No Chance of Contagion
I found this picture on the internet a couple of years ago – I’m sorry about not remembering the source. I love it, however, pretty expressive…
Living on the Borderlines of Europe
Where do the fundamental traits of the different European cultures come from?
The dotted lines on the map of Europe are in many cases the product of historical accident: primarily acts of violence, but also dynastic marriages or sheer happenstance. Still, our frontiers rarely conform to the cultural realities. Read more »
Europe of Frontiers
It helps to understand the differences in European values and attitudes by thinking in geographical terms, what Richard Hill calls the ‘Macro-Divides’. There are at least three: the Island-Continent Divide, the East-West Divide and, for want of a better description, the ‘South-North Incline’. Read more »
Mile Posts of Hungarian History
Appetizer to Hungarian History
For half a century beginning in 899, the Magyars — the name Hungarians call themselves — ravaged Europe. Fierce horsemen from the East, they penetrated German lands, northern Italy and France. An ardent prayer of the time implores, “From the arrows of the Hungarians, O Lord, deliver us.” “La Chanson de Roland” calls them “breeds of Satan.” Read more »
American Missionaries in Hungary
An interesting approach from a Hungarian Journalist, Norbert Izsák
Wherever we may go, we always find people living in other countries. Sometimes they do business in another culture, sometimes they are involved in charity, but no matter what their purposes are, they try to find a home in a foreign land.
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Uncertainty Avoidance Defined
People vary in the extent that they feel anxiety about uncertain or unknown matters, as opposed to the more universal feeling of fear caused by known or understood threats. Cultures vary in their avoidance of uncertainty, creating different rituals and having different values regarding formality, punctuality, legal-religious-social requirements, and tolerance for ambiguity.
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Individualism vs. Collectivism Defined
Individualism in cultures implies loose ties; everyone is expected to look after one’s self or immediate family but no one else. Collectivism implies that people are integrated from birth into strong, cohesive groups that protect them in exchange for unquestioning loyalty. Read more »
Power Distance Defined
Power distance (PD) refers to the extent to which less powerful members expect and accept unequal power distribution within a culture. Read more »
Hofstede’s Dimensions of National Cultures
Cultural differences manifest themselves in a culture’s choices of symbols, heroes/heroines, rituals, and values: essential patterns of thinking, feeling and acting that are well-established by late childhood. Read more »
Key Questions for Your Effectiveness
Key questions in the areas of Individualism, Power-distance and Uncertainty avoidance. Read more »
Task and People-Orientation Compared
The West is, by in large, a goal-oriented society while the East is relationship-oriented. In other words, a Westerner gains value from the product, while the Easterner gains value from the relationship. Read more »
Knowledge: Quality of Life
Knowledge means quality of life (the life we can only live once), gives the person a feeling of competence, and carries the hope of future.
Knowledge is highly valued is Hungarian society, but in the young generation, a materialistic value-system is developing due to the social and existential crisis in Central-Eastern Europe.
Knowledge is also seen as a tool for Hungarian society to be able to compete in the world arena. Science is the 4th element of power in the world today (after military power / force, economy / money, and media / information).
Missions: Misreading Each Other
Following the flood of Western evangelical missions into Hungary, many young Hungarians were trained with superficial methods of evangelism which tended to ignore Hungarian culture and promote a “cold turkey” approach without building trust. Read more »
Power Distance: How Much Respect there is for Position?
The Hungarian love of freedom and independence often hardens into rugged and proud individualism, which rejects guidance or discipline, military or political. Only leaders with great personal appeal were able to unite Hungarians for any considerable length of time. Read more »
Authority and Leadership: The Ideal Boss in Hungary
International businessmen and missionaries alike typically come with the misconception that Hungary (as a CEE country) must be a high-authority, hierarchic society, and try to work under this assumption. Read more »
Attitude to the New and the Unknown
Cultures with a high level of uncertainty-avoidance prefer stable rules and long-lasting relationships. Any uncertainty can express itself in higher anxiety than those from low uncertainty avoidance cultures. Read more »
Woody Allen and the Hungarian Psyche
Hungarians easily identify with Woody Allen who said:
“I have a persecution complex – because I’m persecuted.”
Read more »
Value-Related Problems
People in Hungary seek long-term relationships. They will invest time and emotions in people who can potentially stay around for a lifetime. Read more »
What are the Hungarian People Like?
The stereotypical Hungarian is pessimistic, historically conscious, pessimistic, cleverly pragmatic, contradictory, pessimistic, and appreciative of the fine arts and good food. Did I mention pessimistic? Read more »
Smiling, Eye-Contact, Sharing
The Smiling Factor
Hungarians tend to behave reserved, cautious and skeptical in public.
Americans behave alert and confident. Read more »
Showing Emotions
Showing emotions means being passionate to most Hungarians. It can also be seen as honest devotion, sensitivity, or simply being “real” (as opposed to fake). Read more »
Conversation: Misunderstandings, Hidden Expectations
Language is often indirect and imprecise, and purposely so. Hungarians are almost always less direct than Americans and depend on nuances of meaning in many cases. Read more »
What Friendship Means
Introducing someone as a “friend” communicates more commitment to the Hungarian than what you probably mean using this word, especially if you come from the North American culture. Read more »
Communication Style Differences
HU: Touching another’s back, shoulders or arms in a non-intimate relationship is generally considered offensive / uncomfortable.
USA: Touching another’s back, shoulders or arms generally is a sign of affection. Read more »
Relationship-related Features of the Hungarian Culture
SUMMARY
- High wall on the outside, low wall on the inside
- Shy and reserved in expressing positive feelings in relationships (verbally and in touching)
- High-context communication
- Preference of stability, desire for long-term planning in friendships
- In business: The relationship drives the business
The Little Prince and the Fox
It was then that the fox appeared.
“Good morning,” said the fox.
“Good morning,” the little prince responded politely, although when he turned around he saw nothing.
“I am right here,” the voice said, “under the apple tree.”
“Who are you?” asked the little prince, and added, “You are very pretty to look at.” Read more »
Hungarian Culture: Why it is as it is?
Hungarian culture (due to its location and history) has always been at the crossroads between eastern and western cultures, has functioned as a bridge between East and West, integrating characteristic features of both. What is Hungarian culture like? Read more »
What is Culture? Working cross-culturally
People in every culture are raised with a set of values, beliefs, and attitudes. Some are held deeply, and in many cases, they have never been questioned. Others may be negotiable or debatable. But all affect how a person receives a new message. A cross-cultural worker must ask, “What core values are my listeners assuming as they hear my presentation? Read more »
Time and Cultures
Hall’s first distinctions were between what he calls monochronic and polychronic time. Read more »
Summary of Business Culture
Exporters, importers, investors, missionaries and English-teachers new to Hungary will be confronted by a novel blend of cultural characteristics in Hungary, a culture which is in certain respects unique. The aim of our “business culture” articles is to prepare you to do your particular business successfully in this challenging context. Read more »
Ethnicity
On the map Hungary appears as a non-Slavic wedge separating the southern Slavs (Bulgarians and the peoples of the former Yugoslavia) from those of the north – the Czechs, Slovaks and Poles. As a non-Slavic people surrounded mostly by Slavs, Hungarians sometimes feel like lonely outsiders. Read more »
The Concept of Time in Hungary
Hungarian business culture is more and more monochronic. That means that in professional roles and in the business-context, most Hungarians place a high value on punctuality, schedules and deadlines. Read more »
Formality, Status & Hierarchy
Hungarians are more formal than Danes, Australians or North Americans – more like the French and Germans, for instance. Read more »
Relationship Drives the Business in Hungary
As with most markets outside northwestern Europe, North America and Australia, it is vital to have established relationships in Hungary. Also, “who you know” counts for a great deal. This contrasts with the situation in deal-focused cultures such as that of Germany, where such contacts are always helpful but hardly essential. Read more »
Meeting People
Informal greetings between men and women friends and relatives are often a kiss on the cheeks, first left, then right. Kisses on the cheeks are not appropriate between men, except for close relatives and certain groups. Read more »
Phone-calls
How to make phone calls in Hungary
The country code for Hungary is 36
Making international calls from Hungary:
exit code: 00 + country code + area code + local number
Read more »
Names & Addresses
When introduced, address your counterparts by their professional or academic title plus family name. Colleagues, friends and relatives address each other by first names.
Read more »
Formal or Casual?
How you dress mostly depends on the purpose of the meeting or presentation. It may be more formal the first day of your visit and casual the other days: it would go from a business suit to a more creative ensemble. Read more »
Business Entertaining in Hungary
Food and drink is an important part of everyday life, but the real purpose of the occasion is that Hungarians need to cultivate the personal relationships that are crucially important in a business relationship. We want to know what sort of person you are and whether we can do business with you before talking about it. Read more »
Meals & Table Manners
At the table, Hungarians wish everyone “good appetite” (Jó étvágyat!) before the meal begins. Like all Europeans, Hungarians keep the fork in their left hand rather than switching from left hand to right as Americans do. Read more »
Being a Guest
If you are a guest in someone’s home, it is a good idea to bring something for the wife (she is the hostess and the queen of the house). Read more »
Conversation Soft Spots
Business is not usually discussed at the ‘business dinner’, which is reserved for relaxing and getting to know one another. Read more »
Public and Private Spheres
Hungarian people bring to the workplace fewer private matters than Americans do, and you will rarely see family pictures on the desk.
Read more »
Verbal Behavior
Hungarians are almost always less direct than North Americans, and depend on nuances of meaning in many cases. Humor, sometimes sarcastic, may be used to convey a message. Read more »
Body Language, Nonverbal Communication
Differences in the way people communicate often cause misunderstandings, which is why business visitors should have some understanding of the basics of Hungarian nonverbal behavior. Of course, as with any business culture, you will find plenty of individual variation. Read more »
Presentation Styles & Challenges
In what way should presentations and seminars in Hungary be different from those in the US? In America, you usually talk for ten minutes and then start everyone in an exercise. In Budapest, however, if you don’t give your Hungarian audience a 40 minute background of history, philosophy, and theory, they will think what you are about to say is probably not established. Read more »
The Use of Humor
Sarcasm is one of the many intellectual weapons Hungarian people love to use.
Read more »
The Language of Business
People who are very good in reading and writing a foreign language, might encounter hardships in verbal communication. They may not understand as well as you think they do. Read more »
Hungarian – A Strange Cake on the Menu
You can be proud of anything, if you really want to be. Ostriches, I suppose, are proud of not being able to fly – this would be an embarrassment to most birds, but oh how fast an ostrich can run! Read more »
Decesion-Making
Hungarian decision-making process is relatively long, with a greater need for information in a risk-averse culture.
Read more »
Business Negotiations in Hungary
When entering a negotiation, keep in mind that Hungarians like to disagree for the sake of discussion and new ideas. Hungarians do not hesitate to interrupt, argue and criticize if they feel it is needed. Read more »
Hungarian Culture: Books & Publications
Books and publications I used as resources for the Hungarian Culture – Understanding People – Multicultural Competence articles on this website:
Read more »
Feedback & Self-Esteem
There is an obvious cultural difference between European and North American cultures, is feedback and in relation to this, the concept of self-esteem.
Read more »
How to Make Hungarians Like You
Give Hungarian people a good chance to get to know you. Do not rush the relationship.
Read more »
How They Tell You’re Smart
Cross cultural comparisons in the areas of geography, national history, values, faith and religion, adaptability to change, making a difference, the measures of success, wearing social walls, signs of bright-mindedness, behavior toward foreigners.
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Beyond Words – Communication in Cultures
Understanding cultural differences is fascinating and challenging. One sometimes hard-to-understand difference is between low-context and high-context cultures, a concept introduced by American anthropologist Edward Hall.
Read more »
Serious Children
Not very many parents wait at the school gates for their children. Hungarians in their thirties and forties are too busy holding down multiple jobs to make ends meet.
Read more »
Roles of Women
The United States isn’t the only country where people can’t quite sort out how they feel about the role of women at work, in government and in the family.
Read more »
Cultures: Quality and the Perfect Cup of Coffee
The “perfect” cup of coffee is served a different way in virtually every part of the world. Each person’s definition of high quality is determined by their home culture.
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Spiritual Climate
The people of Budapest tend to be receptive when time is taken to establish personal credibility and trust. Street evangelism tends to repel people where no prior relationship exists. Freedom to cross-denominational boundaries (whether real or perceived) is not granted easily by one’s family or even one’s own conscience. The respect for denominational tradition is a real issue. Read more »
Education in Budapest
Attending schools where different languages are emphasized is possible within different school districts in Budapest. Generally, the Hungarian education system is considered to be of good academic quality, with a focus on preparing students for their next educational step in life – be it a trade school, technical university or liberal arts program. Read more »
Budapest Society
Family Structures: Nuclear family with many families living together in multi-generational homes.
Read more »
Living Standards of Budapest
The living standards of the people of the Budapest region are moderate to upper-level. The private sector accounts for over 80% of GDP. Foreign ownership of and investment in Hungarian firms is widespread.
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Linguistic Literacy Information
Hungarians have immense pride in their language. Hungarian language has withstood the test of time and the incursions of dozens of outside forces throughout the centuries. It is unique and unlike any other European language.
Read more »
Christian Heritage?
Christianity was first introduced to the Magyar people through a pact made by King István with the Vatican in 1000 AD. After officially declaring Hungary to be a Christian nation in order to form closer political ties to the growing West, people were given the choice to convert to Christianity or forfeit their lives.
Read more »
Religious Affiliaton of Hungarians
Cultural Catholic Christianity is the stated traditional religion of the people in Budapest. The years of Communism (1949 – 1989) had quite an affect on the mentality of the modern-day Hungarian.
Read more »
The City-dwellers of Budapest
Most people in Budapest carry a cell phone, use the public transportation daily, live in their own apartment and work in the city. The city dwellers of Budapest work a variety of jobs as in any major city – including retail, service, and product industries.
Read more »
Budapest: a Cultural Island
The relationship of Hungarians to other people groups has been cordial since the political changes in 1989, yet Hungarians maintain a distinct separate identity culturally, historically and linguistically. Therefore, many Hungarians will say that they are a cultural “island” standing all alone in the middle of other European countries.
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Language – a Source of Identity
The people of Hungary speak the Hungarian language. This is their target language and their traditional language. Hungarian is considered by many to be among the most challenging languages worldwide. Read more »
Origin and Identity of Budapest People
The Hungarian people know themselves as the “Magyar” people. They call their country “Magyarország” – or the “country of the Magyar people.”
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Hungary: A Fascinating History in a Nutshell
Hungary has a fascinating history spanning several centuries and nearly two millenniums.
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Roots of Hungarian Character
The Hungarian Character
We shall find it easier to understand the history and civilization of the Hungarians, if we look at first at some interesting traits of their national character.
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Origins & Migrations of the Hungarians
The mystery of the origins of the Hungarians has been a question debated since the first appearance of the warlike nation in Central Europe. Hungarian linguists have indicated the cold, northern regions of what is Russia today as their possible birthplace. Read more »
Roman Ruins Rule in Budapest
Margaret Island is a huge park that sits in the middle of the Danube. Two and a half kilometers in length, it’s as if a much larger Central Park were ripped out of Manhattan and dropped into a much cleaner Hudson River. Read more »
