the hungarian
TRANSCRIPT
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Identifying Hungarian cultural characteristics in Europe’s
cultural diversity in the 21st century: a controversial issue
SIETAR Europa Congress, Tallinn
September 18-21, 2013
Dr. Klara Falk-Bano, Budapest Business School
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Hungary and Europe
21st century – the ‘global’ century
but
the importance of recognizing cultural
diversity is increasing
Cultural differences present new challenges
and opportunities
Especially true for Europe and the EU
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Twenty-year empirical research on Hungarian
cultural characteristics
Aim of research: to explore and analyse the main causes
of intercultural communication gaps and conflicts in
Hungarian based Br.-Hung. And US-Hung.
organisations
On the basis of the author’s fieldwork findings of
twenty-years (1993-2013) of research in fifty-three,
mainly British-Hungarian and American-Hungarian
organisations, 460 deep interviews, Hungarian
(business) culture can be characterised as follows:
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The Hungarian (business) cultural traits
as opposed to Br and US
Along Hofstede’s, some of Trompenaars’ and Hall’s
categories Hungarian national culture is:
rather high power distance, moderately collectivist with
individualistic features, masculine, particularist, diffuse,
ascription-oriented, high-context, polychronic but also
monochronic features, moderately long-term oriented,
high uncertainty avoidance. (Falk-Bano, 1999, 2001, 2008)
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Semi-structured Interviews
First part of the interview: questions concerning
respondents’ earlier experience, expectations prior to
interacting with host’s/visitor’s culture, how they
compare with actual experiences. (Also length of time
spent in the org., position, command of the other language)
Second part of the interview: respondents asked to
mention cases of obvious miscommunication from their
experience with members of the other national culture.
(Falk-Bano 1999, 2001, 2008)
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Hofstede’s Results on Hungary compared to UK and US (G. Hofst.and
G.J. Hofst.2005, H.and H., Minkov, 2010)
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Results not from IBM database, replication
Results from students of six Hungarian higher
educational institutions (Dienes, 1999-2000)
Very young people, mostly without any work
experience
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Results on Hungary from the Hungarian
translation of G.Hofst.and G.J.Hofst. 2.ed.
Károly Varga’s very different results on the 4-D
model, with Hofstede, G.’s permission, in the
Hungarian translation (2008) of the 2.ed. of
‚Cultures and Organisations. Sofware of the Mind’
(2005) Varga’s results (1986, 2000, 2001):
PDI 19
IDV 11
MAS 17
UAI 83
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The Globe Project
By 2002 results from 61 countries Hungarian Results – University of Economics, (now Budapest
Corvinus University ) (Bakacsi et al.)
Great advantage: multi-method (quantitative and
qualitative) project
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The GLOBE Project
Another great advantage:
Distinction between
• Practices: as is
• Values: as should be
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Globe survey – Hungarian Results (Bakacsi et al.,
2002)
Societal Culture on a scale 1-7:
Uncertainty avoidance – as is: 3.12 – as should be: 4.66
Power distance – as is: 5.56 – as should be: 2.49 (!)
Societal collectivism – as is: 3.53 – as should be: 4.50
In-group collectivism – as is: 5.25 – as should be: 5.54
Gender Egalitarianism – as is: 4.08 – as should be: 4.63
Assertiveness – as is: 3.23 – as should be: 4.49
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Globe survey – Hungarian Results (Bakacsi et al.,
2002)
Future Orientation - as is: 3.21- as should be: 5.70 !
Performance Orientation – as is: 3.43 – as should be: 5.96 !
Humane Orientation – as is: 3.35 – as should be: 5.48
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Hungary’s place on the basis of GLOBE results
Eastern European cluster: Albania, Georgia, Greece, Kazahstan,
Poland, Hungary, Russia, Slovenia: several cultural differences but
in all countries:
Large power distance, strong family and group collectivism,
values – as should be- towards more Performance and more
Future Orientation,
Values – charismatic and group-oriented leadership
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Trompenaars’ results on Hungarian culture (Trompenaars and C.Hampden-Turner, 1997, 1999)
• Hungarian culture according to Trompenaars:
• More universalist than particularist
• Individualistic
• Neutral
• Specific, also some diffuse
• Achievement-oriented
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Why are the results on Hungarian culture so
controversial ?
• Cultural differences of age groups everywhere,
especially in Central and Eastern Europe since the
changes from 1989
• Different researches ask different questions and
interpret answers in different ways
• Different researches have different databases, even in
the same research if replication (Hofstede’s
dimensions)
• People answer questions sometimes writing what they
would like, not what it is like now. (GLOBE)
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Hungary in Europe
Hungarian cultural characteristics reflect
our dual character – eastern and western
features
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Personal relationships
• Strong relationship-orientation
• Critical business issues need to be discussed
face-to-face
• Frequent visits and phone calls are required
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Time
• Polychronic features in its relationship focus
but also monochronic features
• Meetings start on time
• Punctuality and keeping schedules are appreciated
• BUT- Hungarians may lose all sense of time if they get involved in a lively discussion (polychronic)
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• Small talk
• Business negotiations more slow than rapid
• The usual style is discussing issues item by item
• But we may lose all sense of time
• Hungarians are complainers (they complain if their
ice cream is cold
• Emotion rather than rational analysis often
determines behaviour.
Negotiations, presentations
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Negotiations, presentations
• Often moody, raise problems without offering
solutions, expect the other party to come up with a
solution
• Avoid saying no and often fail to answer questions
directly
• Indirectness connected with high-context culture
• Decision making usually done at the top, process
more lengthy (large power distance)
• Presentation should be with background
information, facts and technical details.
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So, what are Hungarians like?
• Hungarian culture tends to have slightly collectivist (younger generation is more individualist), and masculine values
• Hungarians seem to have a talent for absorbing themselves into other cultures and then becoming the prototypes of those cultures (eg a Hungarian turning communist was worse than the original ones, etc), as
• Hungarians do things with exaggeration.
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So, what are Hungarians like?
• Hungarians are clever at always finding the
loopholes (survival tactics-historical reasons as
well)
• Similarities between the Hungarian and the
Mediterranean business cultures (hierarchical
attitudes, strong uncertainty avoidance and highly
relation-oriented attitudes)
• Selective politeness (friendly with their business
partners but sometimes rude with strangers in the
street) - high-context culture (clear distinction
between ‘insiders’ and ‘outsiders’)
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So, what are Hungarians like?
• If there are 3 Hungarians there will be 4 opinions
• I want the same like my neighbour has, but even bigger
and nicer
• If my cow dies I want the neighbour's one to die as well
• Hungarians do not like critics and open confrontation
with problems
• Corruption, Outstanding hospitality, Creativeness
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Some of the most typical comments of
Western managers, based on 460 interviews:
• Reluctance in taking responsibility, inefficiency
• Marked differences between age groups
• Not enough planning in Hungary, keeping deadlines difficult
• Hungarians do not have customer orientated attitude
• Bureaucracy, hierarchical attitude, titles, formality
• Use of telephone and fax for private purposes
• Importance of personal relationships
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Some of the most typical complaints of
Hungarian employees, based on 460 interviews:
• Different attitude of Western management to expatriates and local employees
• Tense working tempo
• Hungarian opinion not considered credible by expatriates
• Expatriates often arrive with no or very little knowledge of the region. People from the west think Hungary is the end of the world.
• Language problems
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References
• Bakacsi, Gy., Takacs, S., Karacsonyi A., Imrek, V. 2002. Eastern
European cluster: tradition and transition. In: Journal of World
Business 37, 69-80
• Falk Bano, K. 1999. Meeting the Intercultural Challenge in Hungary.
In: Meeting the Intercultural Challenge, Knapp, K., Kappel, B., Eubel-
Kasper, K., Salo-Lee, L. (eds.), Berlin: Wissenschaft & Praxis, 128-
138
• Falk Bano, K. (2001): Kulturakozi kommunikacio. Nemzeti kulturak,
szervezeti kulturak, interkulturalis menedzsment aspektusok.
Budapest: PUSKI Kiado
• Falk-Bano, K. (2008): Kulturakozi kommunikacio. Intercultural
Aspects of Doing Business in Hungary. Budapest: Perfekt Kiado
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References
• Hofstede, G., Hofstede, G.J. Cultures and Organizations. Software of
the Mind. Second edition, 2005. McGraw-Hill
• Hofstede, G., Hofstede, G.J. Kulturak és szervezetek. Az elme
szoftvere. Hungarian translation of Second ed. 2005. McGraw-Hill,
2008. Pecs:VHE Kft
• Hofstede, G., Hofstede, G.J., Minkov, M. Cultures and Organizations.
Software of the Mind. Third edition, 2010. McGraw-Hill
• Trompenaars, F., Hampden-Turner, C., 1999, reprinted of 1997.
Riding the Waves of Culture. Second edition, London: Nicholas
Brealey Publishing