongst Europe's monarchies; the turmoil following the French Revolution and conquest, which continued until the Federal Constitution of 1848; the testing of the Swiss nation through the late nineteenth century and then two World Wars and the Depression of the 1930s; and the unparalleled economic and social growth and political success of the post-war era. The book concludes with a discussion of the contemporary challenges, often shared with neighbours, that shape the country today.

Costa Rica - Culture Smart!

Author: Jane Koutnik
Publisher: Bravo Limited
ISBN: 1857336666
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 141

Book Description
Costa Rica is renowned for its tropical beauty, the warmth and charm of the "Ticos"—its people's own name for themselves—and its political stability. This "Switzerland of the Americas" is widely regarded as an oasis of democracy in turbulent Central America. Since the first edition of Culture Smart! Costa Rica was published in 2005, however, there have been some important changes and, with rapid economic development, some growing pains. Over the past few years there has been a movement of population to the towns of the Central Valley. Higher education is now the norm for young Ticos, and the middle class has expanded—but so has the gap between rich and poor. Tourism took a dive after the 2009 recession, and the national debt has grown, while the arrival of multinationals and significant Chinese investment has been welcomed. Unemployment has risen, people are prepared to go on strike more readily, and there is a general disillusionment with politicians. In the face of mounting difficulties the Ticos remain remarkably peaceable, relaxed, and fun-loving. Their enthusiasm for life is seen as much in their passion for soccer as in their demonstrations in support of human and political rights. Culture Smart! Costa Rica explores and explains the complex human realities of modern Costa Rican life. Armed with this information, you will be better equipped to understand your hosts and to enjoy your visit to this beguiling and beautiful country to the full.

Swiss Made

Author: R. James Breiding
Publisher: Profile Books
ISBN: 1847658091
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 751

Book Description
Why has Switzerland - a tiny, land-locked country with few natural advantages - become so successful for so long at so many things? In banking, pharmaceuticals, machinery, even textiles, Swiss companies rank alongside the biggest and most powerful global competitors. How did they get there? How do they continue to refresh themselves? Does the Swiss 'Sonderfall' (special case) provide lessons others can learn and benefit from? Can the Swiss continue to perform in a hyper-competitive global economy? Swiss Made offers answers to these and many other questions about the country as it describes the origins, structures and characteristics of the most important Swiss companies. The authors suggest success is due to a large degree to sound entrepreneurial thinking and an openness to new ideas. And they venture a surprising forecast on the country's ability to keep pace in an age of globalisation.