Professional Interactions

I am currently studying at Bocconi University in Milan, Italy. There are so many reasons as to why I would recommend this university when studying abroad. It feels like it is the perfect fit for my passions and schedule, and it accommodates my desire to travel while I am learning.

I am majoring in marketing and pursuing a minor in fashion and retail studies as well. I am taking 4 classes that include: Global Sustainability Strategy, Marketing Communications, Business Strategy, and Management of Fashion Companies. These classes have all been very unique and relevant to my interests. 

I especially like my fashion class because it offers a unique perspective of how Italian Luxury brands manage their businesses from an authentic Italian perspective. We also have been working on a group project in which we are doing a deep dive into an Italian fashion brand. My group chose the company Diesel, and I am responsible for identifying their retail and communication strategies. To do this, I got the opportunity to go to a Diesel store near the center of Milan to make some observations and take notes. In doing this project and observing Diesel through a magnifying glass, I have learned a lot about business etiquette.

(This is a picture I took inside of a Diesel store when I was making observations for my fashion project!)

In addition to observations that I have made during my group project, many of my classes have had guest speakers where I have also learned a lot about business etiquette. Overall, it is my observation that the people who run businesses here in Italy are extremely artistic, passionate, and serious about what they do. One way in which people demonstrate the passion behind business is the way that they dress. In Italy, and Milan in particular, what you wear says a lot about you. In America, you can get away with wearing just about anything, and even in professional environments, there is flexibility. In Milan, people are always dressed to impress, and it shows how much people care about the way in which they are represented. 

Another observation I have made about the business etiquette here is how Italians treat lunch breaks or any sort of break for that matter. I always see and hear in America about how people eat their lunch while continuing to work. Whether it be because they are behind on a project, or they simply want to get done earlier, it is not uncommon to see Americans eating while they work. However, in Milan, whether it be in a legitimate work environment, meeting with a group for a project, or even during class, people take the time to eat their lunch and enjoy an espresso break uninterrupted by work. It is proper business etiquette to take a generous amount of time to eat and not be rushed, whereas in America, there is seemingly a lot more “hustle and bustle”. 

Lastly, I have noticed the way in which Italians speak to each other in a business setting is much more direct and more blunt. They tell it to you straight, and it can even sometimes appear as if they are being rude. In America, I always notice people trying to sugarcoat things or address someone as non-provocatively as possible, but here, whether it’s a negotiation or simply making a marketing decision in a group project, I find people being a lot more direct in their opinions and saying what they think without the extra small talk. 

An example of this etiquette was when I was meeting with a group one time about a project, and there were a few students who were from Milan in the group. I recommended a dance group that I knew of as an option for entertainment at an event we were planning, and one of my group members simply said, “No, that is a bad idea”. Initially, I felt a little bit offended because I thought it was a really good idea, and I am not used to that sort of blunt reaction. As we met as a group more and more though, I later realized he simply did not personally feel like it was a good fit for the event, and he probably saw no reason to say it any other way than how he felt. In a way, I feel like it’s a much clearer and more effective way to communicate with people for a lot of circumstances. They remove the emotionally charged feelings from the conversation and make decisions simply based on the logistics of the situation. 

These business etiquette practices that I have noticed while studying here are definitely different from those I see and use in America. I am interested to see if I continue any of these habits when I return home.