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Czech Republic |
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Facts and Statistics
Location: Central Europe, bordering Austria 362 km, Germany 646 km, Poland 658 km, Slovakia 215 km Capital: Prague Population: 10,246,178 (July 2004 est.) Ethnic Make-up: Czech 81.2%, Moravian 13.2%, Slovak 3.1%, Polish 0.6%, German 0.5%, Silesian 0.4%, Roma 0.3%, Hungarian 0.2%, other 0.5% (1991) Religions: Roman Catholic 39.2%, Protestant 4.6%, Orthodox 3%, other 13.4%, atheist 39.8% |
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The Czech Language
95% of the population speak Czech. 3% of the population speak Slovak, which is closely related to Czech. 2% of the population speak Czech but are also mother tongue speakers of German, Hungarian, Romani and Polish. Czech Society & Culture The Family . The family is the centre of the social structure. . Obligation to the family is a person's first priority. Practicality . Czechs prize forward thinking, logical, practical, and efficient. . Careful planning, in both one's business and personal life, provides a sense of security. . Rules and regulations allow people to know what is expected and to plan their life accordingly. Privacy . Czechs are private people until they get to know you. . They are formal and reserved. . Once you develop a personal relationship Czechs open up a bit, but they are never overly emotional. . Although always polite, they seldom move to a first-name basis with people outside their extended family or very close friends. . Czechs tend not to acknowledge people whom they do not know as they walk along the street or ride the train. Czech Etiquette and Customs Meeting and Greeting . Initial greetings are formal and reserved. . Most greetings include a handshake, direct eye contact, and the appropriate greeting for the time of day. . Wait to be invited before using someone's first name or an informal greeting, as these are all signs of friendship. . The offer to move to the informal is generally offered by the woman, the older person, or the person of higher status. . Moving to the informal without an invitation insults the person and may be viewed as an attempt to humiliate them. Giving and Accepting Gifts . If you are invited to dinner, bring a box of good quality chocolates, or flowers to the hostess or a bottle of wine or good brandy to the host. . In general, you should be cautious about giving flowers, since people over the age of 35 often see flowers as having a romantic connotation. . If you give flowers, give an odd number, but not 13, which is considered unlucky. . Do not give calla lilies as they are used at funerals. . Gifts are usually opened when received. Dining Etiquette If you are visiting a Czech's house: . Arrive on time. . Remove your shoes.. . Expect to be treated with great honour and respect. . Dress modestly and well. . Do not discuss business. Czechs separate their business and personal lives. . Table manners are rather formal in Czech Republic. . Remain standing until invited to sit down. You may be shown to a particular seat. . Table manners are Continental -- the fork is held in the left hand and the knife in the right while eating. . Do not begin eating until the hostess starts. . Unless the meal is formal, the napkin remains folded next to the plate. At formal meals, the napkin is unfolded and put on your lap. . The oldest woman or honoured guest is generally served first. . Always refuse second helpings the first time they are offered. Wait for the hostess to insist. . Compliment the meal while you are eating. This allows the hostess to discuss the food and the preparation. . Indicate you have finished eating by laying your knife and fork parallel across the right side of your plate. Business Etiquette and Protocol Business Meetings . Appointments are mandatory and should be made in advance. . Letters should be addressed to the company rather than a specific person. This prevents a letter from being held up if the person it is addressed to is away from the office. . Do not try to schedule meetings on Friday afternoon as many Czechs leave for their country cottages after lunch. . Many businesses close during August. . Punctuality for meetings is taken extremely seriously. . Initial meetings are scheduled to get to know each other and to see if your Czech associates believe that you are trustworthy. The first meeting may be with a gatekeeper rather than the actual decision maker. . Expect some small talk and getting-to-know-you conversation before business is discussed. . Maintain direct eye contact while speaking. . Do not remove your suit jacket unless the highest-ranking Czech does so. . Presentations should be accurate, detailed and thorough. . Have charts and figures to back up your claims. Communication . Czechs are both formal and somewhat indirect in their communication. . They try not to purposely offend and will often go out of their way to protect someone's feelings. . Czechs are non-confrontational and often take an indirect approach to business dealings. . If they lower their eyes and become silent they are uncomfortable with something you have said. Negotiating . It will take several meetings for your Czech business associates to become familiar with you and appear comfortable and friendly. . Politeness prevents many Czechs from giving an absolute 'no'. However, statements such as 'It is difficult' or 'We will see' are often negatives. . Business is conducted slowly. You will have to be patient and not appear ruffled by the strict adherence to protocol. . Business is hierarchical. Decision-making power is held at the top of the company. Decisions are reached slowly. . It may take several visits to reach a decision. . Avoid high-pressure tactics. . Czechs generally offer what they expect to get and do not often give counter-offers. Being a Manager in the Czech Republic Intercultural adaptability and an understanding of the Czech Republic’s history will all help towards achieving successful management skills. Czechs work hard; however, after years of Communist rule, business operates slowly, since efficiency was not at a premium under the Communist regime. Czechs are practical people who strive to better their lives by working hard to achieve success. They do not generally socialize with their colleagues, except for birthday and name day jaunts to socialize. The transition to a free-market economy has brought about remarkable, but not wholesale changes in the business culture. Generally, among the older generation, you will find deference to authority, coupled with a sense of loyalty and a detached attitude for meeting objectives and goals of the company. Among younger workers, however, you’ll find an eagerness to explore new challenges. The Role of a Manager Although they pride themselves on being individualists and non-conformists, Czechs develop cordial working relationships with colleagues, business partners, and clients. They pride themselves on using proper etiquette in all situations and expect others to do the same. Approach to Change The Czech Republic has a medium tolerance for change and risk. Changes are made, albeit slowly, and require considerable amount of thought, planning and evaluation. It would be perceived as imprudent to introduce rapid change, and yet it would be recognized as poor management to resist change unnecessarily. Cross cultural sensitivity is important with the Czech Republic’s attitude toward risk dramatically impacted by the negative ramifications of failure on both the individual and the group. Approach to Time and Priorities Czech Republic is a moderate time culture and typically there may be some flexibility to strict adherence to schedules and deadlines. When working with people from Czech Republic, in order to achieve successful cross cultural management, it is advisable to reinforce the importance of the agreed-upon deadlines and how that may affect the rest of the organization. Decision Making Since this is a hierarchical culture, decisions are often made at the top of the company. Even though managers may not be involved in making decisions, they may give the impression of having been consulted when relaying information to their subordinates. Boss or Team Player? In post-communist countries, there is a tradition of teamwork inherited from the communal aspects of the previous era where groups and work units commonly met together to discuss ideas and create plans. However, those plans seldom resulted in implementation or results, leading to apathy and cynicism among the workers. Today the after-effects are still evident among much of the older generation resulting in a lack of drive and energy. However, there is vibrancy among the younger generation, who seem to be eager to tackle many of the challenges and take the opportunities presented. They will participate in teams and share ideas, but they will need to be coached in the process. Communication and Negotiation Styles Cross cultural negotiations will always be more successful if you possess an understanding of the culture you are dealing with. When working in the Czech Republic, avoid confrontational behaviour or high-pressure tactics. Czechs generally offer what they expect to get and do not often give counter-offers and they often become defensive if negotiations become tense. If Czechs are unhappy with something you have said or a situation which has arisen, they will use an intermediary to communicate with you to avoid unnecessary conflict in the relationship. To avoid any cross cultural miscommunication, hire a Czech business lawyer to guide you through the changing business legal requirements. Links and Information about the Czech Republic * Currency - the currency of the Czech Republic is the Koruna. Use the free currency converter to compare to dollars, GBP or Euro. * Weather - visit Yahoo!'s up to date Weather for the Czech Republic. * News - check out all the latest Google news on the Czech Republic. * Dialing Code - the international dialing code is +420. * Time - The Republic is +1 hours GMT. Get the time in Prague now. * History - read about the long and rich Czech history. * Hotels - for accomodation see Hotels in Czech Republic. |
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