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Culture brunch: Croatia

Hofstede Dimensions

Long term orientation

With a score of 58, according to the Hofstede Insight report, Croatia is considered to be a pragmatic country, which means that the country takes a more realistic look at the issue to prepare for the future.

Uncertainty avoidance

This dimension has the highest score of 80. Since Croatia's population is mostly Roman Catholic, it plays a part into why Croatia have such a high score for this dimension. They tend to be fundamentalist and very ritualized which make them less engage in politics. Another reason would be the long history between Croatia and Serbia. Because of the multiple religious wars between the two countries, Croatia has adopted a political system that does not facilitates the introduction of new concepts, laws, etc...

Subtopic

Power distance

Croatia has a high score of 73 for this dimension. This can be explained with the fact that people are treated and approached differently depending on which type of education they have. In addition, hierarchy is very present in the work place as the head of the company or manager is often benefiting the most from the success and when there is a failure in company they are not held accountable. You will sometimes find someone who is the "scapegoat" that takes all the blame. An employee can receive special treatment by their boss if they have a special relationship with him/her(eg. family member, family friend,etc...)

Perceptions

Spatial

Croatia has not always had good relationship with the neighboring countries like Serbia and Montenegro. However, Croatia is currently working on finding solutions for a more stable relationship and possible reconciliation.

Time

Croatia is polychronic because they focus more on the development the population than respecting the time frame given. This can be seen in the business environment as is takes a very long time to start operating a business. The work is often based on trust, personal connections and lesser formal manners.

In business, the negotiation and administration process can be very slow.

Punctuality is very important and people are expected to arrive on time.

Communication

Non-Verbal

The index finger and the middle finger is the national symbol of Croatia.

If there is no eye contact when having a conversation, they can think that you are not interested in the conversation. In addition, if you open your eyes wide during a conversation it can be an indication that you disagree with a point made.

Raising the thumb, index and middle finger at the same time it is very disrespectful, because it is associated with the Serbian nationalism.

They use the whole hand or a nod to point to someone or to an object, instead of pointing with their finger.

The importance of personal space varies depending on how familiar the individuals are.

Hugs and kisses in a public area are acceptable.

There is no physical contact when they meet someone for the first time.

Verbal

You should address people with their last name or profession position.

“Dobro jutro” and “Dobar dan” are the to simple ways to greet someone. However, when you are addressing a man it is preferable that you say “dobro došao” and when it is a woman you should say “dobro došla”. When it is a group of people you should say “dobro došli”.

They are comfortable expressing their disagreement in a respectful manner.

Croatian are very expressive when they talk.

Croatian prefer face to face conversations then written communication.

Croatian is the main language, but they also speak English, German and Italian.

Croatians enjoy dark humor and irony.

You should be careful when choosing your words. You have to be diplomatic.

Croatian value straightforward conversations.

Business etiquette

Don'ts

Do not point at someone, it is considered rude.

Do not criticize a Croatian colleague/employee in front of another Croatian because they get offended easily and they are very proud of their culture.

Do not talk about religion or make references about the Yugoslavian ethnicity, because they are taboo in the Croatia culture due to their history.

Avoid offering expensive gifts because there might be a misunderstanding as you are offering the gift as way to say thank you for the hospitality, but they might think that you are trying bribe them.

You should not use to friendly gestures like a tap in the back, hug, a kiss on the cheek or a gentle slap as a form of greeting or while conversing.

Letters should be sent directly to the company and not to the person you are trying to be in contact with.

Make sure you do not give a weak handshake and not keep eye contact, because they might think that you are weak and that you lack confidence in yourself.

No meeting should be schedule for a Friday afternoon.

do's

As the negotiation process can take a long time, it is preferable that you try to get to develop a personal relationship.

Depending on the length of the meeting, refreshment drinks should be offered.

It is considered polite that you remain standing until they offer you a seat.

Being punctual is very important.

You have to keep eye contact while greeting and make sure you give a firm hand shake.

Worker have to always wear suits. For women they have a large variety of clothing options, whereas the men are often in suits and tie.

Small gifts, like books or something from you country, are well received.

You should always have a translated copy of the documents in Croatian to share among the people your are meeting.

You can ask for their opinion about the topic. It shows you are interested by what they think and that will help you to gain their trust.

You need to show respect to everyone you encounter even if they are not people you are looking to work with.

You can invite people after a meeting to discuss about business or to get to know each other. It will help the negotiation process to go smoother and have a long term business relationship.