Business Entertaining in Australia

There is no great tradition for business entertaining in Australia and it certainly shouldn’t be viewed as the quick way to cement relationships with a new client or contact.

In fact, you are more likely to be asked out for lunch or dinner once a firm relationship has been established – in this way the meal can in no way be seen to have influenced a business decision.

People will very often ‘go Dutch’ over a meal – this means that the bill is split equally amongst those present at the meal. If you wish to pay, make sure you make this clear before the meal to avoid any embarrassing debates when the bill is presented.

If invited to a pub or bar for a drink, it is very important to make sure you ‘pay your shout’ – that means that everybody is expected to pay for a round of drinks. It is unadvisable to develop a reputation as someone who does not pay for his or her fair share of the drinks!

Tipping is not always necessary but is usually expected at the better restaurants. (If in doubt ask your Australian counterpart what the etiquette is.) Tips are usually for about 10% of the total bill.

Author

This country-specific business culture profile was written by Keith Warburton who is the founder of the cultural awareness training consultancy Global Business Culture. 

Global Business culture is a leading training provider in the fields of cross-cultural communication and global virtual team working.  We provide training to global corporations in live classroom-based formats, through webinars and also through our cultural awareness digital learning hub, Global Business Compass.

This World Business Culture profile is designed as an introduction to business culture in Australia only and a more detailed understanding needs a more in-depth exploration which we can provide through our training and consultancy services.