Swiss culture

When I was preparing my „swiss-culture“ mini-session for the world-cafe at xps I found a very interesting book called "When culture collide - managing successfully across cultures" written by the british linguist Richard D. Lewis. In one part of his book he describes different cultures. About Switzerland he writes among other things the following stuff:

“In terms of cultural collisions, Switzerland is a prime candidate for polarisation among its inhabitants, since its citizens speak four languages belonging to four diverse cultural groups, which, during the course of history, have not displayed any particular affection for each other.”

“Switzerland is the most mountainous country in Europe, with the result that most of its people live in deep and often isolated valleys. They are suspicious of persons who live in other valleys…"

“Some may argue that there is no such thing as a Swiss - one writer described them as a collection of sedated Germans, over-fussy French and starched Italians, all square like their national flag.”

“Time is not seen as money, in the American sense, but as an important tool in organising your daily life and society. Swiss don´t rush you, but they don´t waste time either. Their accurate sense of timing enables them to predict and forecast events better than most nationalities."

“The Swiss are good at making you feel that you get what you pay for. If you try to bargain with them too hard, they stiffen as if you have made a shady proposal. They are straightforward negotiators who honestly try hard to see matters from an opponent´s point of view. One cannot call them inconsiderate – they are quick to make helpful suggestions when it does not hit their pocket.”

“The Swiss are rather heavy drinkers (ninth in the world) and inveterate smokers (sixth). They also are third in drug offences, although this figure may be artificially high due to the efficiency of the national police administration.”

“You don´t have to be exciting to make a Swiss like you; they are looking for solidity and reliability in the people they deal with. You should show that you are in good control of your emotions, private life and financial arrangements.”

Swiss Values
Polite, clean, tidy, punctual, cautious, worrying, over-serious, dull, hardworking, proper, law-abiding, god-fearing, honest, frugal, saving, environmentally sensitive, family oriented, disciplined, pragmatic, perfectionist, obsessed by security, neutral, keen on training and preparation, suspicious of all foreigners and anxious to control