Meeting styles

Authors: Liana Thijssen, Ralph van Es, Serapio Grovell, Josanne van der Leij Date: 05-04-2012 Table of contents

1 Country introduction 2 Meetings Styles 3 Patterns of information sharing 4 Display of emotions 5 The role of authority 6 Reasoning styles 7 Interview summary

Bibliography Colofon

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1. Introduction

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1.1 Background The Slovak Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe with ports on the Danube River at and a place called Komarno. (Culture of Slovakia 2012) The republic covers an area of 18,928 square miles and is bounded by the and in the west, Poland in the north , in the east and in the south. The topography of Slovakia features rugged mountains in the central and northern part of the country, and lowlands in the south. The High Tatras (Tatry) mountains along the Polish border are interspersed between many lakes and deep valleys. The highest peak in the country, Gerlachovsy, is found in the High Tatras with an elevation of 2,655 m (8,711 feet). Bratislava is situated in Slovakia's only substantial region of plains, where the Danube River forms part of the border with Hungary.

1.2 Demography By the end of 2010 the Slovak Republic had a population of 5,435 273, which is 55,818 more than at the time of the last census of population, houses and dwellings in 2003. The majority of the population are , who made up 85.7 per cent of the population in 2003. Hungarians are the largest cultural minority at 10.7 per cent and are concentrated in the southern lowlands near the Hungarian border. Other minority groups includes the Roma with 1.7 per cent, Czechs with 1.4 per cent, Russians with 0.3 per cent, Ukrainians with 0.3 per cent, and finally the Germans and with 0.1 per cent of the population. Almost 60 per cent of the population live in 138 towns and cities, while the rest live in 2,883 municipalities. It is also known that more than one per cent of the entire population of Slovakia is now living in Britain and other European countries .

1.3 Languages In Slovakia the official language is Slovak with approximately 5 million speakers but there is a significant proportion who speak Hungarian, German and Czech. (Culture of Slovakia 2012) The belongs to the western Slavic group and is written in the Roman alphabet. There are only slight differences between Slovak and Czech, and the two are mutually intelligible. Hungarian is the main minority language taught in Slovakia. The minority is the largest minority language group in Slovakia; it comprises nearly 10 per cent of the population.

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The Slovak language is not easy to learn but if you try they are willingly to help you. Please try because this is a subject you can use and practise anytime.

1.4 Religions The majority of the population is Roman Catholic. Protestant churches comprise the remainder with Reformed, Lutheran, Methodist and Baptist denominations. (Wikipedia, 2012) There is also a Jewish minority and, in the east of the country, a Greek Orthodox minority.

1.5 Doing Business with Slovaks Slovakia’s’ independency began in 1993 via a split from the Czech republic, an event sometimes called the Velvet Divorce.(Culture of Slovakia 2012) Since the establishment of the nation, Slovakia continues to master the transformation from a centrally planned to a modern market-oriented private economy. Having been under communist rule for most of the late 20th century, Slovaks are forward thinking and eager to develop the country’s foreign business and internal economy. When doing business in Slovakia you need to understand the country’s social and economic history and the way business is done as well as an interest in developing long term relationships with the Slovak people.

Next chapters In the next chapters you will find more into depth details of doing business in Slovakia. This will help you understand the Slovak point of view and thereby doing business in Slovakia.

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Slovakia 2. Meeting styles

Meetings in Slovakia are seen as an opportunity to get the job done. Slovakian will appreciate and express their gratitude for efficiently run meetings.

2.1 How to prepare for a meeting Appointments should be arranged in advance and participants of the meeting should be on time, as punctuality is valued very much in the Slovakian business culture. Slovakians takes time very seriously. (Warnstram, 2007) Being on time shows that you´re serious, polite and most of all, respectful. Arriving late for a meeting means that you do not respect the other person. For the Slovakian people a delay of 5-10 minutes is acceptable as long as you apologize and can explain the reason why you are late. Always try to avoid making appointments in the months of July and August. Many businesses are closed during these month for an extended period. The dress code at the office depends on what kind of work you do and your position in the company. Managers and executives are expected to wear business suits. Woman should wear a two piece suit with skirt or dresses. Schedules for business meetings in Slovakia are not very tight regulated. Agendas are usually served as a guideline for the discussion and acts as a link to other related business topics.

2.2. How to open the talks The usual greeting at meetings is a firm and confident handshake with direct eye contact. ( Cultural information-Slovakia 2009 ) Men should wait for a woman to extend her hand first before shaking it. Other physical contact is not normal among Slovakians in the business setting. When talking to another person, Slovaks maintain a shoulder length distance. A little small talk may be necessary at the beginning of the meeting, along with a customary glass of plum brandy and then everyone will be expected to introduce themselves and their company and give the purpose of their visit. When doing business in Slovakia meetings are generally chaired by the most senior person who sets the agenda, the content, and the tempo. This will be strictly adhered to, as will any action points agreed at the meeting.

2.3. During the meeting Slovakian distinguishes between the informal ‘’ ty ’’ and the formal ‘’ vy ‘’ although both words mean “ you “. Traditionally the use of the informal form was limited for relatives, very close friends, children and among colleagues. The younger generation is changing and nowadays interaction is usually less formal when the conversation is in English. Honorific titles and surnames are normally used when people are introduced. Close

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Slovakia friends may refer to each other using the honorific names. Always wait to be invited before using someone’s first name. In Slovakia a senior person, with little consultation of others, usually makes decisions. Listening and accepting views and opinion that come from lower ranks is still fairly uncommon. Slovaks are not used to speak in front of large audiences. It is also not common to encourage discussions in the Slovakian educational system. During a business meeting or presentation it is not allowed to ask questions by persons who don’t know each other. Business cards are exchanged without formal ritual. (Warnstram , 2007) This can be at the beginning or the end of a meeting. Your business card may include any advanced university degree and you must have one side of your card translated into the Slovak language.

2.4. At the end of a meeting You don’t have to expect that after having one meeting you will be able to close a perfect deal. This is simply because the Slovaks need some more time to digest the whole process and normally have to discuss with their managers about the deal and information. This is also the reason why they can’t say ‘’no’’ ,but float around the answer. There are a couple of ways to speed up the process. For example, Make sure that you are meeting with the right person who could make decisions about the specific subject. Try to create a tight relationship with your business associates to make them care more about you and the deal. By coming to Slovakia in person they will automatically respect you more.

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Slovakia 3. Patterns of information sharing

Some old habits of information sharing never die.

Generation changes Looking at the Republic of Slovakia you could say that this country went through a very big change after the Communism left their country. Another big event in the is certainly the separation from the Czech Republic in 1993. After the Republic of Slovakia had become an independent state it admitted into the European Union and NATO in the year 2004. (Wikipedia, 2012) During the Communist era, many Slovakian companies did not really had a clear view of information sharing. Managers only shared information on a need- to- know basis. However with the younger generation this is changing. They are well educated and also very enthusiastic and want to be part of a team. There is still a big gap between the leading styles of the older generation and the younger Slovaks. Modern businesses are beginning to close this gap by bringing in new management styles and methods in order to remain competitive. These businesses are willing to have a more open communication with the younger generation by giving them more responsibilities, more attractive salaries and in some cases even more involvement in decision making. Younger Slovaks are increasingly oriented towards the West, and many have the opportunity to travel. Now that the Republic of Slovakia is part of the European Union, the Slovakian people can travel easily to other European countries. In addition, many European countries hire Slovak students straight from their university and shape them up in their business culture. The young Slovak knows that he or she can benefit from sharing information with their Western employers and contribute to a better way of doing business.

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Slovakia 4. Display of emotions

Every country, culture or maybe even subculture could have another way to show emotions. That difference depends on the values of a country and also the way a person is raised. This chapter will show if there is a preferred way to deal with emotions at business occasions, how the Slovakians handle conflicts and what is considered appropriate and inappropriate at disagreements.

4.1. Preferred way of dealing with emotions Dealing with emotions is not the same for every person, but also between cultures it can collide. We can divide two cultures in general, affectionate and neutral cultures.(Trompenaars, Fons&Hampden, 1997) Those two can get in trouble when they do not take into account, that the sharing of emotions can be different between for example an very passionate Italian and a holding back Russian. The opposing values can create situations where the business partners make judgements towards each other. Slovakia is the example of a neutral society, where it takes some time for the Slovaks to show their emotions and also feel comfortable about it. (Aperian Global, 2010) For other cultures it might feel like they have no emotions and it automatically creates a distant situation. But when you finally get in, the Slovaks will open up like a flower step by step. When you never get to see that side, don’t be offended. Some Slovaks will never open up completely towards foreigners or business partners until you become a very close friend or a family member. Knowing the above you might understand that humour is also reserved for only social occasions and not so much for the business meetings.(Lewis,1997 ) This is a different story when the participants know each other better.

The style of Slovaks in meetings is often seen as held back and sober. They only show flashes of emotions or not at all. They think it is fake and deceitful to show to much emotion. It is more or less the same when they have a discussion or try to convince some one, they give arguments and try to persuade but eventually also settle for less than everything.

4.2. How are conflicts resolved? Conflicts are normally not discussed at bigger meetings or get together, because Slovakia is a very proud culture and the residents find it embarrassing to receive criticism in front of others(especially business partners).(Warnstram , 2007) These issues should

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be dealt with in private surroundings and towards ``strangers`` they might not want to deal with that until there is no other way.

4.3. A way to show disagreement until… As mentioned before, the Slovaks are not particularly used to disagreement or criticism in public or in front of big groups.(Aperian Global, 2010) Within the same range you will notice that they don`t say exactly the thing of what they mean. You won`t find ``no`` in their dictionary, because they feel it is rude to decline something immediately instead of taking the time to digest the message. A ``maybe`` or ``we will see`` is more common. Having that said it is very important that you pay great attention to their body language.

Relationships tend to be the key to easy communicating, because Slovaks are hold back at first en that is with showing emotions in positive en negative ways. Negotiations and business meetings will get a lot easier when you have known the business partner for a longer time. Even disagreements can be solved on a personal level when you have created that special relationship.

5. The role of authority

Slovak Business culture In the next paragraphs we will point out the do’s and the don’ts on doing business in Slovakia. There is still a strong top down management tradition and an introvert way of doing business by the employees. Generally an authoritarian approach doesn’t work well

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Slovakia in Slovakia. The people feel much more comfortable with a process if they feel that they have the opportunity to participate on all stages actively. They don’t like it when the manager is making a final decision without asking their opinion. Distance between subordinates and managers is maintained and expected. (Warnstram, 2007) Equal partnership and consensus is not emphasised or necessary. Decision- making is restricted to senior managers and can be quite a lengthy process. The most senior person generally conducts a meeting in Slovakia; he also sets the agenda for the meeting. The summaries and notes that have been made during the meeting are mineralised to encourage misunderstandings between business partners. The structure within the business environment of Slovakia is very hierarchical although westernisation influencing is increasing in Slovak business culture. In a top-down management structure, employees are not accustomed expressing their ideas and opinions openly and to speak to a higher grade like a manager or a boss, they does not like to be criticized publicly. Employees rather receive instructions from the higher grade then they would rather ask their superiors. The people of Slovakia in general feel free to give their own opinion in western companies, especially if somebody asks them to. When nobody invites them to speak they will usually remain silent. The lower level employees will often hesitate to speak in the presence of someone of higher rank, however, this often depends on the corporate culture. In traditional organizations Slovak people don’t feel free to give their opinion to managers in meetings. Slovak women remain significantly behind men in terms of equal pay, representation in senior positions, for example, management, and political power. Slovak men still retain a privileged position nowadays at home, social and in the business world. However the role of the Slovakian women is slightly changing, they are increasingly seen in most professions now. The dress code largely depends on your position and where you work. Managers and executives are expected to wear business suits while lower ranking employees can wear slightly more casual clothing. Generally, women still prefer dresses or two-piece suits with skirts and blouses as formal wear. As a rule, it is always better to be overdressed than dressed down.

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6. Reasoning styles

How do Slovak people think In this section will be described how people from Slovakia think and gives you an impression about the mind-set of a Slovak.(Hofstede, 1994) The Slovak people can solve problems very hard because they are difficult to approach for errors and problems. If you have a good relationship with colleagues it will simplify this process. Conflicts and problems should therefore be expressed privately and you don’t confront each other publicly with problematic issues. Slovak people are having a strong sense of pride and certainly do not want to be publicly criticized. In Slovakia there

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Slovakia is still a strong hierarchy, which makes it difficult for people to speak to a person of a higher rank. The Slovak believe in facts and generally have a good intelligence. They have much knowledge in comparison with students from other countries of Europe. It is customary to continue studying while their work. For example there are managers from other countries who want Slovak employees participate in a meeting to brainstorm for ideas such as new products, because they are good at actively participating in decision making and work- related discussions. Slovak love to speak intelligently and likes al philosophical discussion to shown their intellect to other participants. You can convince Slovak people best with facts and good arguments, it is important that you can substantiate your arguments and can prove it with data, they only trust facts. The Slovak thinking is often difficult, this has to do with the arguments of the facts. They also want to show that they are highly educated and intelligent. They don’t hesitate to anticipate in a difficult discussions, deep philosophizing conversations make also part of it.

7. Appendix 1 : Short interview summary

The field research is made possible by Survey monkey, where several Slovakian respondents answered questions about their behaviour in meetings. The highlights of four of these questions from that interview are placed below.

The preparation starts of course a little earlier then the meeting itself. For example by choosing the right outfit. The dress code of Slovakians at work largely depends on your position and where you are going to work. The upper male management and their managers are expected to wear business suits and tie while lower ranking workers can wear more casual clothing.

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Most female employees prefer to wear a dress or a two piece suit with skirt and blouse as formal wear. In any case, it is better to be overdress than underdress. In informal meetings, the style of dress depends on everyone´s own preference and usually is more casual. Some companies request a business dress code while others do not. It is recommended to look at how fellow workers dress and then dressing accordingly.

And what about the habits of de Slovakians at the beginning of a meeting? called little chat before a meeting. The following answer is that it is common to discuss about the minutes of the last meeting.

In some countries it is customary to gather during a good meal and a glass of wine. In Slovakia, this is not the case here, they start a meeting without a meal but with a little talk with the participants of the meeting.

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Is it common for lower-ranking or junior employees to interrupt/ take part in the discussion? The answer that was given by most of the respondents is very social towards the young professionals and the opinion at the interviews is true within most companies. But let’s not forget the line between young and older professionals that is not shown in the interview database. According to the desk research young professionals should have respect for managers or staff above them and that could also mean that they are not allowed to talk at all in a meeting. This could mean that when a company still follows the traditional style of meeting an young professional has nothing to so say, and certainly does not have to try to interrupt.

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Decisions As we take a deep dive into the question of where decisions are based on, the interview- results pointed out that decisions made by a higher level of manage- ment is made based on facts and figures. They will not make a decision without doing research and having the right information to make decisions business wise. So when you’re doing business in Slovakia and you know all the facts you will become more successful and you will earn a lot of respect.

Appendix 2: Local meeting terminology

English Slovaks

Yes Áno No Nie Thank you Ďakujem Please Prosím Excuse me Prepáčte

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Sorry Prepáč / prepáčte You are welcome Prosím Not at all Niet za čo Stop! Zastavte! Help Pomoc I need help Potrebujem pomoc Welcome Vitaj. Vitajte Of course Samozrejme OK Dobre Never mind To nevadí, nič sa nestalo Cheers Na zdravie Bless you Na zdravie My pleasure. Rado sa stalo. Not at all. Nič sa nestalo. Here you are Nech sa páči After you Nech sa páči How much Koľko How much does it cost? Koľko to stojí? Employers Zamestnávatelia I am not English. Ja nie som angličan / anličanka. What's your name? Ako sa voláš? Business culture Obchodná kultúra Friend priateľ (m)/ priateľka (f) This is my friend. Toto je môj priateľ / priateľka Mr. Pán Mrs. Pani Miss Slečna Sit down. Sadnite

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Bibliography

Books A. Lewis, R. (1999). When cultures collide: leading across cultures, third edition. From: Books24x7 database B. Trompenaars, Fons & Hampden(1997). Riding the waves of culture: Understanding cultural diversity in business, second edition. From: Books24X7 database C. Hofstede, G. (1994). Culture and organizations D. Warnstam, M. (M.A. Intercultural Communication) (2007). CIA World Factbook.

Websites Wikipedia. ( 2012, april 1) Slovakia. From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovakia (retrieved on March 27, 2012)

Doing Business in Slovakia – Business Etiquette. Verkregen op 21 From: www.kwintessential.co.uk/etiquette/doing-busines-slovakia.html (retreived on March 21, 2012)

Slovakia – Culture 2009, Etiquette, Customs and Protocol From: www.kwintessential.co.uk/etiquette/doing-busines-slovakia.html (retrieved on March 21, 2012)

Cultural Information – Slovakia /Centre for Intercultural Learning 2012 From: www.intercultures.ca/cil-cai/ci-ic-eng.asp?iso=sk (retreived on March 21, 2012)

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Baylis, Thomas A. " Elite Change after Communism: Eastern , the Czech Republic, and Slovakia." East European Politics and Societies 12 (2): 265–299,1998. ( Culture of Slovakia )

Bugaski, J. Ethnic Politics in Eastern Europe: A Guide to Nationality Policies, 1995. ( Culture of Slovakia )

El Mallakh, Dorothea H. The Slovak Autonomy Movement, 1935–1939: A Study in Unrelenting Nationalism , 1979. ( Culture of Slovakia )

Erdmann, Yvonne. " The Development of Social Benefits and Social Policy in Poland, Hungary and the Slovak Republic since the System Transformation." East European Quarterly 32 (3): 301–314, 1998. ( Culture of Slovakia )

Fish, M. Steven. " The Determinants of Economic Reform in the Post- Communist World." East European Politics and Societies 12 (1): 31–78, 1998. ( Culture of Slovakia )

Jelinek, Yeshayahu, The Parish Republic: Hlinka's Slovak People's Party, 1939–1945,1976. ( Culture of Slovakia )

Slovakia From: http://www.everyculture.com/Sa-Th/Slovakia.html(retrieved on May 13, 2012)

Other sources Article As mentioned by Schroevers, S. the HvA

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focuses on Slovakia training, Slovakia selling, Doing business in Slovakia, Negotiations in Slovakia, Establishing relationships in Slovakia(2010)

Colofon

NUR: 812

First edition 2012 Authors: Josanne van der Leij, Serapio Grovell, Liana Thijssen en Ralph van Es. Series editor: Sander Schroevers Editorial team: Darjalha Bourgui, Roxan van Graas, Liana Thijssen Inner design: Lay-out team minor CCBS, Jaguar Print, Cover design: Farhana Faroque Cover graphic: Public domain images Picture credits: Future Publishing Limited Copyright © the Hogeschool van Amsterdam, 2012 Text copyright © the respective authors, 2012

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