The Importance of Business Culture in Turkey

Istanbul is one of the metropolitan cities located in Turkey. As a result, it serves as the country’s historic, cultural and economic center. The culture of Turkey aggregates a profoundly diverse and heterogeneous set of elements derived from the East Mediterranean, Central Asia, and to a lesser degree that of Caucasian tradition and Eastern Europe. Numerous of these traditions came into existence through the Ottoman empire, a multi-religious and ethnic state.

Due to the different historical factors defining the Turkish identity, the culture evidently combines aspects of Westernization and modernization with an appeal to maintain historical and religious values. Based on that, opening a subsidiary, managing an enterprise and hiring employees is not an easy task as perceived. It is because of the diversity of the state and uniqueness of the culture. Therefore, comprehending various cultural difference is crucial to the success of any business in the country.

            One of Turkey’s cultural difference is their perception towards foreigners. The government is aversive to companies that take opportunities from their citizens. The people like to get acquainted with those they will work for and conduct business. Therefore, they value trustworthy relationships for long-term benefits. The other diversity is in religion and working schedule (Sims & Gegez, 2004). It is important to avoid scheduling meetings during their holy days as they highly regard their religion. Thus, understanding the aspects is crucial in preventing misunderstandings and showing a lack of respect for their beliefs and views. Also, the other variation is on business communication attributes such as face to face interaction, the significance of their language, and their value for education, rank and authority in a business environment assist in ensuring a firm’s success.

            In conclusion, business culture plays a significant role in the expansion to foreign territories. Understanding of the nation’s values is crucial for the attainment of set goals and objectives.

Reference

Sims, R. L., & Gegez, A. E. (2004). Attitudes towards business ethics: A five nation comparative study. Journal of Business Ethics, 50(3), 253-265.