Russia’s history is long and complex, and doing business there can be equally challenging.
An important aspect of doing business in Russia is a good understanding of your role and standing while doing business there. What your role is, and how it relates to the person or group you are talking to will dictate how you should interact with them.
Moscow, retrieved from http://travelrussiatours.com/old/moscow-russian-capital-and-tourist-attraction-center/
Russia has a power distance score of 93 (Hofstede, 2015), which is very high. In fact, at 93 it is more than 33 points higher than the global average of 59.31 and approximately one and half standard deviations higher (Pennsylvania State University, 2015). This high power distance culture has roots in the founding of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in 1922 when Communist Party members took control. “This led to a situation in which a few people at the peak of the pyramid made almost every significant decision.” (Moran, Abramson, & Moran, 2014)
This means that Russians accept a powerful elite that have status symbols. If the group you are meeting with work for you, or you are a high-ranking individual in the company, then they will accept a top-down direction without the need of a lot of explanation.
However, if you aren’t running the show your demeanor and conversations should be different. With a score of 36 on Hofstede’s masculinity scale, Russian culture is on the feminine side. As such, greeting and talking with peers or strangers should be done in a modest and unpretentious way. Remembering that non-elite live in a humble fashion it would be a poor decision to boast or show off. “Dominant behaviour might be accepted when it comes from the boss, but is not appreciated among peers.” (Hofstede, 2015)
Regardless of your status, there are meeting etiquettes that you can adhere to in order to ensure success. Russians expect some formality with greetings, and are not impressed with flashy presentations. Nothing replaces a strong knowledge of your area, and this will build up credibility more than visuals. If you are unsure of your relationship to the people you are meeting with, there are clues you can look for when meeting with them. “A good indication of how serious a meeting is taken is how punctual they are.” (Kwintessential, 2014)
Although the Russian culture can be challenging to break into from an outsider’s perspective, it’s not impossible to navigate. Knowing the customs and your relationship to those you are meeting with is a good first start to a winning partnership.
Bibliography
Hofstede, G. (2015). What about Russia? Retrieved December 5th, 2015, from The Hofstede Centre: http://geert-hofstede.com/russia.html
Kwintessential. (2014). Doing Business in Russia. Retrieved December 5th, 2015, from Kwintessential: http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/etiquette/doing-business-russia.html
Moran, R. T., Abramson, N. R., & Moran, S. V. (2014). Managing Cultural Differences. New York: Routledge.
Pennsylvania State University. (2015). Lesson 09: Central America and Mexic. Retrieved December 5, 2015, from OLEAD410: Leadership in a Global Context: https://courses.worldcampus.psu.edu/fa15/olead410/001/content/09_lesson/03_page.html
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