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Crossing Cultures

with Slovenia

Presented by:

Prakhar SrivastavaVandita Sachdeva

Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology Allahabad

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Location: Central Europe, eastern Alps bordering the AdriaticSea, between Austria and Croatia

Capital: Ljubljana

Climate: Mediterranean climate on the coast, continental

climate with mild to hot summers and cold winters in theplateaus and valleys to the east

Population: 2,009,245 (July 2007 est.)

Ethnic Make-up: Slovene 83.1%, Serb 2%, Croat 1.8%, Bosniak1.1%, other or unspecified 12% (2002 census)

Religions: Catholic 57.8%, Muslim 2.4%, Orthodox 2.3%, otherChristian 0.9%, unaffiliated 3.5%, other or unspecified 23%,none 10.1% (2002 census)

Government: parliamentary republic

Facts and Statistics

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The Republic of Slovenia lies at the heartof Europe where the Alps and theMediterranean meet the Pannonian

plains and the mysterious Karst. Absorbedinto the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats andSlovenes later Yugoslavia after WorldWar One, Slovenia was part of theFederal Peoples Republic of Yugoslaviaunder Marshall Tito.

Historical overview

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Slovenia was the wealthiest and mostliberal country in the federation anddid not suffer from the ethnic divisionsthat would bring disaster when thefederation broke up. The populationwas almost universally Slovene andtheir path to independence wasuniquely short and peaceful. Sloveniahas a population of 2 million and itscapital is Ljubljana, a lively city with

pavement cafs, cultural events andBaroque buildings. The city is alsohome to 50,000 students a youngcity with an ancient history.

Historical overview

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The earliest signs of the Slovenian spirithave surfaced in the field of culture. Eversince the poetry of France Preeren,culture has formed the heart of Sloveniasnational being. Urban culture hasdeveloped over the last two centuries,which have also seen the gradualevolution of fundamental institutions suchas the National Museum and theSlovenian Philharmonics. Slovenian

literature and poetry is mostly verytraditional but has contributed to themost current global literary tendencies.

Cultural heritage

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Ferrous metallurgy and aluminium products

Lead and zinc smelting

Electronics (including military electronics)

Trucks Electric power equipment

Wood products

Textiles

Chemicals

Machine tools

Key sectors

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Business cultureand etiquettes

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It may take some time to be able to fix a meeting.Confirm in advance, before the meeting, by fax orletter, that the meeting will take place.

Initial contact

In general, business behaviour in Slovenia is similar to that in the

rest of Europe; particularly to Germany and Austria. Businessaddress is formal but the business style is outwardly informal.Socialising and hospitality are important to cultivate goodbusiness relations and business decisions may be taken outsidethe office in restaurants as much as in offices.

Meeting and greeting

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It is best to show up on time for all meetings, better5 minutes too early than too late.

Its common protocol to say hello and shakehands with everybody in the room. If youre sitting

its polite to stand up when greeting someone. There is usually some bit of small talk before getting

down to business.

The boss or host usually starts and concludes themeeting.

For a meeting

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Meetings tend to be informal in style and focus on informationgathering. You should not expect formal agendas, action pointsor follow-up. During a first meeting, be careful to observe theorganisational status of all the Slovenians present. It is also thecustom to use hosts' titles, such as "Doctor" or "Professor", beforetheir names. A handshake before and after a meeting iscustomary and acceptable. Care should be taken to shakehands with everyone present at a meeting. It is customary toshake hands first with the women that are present immediatelyafter shaking hands at the start of the meeting, it is customary to

exchange business cards. See that you have a sufficient quantityof business cards.

In a Meeting

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Leadership is exercised by keeping adignified distance from employees. Decisionmaking lies with senior management anddelegation is limited. The fastest growing typeof enterprise is family owned companieswithout employee participation. It isimportant to deal with the top person in thecompany for all major decisions.

Decision Making

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It is common to remove your shoes at the door. Most hosts willoffer slippers to guests to wear.

Slovenians tend to separate their business and personal lives.Therefore, it is a good idea to refrain from initiating businessdiscussions in social situations.

Expect to be offered some form of refreshments, even if youhave not been specifically invited to a meal.

It is common for the host to accompany guests to their carwhen they leave.

Dining Manners

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The acceptable dress for a business meeting is a business suit formen. Women are recommended to dress fashionably, but notloudly.

For men: conservative yet stylish suits with shirts and ties.Business casual is acceptable in various industries.

For women: stylish yet conservative business suits ordresses and blouses are a good way to go. Accessories areusually worn, but it's best to stay on the subtle side. Businesscasual attire is acceptable in various industries

Dress code

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Titles are important and it is best to addresspeople directly by using Mr., Mrs., or Miss,followed by the surname.

You should always wait to be invited to use firstnames before doing so yourself.

There is no set protocol surrounding the givingand receiving of business cards.

Titles & Business Cards

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Price is generally negotiated at the end of a meeting.

Its best to remain calm and avoid showing emotions duringthe negotiating process.

Larger decisions are usually made from the top down.

Negotiations

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Gifts

Acceptable gifts for business meetings are items for the office,pens (including pens with your company logo) or selectedwines.

Gifts are not generally exchanged at initial business meetings.

If invited over for dinner or a drink to a Slovene home, it's agood idea to bring the host/hostess a gift. Flowers or a bottleof high quality wine or spirits is an acceptable gift.

Gifts are usually wrapped nicely and may be opened rightaway.

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Hello

Good day/ morning

Good evening

Goodbye

Yes / no

Please/Thank you

Excuse me

My name is Whats your name?

Basic Slovene phrases

Slovene

Zdravo

Dobro jutro

Dober dan

Na svidenje

Ja / ne

Prosim / Hvala

Oprostite

Ime mi je. Kako vam je ime

Pronunciation

Stravoh

Dobro yootro

Dohber daan

Na sveedenye

Ya / ne

Prohseem / hvaala

Oprohsteeteh

Imeh mi yeh Kakoh vam yeh

imeh

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Slovenia on

Hofstedes 5Dmodel

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The following table shows the Hofstede dimensions scores thathave been determined for 74 countries and regions of the world.The ranking are available on the web.

Hofstede Dimensions

The Hofstede

Dimension Scores

PD Ind M/F UA LToSingapore 74 20 48 8 48

Slovakia 104 52 110 51 38

Slovenia 71 27 19 88 -

South Korea 60 18 39 85 75

South Africa 49 65 63 49 -

Spain 57 51 42 86 -

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Power distance

Individualism

Masculinity / Femininity

Uncertainty avoidance

Long term orientation

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Slovenia has a polycentric culture. This means people willgo out of their way to change their natural behaviour tomirror that of the person with whom they are interacting.

Slovenians are egalitarian, yet interestingly their naturalcommunication style tends to be indirect.

Expect your Slovene business colleagues to be somewhatreserved and formal initially. It may take several meetings toestablish a sense of rapport and relaxed attitude betweenpeople.

Business decision-making processes are often based onhierarchy, and many decisions are still reached at thehighest echelons of the company.

Conclusion

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www.slovenia.info

www.doingbusiness.org

www.slovenia-life.com/business

www.uhy.com

www.indianembassy.si

www.oifc.in

www.europa.eu.int

References

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