New Zealand

New Zealand Business Etiquette

1. GEOGRAPHY New Zealand  is an  island nation  in the southwestern  Pacific Ocean. The country geographically comprises two main landmasses—that of the  North Island and the  South Island and numerous  smaller islands. New Zealand is in Oceania, in the South Pacific Ocean New Zealand has 15,134 km of coastline and extensive marine resources. The country claims the fifth-largest Exclusive Economic Zone in the world, covering over four million square kilometres , more than 15 times its land area.It has no land borders. The South Island is the largest land mass and contains about one quarter of the population. The island is divided along its length by the Southern Alps The North Island is less mountainous than the South, and is marked by volcanism .

2. CLIMATE The climate is mostly cool temperate to warm temperate. Mean temperatures range from 8 °C (46 °F) in the South Island to 16 °C (61 °F) in the North Island. January and February are the warmest months, July the coldest .

3. LANGUAGE There are several languages of New Zealand. English (New Zealand English) is the dominant language spoken by most New Zealanders . The pre-European inhabitants of the main islands of New Zealand all spoke Māori. A number of outlying islands and territories of New Zealand have their own native languages: Cook Islands Māori is the official language of the Cook Islands. Niuean is an official language of Niue (along with English). Tokelauan is an official language of Tokelau (along with English). Moriori language was the language of the Chatham Islands. Penrhyn language

4. SOCIAL CULTURAL The culture of New Zealand is largely inherited from British, Oceanian and European customs, interwoven with Maori and Polynesian tradition. Initially Māori only, then bicultural with colonial and rural values, now New Zealand has a cosmopolitan, multicultural culture that reflects its changing demographics, is conscious of the natural environment, and is an educated, developed Western society.

5. In New Zealand, Christianity is the dominant religion with just under half (48 percent) of the population at the 2013 New Zealand Census declaring an affiliation to . Around six percent of the population affiliate with non-Christian religions, with Hinduism being the largest at over two percent, while 42 percent of New Zealanders are irreligious. RELIGION

6. Etiquette and Customs Maori meeting and greeting Gift Giving Etiquette Dining Etiquette Maori Dining Etiquette

7. Maori meeting and greeting If the business dealings are with a tribal group ( Iwi ) the welcoming protocols may be practiced through the process of Powhiri – a formal welcome that takes place on a Marae . A Powhiri can take between 30 minutes to 2-3 hours depending on the importance of the event . A Powhiri dictates where people sit, in what position in their group, and who speaks .

8. Speeches are given in the Maori language and each one accompanied by traditional song. You may not understand what is being said but you can rest assured it is likely to be from the best orators in the group and often very complimentary . The visitors are expected to have at least one speaker reply on their behalf . Once the last elder of the home people has spoken, they will gesture the visitors to come forward in a line to shake hands, kiss (once) on the cheek or hongi (touch noses) with the home people . Following this the kitchen is ready to call people in to eat . Following the food, the meeting proper can begin .

9. Gift Giving Etiquette If invited to a Kiwi's house, bring a small gift such as flowers, chocolates, or a book about your home country to the hosts . Gifts should not be lavish . Gifts are opened when received.

10. Dining Etiquette New Zealanders are casual as is reflected in their table manners. The more formal the occasion, the more strict the protocol. Wait to be told where to sit. Meals are often served family-style. Keep your elbows off the table and your hands above the table when eating. Table manners are Continental -- hold the fork in the left hand and the knife in the right while eating. Indicate you have finished eating by laying your knife and fork parallel on your plate with the handles facing to the right .

11. Maori Dining Etiquette Following a Powhiri , the visitors will be asked to the dining room (a separate building to the carved meeting house) to sit to eat at long tressle tables. . They should not eat until the food has been ‘blessed’ or an acknowledgement said by an elder of the home people even if the food is getting cold. . Visitors should try to enable the home people to sit amongst them to chat and get to know them while eating. . Often, younger people will be serving and older people will be working in the kitchen. . It is important to realise that in most cases they are working voluntarily and it is appropriate to formally and publicly thank them near the close of the meal before leaving the dining room to begin the meeting. As a result of this, the visitors may be light-heartedly asked to sing. To sing a song from your home country would show respect and thanks.

12. Business Etiquette & Protocol Relationships & Communication Business Meeting Etiquette Negotiations

13. Relationships & Communication New Zealanders can be somewhat reserved, especially with people they do not know . Once they develop a personal relationship, they are friendly, outgoing and social . Do not appear too forward or overly friendly. They respect people who are honest, direct, and demonstrate a sense of humour . They trust people until they are given a reason not to . If this happens in business the breach will be difficult to repair and business dealings may cease or become more difficult.

14. Business Meeting Etiquette Appointments are usually necessary and should be made at least one week in advance by telephone, fax or email . It can be difficult to schedule meetings in December and January since these are the prime months for summer vacation Meetings are generally relaxed; however, they are serious events . If you make a presentation, avoid hype, exaggerated claims, hyperbole, and bells and whistles. New Zealanders are interested in what people 'can do' not what they say they can do. Present your business case with facts and figures. Emotions and feelings are not important in the New Zealand business climate. Maintain eye contact and a few feet of personal space .

15. Negotiations The negotiating process takes time . Demonstrate the benefits of your services or products rather than talking about them. Start your negotiations with a realistic figure. Since this is not a bargaining culture, New Zealanders do not expect to haggle over price. Kiwis look for value for their money. Do not make promises you cannot keep or offer unrealistic proposals. Kiwis do not generally trust people who have to oversell! They are quite direct and expect the same in return. They appreciate brevity and are not impressed by more detail than is required . Stick to the point while speaking. Kiwis appreciate honesty and directness in business dealings.

16. CURRENCY The New Zealand dollar (sign: $; code: NZD) is the currency of the Realm of New Zealand It is normally written with the dollar sign $, or NZ$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies. Since New Zealand is commonly associated with the indigenous bird and the $1 coin depicts a kiwi . It is one of the 10 most-traded currencies in the world, being approximately 2.0% of global foreign exchange market daily turnover in 2013 .

17. FESTIVALS New Zealand celebrates over 57 different festivals which include ART, MUSIC AND FILM festivals . To name a few: Kiwiburn Grey Lynn Te Matatini Wellington Arts Festival New Zealand International Film Festivals

18. whakawhetai koe ! Presentation By : MAHALAKSHMI BBA – 1 st Year. HSB

19. QUESTIONS

20. Which ocean is the New Z ealand located in?

21. Which is the most coldest month in New Zealand?

22. Which is the most dominant tribe group of New Z ealand?

23. What are New Zealanders informally called as?