Switzerland's Social and Cultural Environment

Switzerland has 3 distinct cultures: German Swiss culture being the majority, French Swiss and Italian Swiss cultures being the minority. These cultures have preserved their language, traditions, and customs. Even though the Swiss people are very diverse they all have pride for their country.
Switzerland’s official languages are: German, French, Italian, and Romansch. Romansch is derived from Latin and is spoken by less than 1% of the population. There is no “Swiss” language.
The two major religious groups are: Roman Catholic and Protestant.
As in other countries your status in life is very important, but with the Swiss it is very looked down upon if you flaunt your status within the community. The Swiss are a very private people. They can be to some extent ethnocentric and be wary of outside influences. Excellence, precision, and promptness are important traits among the Swiss.
Even though Switzerland has laws on the books about the equality of women, they still lag behind a lot of countries. Couples in Switzerland seem to marry later than the average. On average Swiss men get married about the age of 31 and Swiss women about 28. The average age that a Swiss woman gives birth for the first time is 29. The reason for the increased age for marriage and children is that Swiss people consider furthering their education a very an important task to complete before starting a family.
As far as business relations, Switzerland is generally a low-context culture although the French Swiss and the Italian Swiss tend to be a higher-context culture than their German Swiss counterparts. The Swiss enter into business relationships cautiously. The Swiss respect a person that is dependable, reserved, and self-confident. In business dealings with the people of Switzerland, talking softly and clearly is the best way to establish credibility. Once the trust has been gained and the business relationship is established, Swiss loyalty will be the reward.