Australian Business Structures

Australian organisations tend to be fairly non-hierarchical in their structure

A key Australian characteristic would be egalitarianism. It is very important that people do not give the impression that they think they are somebody special. It is much better to be seen as a ‘good bloke’ or a ‘good mate’ than somebody who is overtly proud of themselves and their achievements.

Coupled with this trend towards an egalitarian interpersonal approach is the influence exerted on Australian business thinking of US business modelling (some people would argue that this influence has been too slavishly followed whilst others argue the need for a more US-style entrepreneurial, risk-taking attitude amongst Australian business people.)

The combination of these two factors leads Australian organisations to be fairly non-hierarchical in their structure. Little attention is paid to titles and rankings within organisations, with status being ascribed through achievement rather than organisational position – you are only as good as your last decision or action!

Thus any international organisation looking to set up operations in the country would be well advised against introducing a mirror of the hierarchical structure they may employ in their country of origin – this could lead to annoyance on the part of Australian colleagues. Similarly, do not be too surprised if Australian business contacts seem wilfully disrespectful of hierarchy when working internationally – they are not being rude, merely acting in a consistent Australian manner.

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.