When you move to a new country you notice pretty quickly that things are different, but it can take a long time to figure out why. My idea in writing this book was to 'host a dinner party' for people who have made their home in Switzerland and want to meet people and hear stories which would help them understand the local culture and people. What combination of people would I invite to dinner to pass on their impressions and insights on different subjects? This is the answer I came up with: Swiss and foreign guests, that is, intercultural couples (foreigners with Swiss partners), employees of large international companies as well as small local ones, human resource managers, communication specialists, parents, educators and psychologists. To narrow down the range of topics to be discussed, foreigners have mostly been chosen from a variety of westernised English-speaking countries related by history:1 The USA, Canada, Britain, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. Most guests live in the German-speaking part of the country, but there are several comments and stories from the French and Italian speaking parts too. You will also spot a few German guests with an interesting perspective. Some guests appear under their own name and others are slightly disguised at their own request, so that they can comment more freely. Many do not make an official appearance at all, but their views greatly influenced the direction of the discussion. My thanks go to them all for their willingness to share their experiences, insights and wisdom. A very special guest is Ariane Curdy,2 a Swiss-French intercultural specialist based in Geneva, who grew up in Basel and worked for an international humanitarian organisation in Geneva for 14 years. Her insights are interspersed throughout the book. This book invites you to join in a fairly serious discussion with people who like to talk about getting on with others, who think about why people behave the way they do, and who want to get past thinking about culture in terms of who is right and who is wrong. Cultures are systematic and there is a reason for everything you encounter. Hearing the accounts of others may give you a starting point to help you understand your own experiences of Switzerland and put them into perspective. The most important topics are repeated in different chapters, discussed from different angles, so that you can dip in to the subjects which you find most relevant, and leave the rest without missing out on the key issues. As at any other party, you don't just believe everything you hear. People have to generalise in order to be able to express their opinions. You will form your own opinions about what you have heard, and adjust those opinions as you experience the variations in culture for yourself. No one, Swiss or foreign, who has read the draft of this book agrees with it all. Hopefully some readers will be prompted to continue the discussion and write their own books. You may catch a hint of pain, which can later turn to amusement, as people describe bumping into 'coconut shells' or 'peach kernels'. Having your value system challenged by the assumptions and values of others is at the heart of intercultural experiences all over the world, and adjustment can involve discomfort in the beginning. It is my hope that the experiences and insights shared will help you make the adjustment more smoothly, and that you will find a comfortable place on your own personal interface between cultures. Enjoy the party!

Go beyond Swiss chocolate, beyond the initial fun and adventure of a new country and a new career to immerse yourself in the cultural attitudes of Switzerland’s fascinating, multifaceted society. These thought-provoking insights are based on extensive interviews with Swiss and international people who know well the ups and downs of life in Switzerland. These observations enable newcomers to better understand the perspectives of their Swiss neighbours, friends and international business colleagues. Margaret Oertig-Davidson conducts seminars at international Swiss companies and universities as an expert on relations between Swiss and English-speaking cultures. This engaging study exposes different attitudes and potential misunderstandings about friendship, neighbourliness, being professional, giving and getting compliments and criticism, parenting, schooling, being polite, entertaining, negotiating, decision making, business etiquette, team work, leadership, making plans, and much much more.

English, Illustrated softcover edition, 240 pages, 15 x 21 cm