Business culture in ukraine

Doing business in Ukraine is different from doing business in other countries, especially the USA, Great Britain, Germany, and other European countries. Ukraine may not be the easiest place to do business, but it is a great place to make friends, meet interesting people, and have fun.

Punctuality and reliability in Ukraine

Foreigners in Ukraine find that being late is the norm for Ukrainians. Arriving five minutes late to an appointment or meeting is usually seen as perfectly fine. In Ukraine, meetings are frequently rescheduled and cancelled, often at the last minute.

Interaction with Ukrainian government bodies

Relationship between government and business in Ukraine is one of the biggest obstacles to greater western investment in the country. Of course, bureaucracy is bureaucracy in any country, but in Ukraine government and business play games with each other. Different government bodies often have conflicting instructions and policies. Controlling and regulating bodies often act unpredictably, based on rules that no one else is aware of.

Work relationships in Ukraine

Except for organizations with managers who tyrannize their employees, relationships between Ukrainians at work tend to be somewhat warmer and more openly emotional than in Protestant western countries where distance and formality are the norm. Employees usually celebrate their birthdays at work by treating coworkers to chocolates, champagne, cake, or even more elaborate buffets, and workmates often collect some money to buy birthday gifts for employees.

Some tips on ukrainian culture Ukrainian hospitality

Ukrainians are well known for their hospitality. They love to invite people to their homes or to visit their friends or relatives. Traditional Ukraine customs are to put all the best food on the table and to feed the guest once he entered their home.

In Ukraine guests are given lots of attention. If you are someone’s guest, your hosts will likely take you around the town and show you the sights for several days. Traditional Ukrainian attitudes dictate that guests be well-fed and entertained for as long as they stay at your home.

Ukrainian Food

The traditional Ukrainian cuisine is rich in natural ingredients. In Ukraine people tend to eat fatty food, such as whole milk, sour cream, butter, etc. Sometimes people even go to villages to get whole milk because it is considered to be good for children. Ukrainian people like to cook. They practically don’t eat junk food.

The description of Ukrainian cuisine would be incomplete without salo (pork fat). Sometimes Ukrainians joke: “Salo is our national pride”. Placing a thin sliced salo on black bread with garlic and salt will make it especially delicious.

Drinking Customs in Ukraine

Drinking in Ukraine is a cultural phenomenon. It doesn’t mean that everybody can be considered as being an alcoholic, but drinking in company is encouraged. Drinking a bottle of vodka for three is not considered as excessive. The Ukrainian custom treats a person who is able to drink a lot without falling down drunk as a respectful person. It’s called “he can drink”.

Heavy drinking is customary in business settings in Ukraine. Many business deals are closed while drinking together. Though this feature of Ukrainian business often causes some difficulties for foreigners. Especially if they are non-drinkers.

Superstitions

• Never shake hands, give keys or anything else in the doorway. It may bring misfortune to your guest.

• Never leave an empty bottle on the table, but if a bottle is opened, drink up.

• Try to sit between two people with the same name. It will bring you luck.

• Don’t be alarmed when somebody spits three times over his left shoulder or sits on his luggage before going on a trip.

Home and family

Ukrainian culture has agrarian roots. Almost every Ukrainian family has grandparents or relatives living in the countryside. Often one or both grandparents live with their children and help take care of grandchildren. Generally, grandparents play a greater role in raising children in Ukraine than in the West and especially the U.S.

Friendship and making acquaintances

The word “friend” in Ukrainian or Russian implies a closer relationship than in most other European languages. One has one or two friends and many acquaintances – quite the opposite of the U.S., where many people have dozens of ‘friends’ but often have no really close friends. The tendency to form informal relationships easily is part of the national character.

UKRAINIAN CULTURE FROM A WESTERN STANDPOINT

Every country has things that visitors often complain about. Ukraine is no exception. While there are many wonderful things about the country and people, here we will list some of the more unpleasant aspects of Ukraine that visitors often report.

Ukrainian restrooms

Ukraine’s bathroom culture is pretty low. Public restrooms, trains, beaches, resorts, and even many hotels – are rarely close to Western standards. Restrooms typically lack toilet seats, toilet paper, soap, hot water, and towels or blow driers. In other words, a typical public restroom has urinals, holes in the ground, and a sink with cold water. Foreigners (as well as many Ukrainians) find it irritating that you have to pay to use public restrooms, and the lady at the entrance gives you only a few squares of toilet paper if you ask for it (!). If a foot of toilet paper happens not to be enough, that’s your problem.

Showers in many older-style hotels and apartments do not have shower curtains, which means you get a lot of water on the floor. In addition, there are no soap and shampoo holders. Hot and cold water availability is also an issue in many cities, and water pressure is often low. In a word, what is considered normal for western bathrooms is a luxury in Ukraine.