Business between Germans and Russians

Résumé ou Introduction

With this paper I want to provide an understanding of the cultural differences of Germans and Russians in terms of doing business together. Germany is the most important foreign trade partner for Russia and the business relation is forecasted to remain attractive for both parties. (www.auswertiges-amt.de)
If managers from different cultures do business together, it is very important to be aware of the cultural differences when conducting business abroad to understand the business partners better. Culture is “something (…) that shapes behavior, or … structures one’s perception of the world.” (Nancy J. Adler, International Dimensions of Organizational Behaviour, p.54; 2008)
There are many aspects to look at, if you compare the German and the Russian culture. I used the cultural dimensions developed by Geert Hofstede and chose three dimensions, which I think are most relevant in this context, to point out cultural differences between Germans and Russians. This paper will first look at the differences in power distance of both countries. Then it goes on with the effects of the different scores in masculinity. The third dimension covered in this paper is uncertainty avoidance. It is to mention that Hofstede has not published any large-scale empirical studies for Russia, but he provided estimates.