Challenges of business negotiation communications between Finnish and Eastern European companies: a comparative study of ICT and agriculture sectors
Smirnova, Olga (2013)
Smirnova, Olga
Turun ammattikorkeakoulu
2013
All rights reserved
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-201302282769
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-201302282769
Tiivistelmä
The importance of cross-cultural differences in modern international business interactions is believed to be one of the topical issues among the academics and practitioners. The present research is an attempt to analyse communications between Finnish managers and Eastern Europeans representing rather dissimilar business cultures. The challenges which Finnish companies face while interacting with their partners and customers from Poland, Russia and Ukraine are described on the examples of three companies. These companies represent both small and big business and limited to ICT and agriculture industries. Five managers were interviewed.
The study reveals that business culture is in many respects industry-specific. However, challenges in business communications between different cultures besides being specific in ICT and agriculture sectors are mostly rather similar in both spheres.
It has been argued that the main difficulties impeding business communications of the parties are language barrier, relationship building and trust creation processes, dissimilar attitudes to long-term planning, information sharing and complexity of hierarchical decision-making. Careful work on the agreements, comprehension of negative feedback, excessive reasoning required and getting over distributive win-lose approach are also the items from the list of challenges. The major ways to overcome the challenges are careful relationship creation based on openness, honesty and trust. Enough time should be devoted to this process as the significance of good relationships with Eastern European partners cannot be overestimated.
Several evidences of developing character of business culture as well as European business cultures convergence have been obtained as well as generation-specific nature of business communications. The meaning of the cultural intelligence of the interacting managers is discussed.
The study reveals that business culture is in many respects industry-specific. However, challenges in business communications between different cultures besides being specific in ICT and agriculture sectors are mostly rather similar in both spheres.
It has been argued that the main difficulties impeding business communications of the parties are language barrier, relationship building and trust creation processes, dissimilar attitudes to long-term planning, information sharing and complexity of hierarchical decision-making. Careful work on the agreements, comprehension of negative feedback, excessive reasoning required and getting over distributive win-lose approach are also the items from the list of challenges. The major ways to overcome the challenges are careful relationship creation based on openness, honesty and trust. Enough time should be devoted to this process as the significance of good relationships with Eastern European partners cannot be overestimated.
Several evidences of developing character of business culture as well as European business cultures convergence have been obtained as well as generation-specific nature of business communications. The meaning of the cultural intelligence of the interacting managers is discussed.