Conducting Business in Poland

Plagiarism

100%

unique text

Download this

My presentation will be based in Poland and what one needs to know when choosing to conduct a business in Poland. This is because; conducting business in a new environment entails various aspects that one needs to look into. I am able to speak about this topic because I was able to communicate with a friend who resides in Poland and I went through several literatures.

I will begin by explaining the most common cultures in Poland. For instance, in Poland the Family Institution centers the entire social structure. An individual is obligated to his/her family before any other thing. Extended families also form part of a person’s support system. The Polish people tend to separate between close relations and outsiders. Leigh echoed this same opinion by stating that the inner circle mostly acts as the person’s support system and network.and is mostly relied upon for advice, to find a job, rent an apartment or cut through bureaucracy (8). Another literature by Barrera and Becerra further stated that people tend to observe etiquette by extending favors to others and using social networks to achieve this. Notably, Polish people are mostly educated, and their education literacy is at 98% (3).

Another common cultural practice that one should take note of is Religion. It is a very important aspect in Poland and Catholicism is practiced widely as a religion. It plays an integral role in society because it is highly intertwined to the Polish culture. Therefore, in Poland Religious holidays are deemed as holidays nationally. Indeed, the most significant holiday is Christmas, which is celebrated for two days and half. Another important religious holiday is The All Saints’ Day is commemorated on every 1st of November whereby people visit cemeteries to honor their deceased loved ones.

It is also very important to understand the location of Poland before one decides to go and start their businesses there. Poland is located in Central Europe and its capital is Warsaw. Its culture name is known as Polish Culture and it covers an area of 20,700 square miles. The Northern part of Poland is covered by the Baltic Sea , Russia and Lithuania, the eastern part is covered by Belarus and Ukraine , the southern part by Slovakia and Czech Republic and the western part is covered by Germany.

One should also be knowledgeable about the language spoken in Poland. According to the same author Leigh, Polish is widely spoken as the official language in Poland majority of the 38 million Citizens of Poland (22). Ukraine and western Belarus is also home to some polish natives. The language used in Poland originated in the contemporary Poland constituting of more than a few local Western Slavic dialects, especially those spoken the regions in the Greater and Lesser Poland. Poland population is approximately 38.2 million inhabitants (Leigh 6). Its ethnicity is made up of 96.7 percent Polish, 0.4 percent German, 0.1 percent Belarusian, 0.1 percent Ukrainian, and other unspecified 2.7 percent. Polish currency is a Polish Zloty and is equivalent to 0.32 US dollars

Another thing that one should also put in mind is that Poles consider themselves a community because individuals live to fight for a free and united Poland. Its history is not very clear, as no one knows where the history of modern Poles originated. They were living in the Eurasian continent and appeared from other Slavs. Poland is homogeneous ethnically. In fact, minorities’ tribes such as Ukrainian, Slovakian, Lithuanian, Belorussian, settled along the borders. Equally, minority Germans are densely populated around the city of Opole, southwest side. In addition to that, the capital as well as other cities is contending with internal migration of foreigners.

Regarding business meetings, courteous and reserved greetings are characterized in the Polish culture. When greeting someone, a firm handshake is important, direct eye contact is valued with business parties exchanging the appropriate greeting for the specific time of the day. In the polish culture, handshakes are quite firm whereas contact is valued. When visiting a company, Polish believe the importance of visiting the most important person in the company. The more senior your position , the more conservative your look (Zator-Peljan 47) .Conservative dressing should be observed, as it perceives humility and respect are favored over boldness and arrogance. It is preferred for men to wear suits and white pressed shirts when attending meetings. Preferably, light colored during the day and dark colored in the night. More so, Poles prefer to be called with the last names unless otherwise (Zator-Peljan 47).

In addition, most Pole managers tend to be younger hence, one is likely to encounter young educated and fluent in English individuals in their meetings (Zator-Peljan 48). However, one may also encounter in some instances business people running gigantic companies. Business cards are exchanged in business meetings and Poles prefer having the Polish translations of the card at the back of it. One must ensure to highlight their titles on the cards and academic levels (Zator-Peljan 48).

Meetings tend to be in company offices or restaurants and it always important for a guest to arrive on time. When giving a presentation to a People, one must ensure that it is clear, concise and translated to Polish. Personal connection is an important aspect in Poland as it is a part of business relations. The Polish spirit is composed of self-reliance and individualism. Most Poles are blunt, do not hesitate to say what they think and enter the decision-making process fearless. (Zator-Peljan 47)

Currently, the most recent news in Poland is by The Ministry of Health of Poland. It is pushing to increase beer prices to curb binge drinking amongst youngsters. The news was announced this week as binge drinking among youngsters has become a prevalent issue. Poland mainly exports from Germany, United Kingdom, Czech Republic and Australia. In addition, their imports are mainly from Germany, Russian Federation, Netherlands and Australia (Australian Government, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade)

Works Cited

Australian Government, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Poland. Foreign Affairs and Trade Report. Canberra: Economic Diplomacy, Trade Advocacy & Statistics Section, 2014. Print.
Barrera, Melissa and Jonathan Becerra. Polish Culture, Traditions and Language Manual, (2012): 1-37. Print
Leigh, Jennifer, ed. Polish Culture Profile. Queensland: Diversicare, 2006. Print.
Zator-Peljan, Joanna. “Business Etiquette in Poland,Germany,France and China: an Intercultural Approach.” Global Management Journal 5.1 (2013): 46-52. Print.