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Melissa Campbell Raquel Austin Tiana Mutter- Veitch Monique Wiggers Russian Business Practices and Sixth Sense

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Russian Culture Extremely rich, diverse culture consisting of 160 ethnic groups speaking over 100 languages Largest country in the world which gives way to intense variation amongst geography as well as people History filled with political obstacles, bloody wars, and a rocky economy

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Russian Culture Contd Culture preserved through literature, art, architecture, and cuisine Experiencing wave of new culture from the west as they move farther from Soviet times Theatre is considered very important, multiple venues in each city Majority Christian, although not altogether a religious nation Highly educated, most individuals know a little bit about everything

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Russian Values Proud, tough nation who are not afraid to tell it like it is Collectivist state with a large emphasis on family as well as friends No such term as Private Property Used to situations where everything is unpredictable and unstable

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Russia vs. the West Going to extremes vs. Everything in moderation Open-heartedness vs. Privacy Generosity vs. Practicality Critical towards ones country vs. Patriotism Being vs. Acting Leisure vs. Work Complaining about problems vs. Being OK

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Things To Avoid When doing business in Russia: Dont be offended if your Russian counterpart is very late (this can often be a tactic to test how serious you are about dealing with them). Dont try to impress by using flashy presentations, get to the point and show your knowledge and professionalism.

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Things To Avoid Cont Dont cave in too early during a negotiation. Russians believe concessions are a sign of weakness Dont refuse an offer to go out for dinner as business decisions are increasingly being discussed during meals Dont refuse alcohol unless you have a legitimate excuse such as health or religion

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Things To Avoid Cont Dont miss out on smaller or one-on-one meetings. Russians often make key decisions with those they have built a personal relationship with and only use formal meetings to ratify decisions that have been made elsewhere Dont use humour in a formal meeting as they are seen to be quite serious Dont be impatient during a meeting. Russians tend to think and wait before responding verbally or visually.

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Things To Avoid Cont Don't waste time dealing with middle managers for decisions. Most Russian companies are managed by one central character, so you should go straight to the top if possible. Dont only put out information in writing as Russians will often believe what they hear over what they read. This also makes face to face conversations very important.

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In Russia, remember to... Make appointments far in advance Be punctual to meetings but be prepared to wait for host Punctuality shows respect and interest. Being late is considered a test of patience and interest Shake hands firmly and make direct eye contact When shaking hands with women, shake less firmly

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In Russia, remember to.. Take a personal approach Personal contact such as an embrace Engage in small talk about persons family Show emotion Take a small gift Print materials in English and Russian Bring business cards Sign a contract to finalize the deal

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In Russia, remember to... Show respect for seniority Pay attention to titles and credentials Be flexible and democratic in work ethic Be patient in doing business negotiations, it can move slow Dress in a formal and conservative manner Highly polished shoes Men wear business suits Women wear business suits in subtle colors with knee length skirts

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Sixth Sense Object of the Game: Create powerful non-verbal communication Create teamwork among employees Seeks to instil player compatibility Overall goal is to guess the number of chips that your partner is going to throw and match them

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How to play 2 players sit across from each other Decide upon using odd or even numbers Start by giving 6 tokens to each player Once the game begins no verbal or non verbal communication will be allowed Each player guesses what the other player will throw and matches that After two rounds, two more tokens are given

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Scoring If players match the number of tokens thrown then add to two numbers together i.e. 2+2=4 If players do not match the number of tokens thrown then add the two numbers together and subtract double the highest number i.e. 4+6=10-(6*2)12= -2

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Sixth Sense and Management Skills Dominant players or leadership skills expressed How to read players (co-workers) Which tactics prove successful? Which tactics proved unsuccessful? Develop strategies to determine what number of tokens should be thrown when

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References Ardichvili, A, et al. Organizational Culture and Socio-cultural Values: Perceptions of Managers and Employees in Five Economies in Transition. Performance Improvement Quarterly. Hoboken: 2004. Vol. 17, Is. 2; pg. 5, 23 pgsPerformance Improvement Quarterly2004 Bat Batjargal. The Difference Between Chinese and Russian Entrepreneurs. Harvard Business Review. Boston: Oct 2008. Vol. 86, Is. 10; pg. 32Harvard Business ReviewOct 2008 Gorrill, J. R. (2007). Doing Business in Russia. Retrieved May 27, 2010, from Communicaid: http://www.communicaid.com/cross-cultural-training/culture-for- business-and-management/doing-business-in/Russian-business-and-social-culture.php Kwintessential. (n.d.). Kwintessential. Retrieved May 25, 2010, from Doing Business in Russia: http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/etiquette/doing-business-russia.html Students, U. o. (2007). Russia. Retrieved May 25, 2010, from Russian Business Etiquette: http://www.cyborlink.com/besite/russia.htm World Business Culture. (n.d.). World Business Culture. Retrieved May 25, 2010, from Doing Business in Russia: http://www.worldbusinessculture.com/Business-in- Russia.html