| 1 businessculture.org http://businessculture.org/southern- europe/business-culture-in-slovenia/ Last updated: 02.10.2013 businessculture.org Business Culture in Slovenia This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the view only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
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Slovenian business culture guide - Learn about Slovenia
http://businessculture.org - Find out about business culture in Slovenia. This guide is part of the Passport to Trade 2.0 project which examined European Business culture in 31 countries looking at business communication, business etiquette, business meeting etiquette, internship and student placements, cost of living, work-life-balance and social media guide.
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This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the view only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Business Culture in Slovenia ..................................................................................................... 4
Xenophobia: being a foreigner in Slovenia ....................................................................................... 5
International business in Slovenia .................................................................................................... 5
General educations ............................................................................................................................. 5
Search and Social Media Marketing for International Business ................................................... 25
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Business Culture in Slovenia
The following is a very short introduction to Germany. External links at the end of this page provide you with more in depth information concerning different topics.
The following video gives you an overview of the general facts:
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9UaA6Ny_Qs)
The general information on a country and its social, economic, cultural and institutional
environment will help the visitor understand the context in which their business partners
operate. Since informal discussion during meetings or social events may bring up local or
national issues, it is good to be aware of certain aspects of local culture, as this may help in
developing personal and business relationships.
Slovenia is a country in a strategic position at the heart of Central Europe surrounded by
Italy, Croatia, Hungary and Austria, with some 46.6km of coastline on the Adriatic Sea.
With a population of 2,055,496 million inhabitants (2012) and a total land mass of 20,273
km2, Slovenia is a small country. Its capital, Ljubljana, is also the largest city, followed by:
Maribor, Kranj, Celje, Koper and Nova Mesto. The general population density is 101
inhabitants per km2, although internal migration between regions and immigration from
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abroad have been growing lately. Over 80% of the population belong to the Slovene ethnic
group and the remainder is made up of Serbs, Croats, Bosnians and various others.
As a member of the European Union, Slovenia has adopted the Euro as its official currency.
Like other European countries, Slovenia adheres to Central European Time (CET) in winter
and Central European Summer Time (CEST) from the last Sunday in March to the last Sunday
in October.
Xenophobia: being a foreigner in Slovenia
In Slovenia, organizational structure is important in determining peoples’ attitudes in a
business environment. There is generally a top-down approach to management, whereby the
most significant business decisions are made by the top management. The largest
organisations are either under government control or the government has the ability to veto
any decision it does not like, which can dramatically slow down the negotiation process.
Slovenian attitudes to business are comparable to that of the Germans and Austrians. After
the experience of transitioning to a market economy, Slovenians have become much more
aware of foreign business cultures and attitudes. So, foreign business professionals are now
accorded respect based on their personal knowledge and abilities, rather than a historical
appreciation for anything foreign.
Slovenians are punctual and like others to be on time to their meetings. Being late is
considered extremely rude, demonstrating a lack of respect and a sign of not taking things
seriously. If you are going to be late, it is important to call ahead to apologise and give a valid
reason for the delay.
International business in Slovenia
Slovenians are interested to be connected and integrated in international business
environment. They are concern of the products and services quality. Companies are generally
adopting high standards strategies and focus on the market segments interest in high
technology or quality.
They are open to ‘import’ best practice from others, especially from foreigners with previous
experience. The business culture of other countries is also a subject of interest since they are
also interested in ‘exporting’ their products, services and knowledge.
General educations
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In Slovenia, the general level of education is impressive, with a literacy level of 99.7%. A
significant proportion of the population consists of university graduates and many of the
people aged between 25 and 64 have a higher education qualification.
Most managers have a significant level of education, having obtained both undergraduate and
postgraduate degrees. Moreover, younger managers can now travel to other European
countries or North America to undertake their postgraduate education or gain further
professional practical experience.
The population’s ICT skills vary according to age, with the younger generations recording the
highest proportions of computer literacy.
Slovenia has a high degree of computer usage in the normal workplace and office
environment.
Educational standards
The education system in Slovenia is provided by the state for the compulsory levels from
basic to upper secondary. Teaching is mainly done in Slovenian with regional exceptions,
where education is bilingual or learning a second language is compulsory. In the Hungarian
speaking region, bilingual teaching is preferred and teachers are expected to be fluent in both
languages. Whereas in the Italian region, schools either provide instruction in Italian with
Slovene as a compulsory subject, or the reverse where classes are taught in Slovene and
Italian is a compulsory subject. Other minority languages are widely spoken in Slovenia, but
there is no formal provision for them in the education system. International schools are
present in Slovenia and provide education entirely in English or French and may offer some
tuition in Slovene.
Higher education is provided by both public and private universities, with programmes being
delivered in Italian, English, French or German. The cost of tuition is paid for by the state or
by the student, depending on the university, subject and academic achievement. The higher
education system in Slovenia is organised according to the Bologna system using ECTS and
the three levels of study, undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral.
The Slovenian education system is governed by two ministries, the Ministry of Education and
Sport is responsible for undergraduate education and the Ministry of Higher Education,
Science and Technology oversees advanced academic education and research. A great deal of
attention is paid to students’ involvement in research programmes.
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Other issues such as transport infrastructure
The labour market is relatively stable in Slovenia, with most internal migration being from
rural to urban areas by people in search of work. However, the mobility of labour is restricted
by the fact that although foreign workers have more or less equal rights when they are in a
job, new austerity measures introduced since 2007 have affected foreign workers’ access to
jobs and protection from discrimination. The austerity measures have also seen increases in
the numbers of Slovenian workers travelling to other European member states in search of
better jobs.
Cultural taboos
Safe topics of discussion include showing an appreciation for your experience of visiting
Slovenia in terms of its countryside, culture and sports. Slovenia is considered to have very
beautiful countryside and it might be appropriate to ask about what you should see and do, if
you have time during your visit.
Subjects that should be avoided include any comparisons between Slovenia and other former
Yugoslavian countries and any reference to the Second World War. Also, Slovenia’s position in
Europe should always be referred to as Central European.
It is not a good idea to openly criticise other business partners in front of your Slovenian
partner and Slovenian business practice advises that nothing defamatory should be said about
your competitors.
In Slovenia, it is advisable to avoid mixing business with pleasure. Specifically, you should
avoid asking about intimate personal or confidential subjects, especially questions concerning
your host’s personal finances.
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Business Communication
Communication is important for Slovenian business men, but this doesn’t make them very
friendly from the beginning. Direct communication is appreciated to start a business
relationship as an opportunity to know the partner and to get trust. Their communication style
is closer to German and Nordics.
Face-to-face communication
Slovenians prefer face-to-face communication with a potential business partner, which gives
them the opportunity to meet someone in person to look them in the eyes and gain a
measure of their trustworthiness. Non-verbal communications are vital in this part of the
world; not making direct eye contact will be considered a sign of disinterest and that you may
be trying to hide something.
Overall, attitudes to business and professionalism in Slovenia are very similar to those of
Germany and Austria.
During the first meeting, business partners will closely adhere to the formal rules of protocol
and procedures, but as a relationship develops, meetings will gradually become more
informal.
Language matters
Slovene belongs to the family of South Slavic languages and Slovenians generally speak more
than one language. The most popular foreign languages in Slovenia are primarily English,
followed by Italian and German, which tend to be spoken most often near the Italian and
Austrian borders, respectively.
Learning a few basic words in the local language is always a good idea and the ability to say
something like ‘hello’ or ‘good morning’ in Slovene would be a pleasant surprise to your host.
As Slovenian society is rather formal in its approach to business, it is advisable to adopt a
more formal style and wait for the relationship to develop into a friendship before allowing too
much familiarity in the conversation.
The Slovenian language differentiates between the singular, familiar ‘you’ and the plural,
polite ‘you’ form of addressing people. It is important to note that being on first name terms
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does not automatically mean that the relationship has developed to the point of a friendship.
So, you should always use the polite form of address, until invited by your business partner to
address them on more familiar terms.
It is always appreciated when a foreigner makes the effort to learn a few basic Slovenian
words. Some useful words and phrases in Slovenian are:
English-Slovenian Vocabulary
• Yes!: Ja! [ya]
• No!: Ne! [ne]
• Please!: Prosim! [prohsim]
• Excuse me!: Oprostite! [oprohsteeteh]
• Thank you!: Hvala! [hvaala]
• Good morning!: Dobro jutro! [dobro yootro]
• Good afternoon!: Dober dan! [dohber daan]
• Goodnight!: Lahko noc! [ laahko nohch]
• Goodbye!: Na svidenje! [na sveedenye]
• What is your name?: Kako vam je ime? [kakoh vam yeh imeh]
• My name is…: Ime mi je… [imeh mi yeh]
• How are you?: Kako ste? [kakoh ste]
• Fine, thanks, and you?: Dobro, hvala. Pa vi? [dobro hvaala. pa vi]
• I understand!: Razumem! [razoomem]
• I don’t understand!: Ne razumem! [ne razoomem]
• Do you speak English?: Govorite anglesko? [Govoreete anglehshko]
• I speak a little English!: Govirim malo anglescine [govoreem maalo
• Learn the principles of SEO to ensure that your website and any social media profiles are found by individuals searching for your name, products and services.
• These basic principles of SEO include keyword research, on-page optimisation and off-page optimisation.
How to use social media for international business development (4/12)
• Social media networks break down the traditional country barriers, but do you know which networks are relevant for the country you are interested in trading with?
• Find out in this video how to identify the relevant networks and what social media strategies you might be able to use on these networks.
• LinkedIn is one of the three main professional social networks – the others being Xing and Viadeo which are also popular in several European countries.
• Learn how to make the most of LinkedIn for your profile.
• Google+ is the second largest social network as of January 2013.
• It is one of the fastest growing social networks and one that has the biggest impact when it comes to search engine results integration for anyone who uses Google as their main search engine.
• Learn how to make the most of Google+ for you and your digital profiles.
• Whether you are an individual or a business spending time on social media – there has to be a return on your engagement online.
• How do you justify your engagement on social media to your boss? Listen to the industry experts in this area and see what you might be able to measure in respect of your on-line engagements.
• Blogging is a process of writing text and sharing content with others. It can help your customers or friends to keep in-touch regardless of social media platforms.
• Think about the voice you might want to adopt and who your audience might be. Share your thoughts with us by writing a blog post about this MOOC.
• Tweet us the link to your post on the #SSMMUoS Twitter hash tag.
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Passport to Trade 2.0 Project Partnership Five Universities:
Lead partner: Salford Business School, University of Salford, United Kingdom
Elena Vasilieva Aleksej Heinze Alex Fenton
URENIO research unit at Aristole University of Thessaloniki, Greece
Christina Kakderi Nitsa Papadopouloui
TSE Entre Research Centre Turku School of Economics, University of Turku, Finland
Satu Aaltonen Elisa Akola
Institute for Information System Research University of Koblenz-Landau, Germany
Verena Hausmann Susan P. Williams Petra Schubert
Valahia University of Targoviste, Romania
Adriana Grigorescu Leonardo Badea
Three Small & Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs)
Spin, Italy
Carmine Antonio Donato Dorella De Tommaso
Technology Development & Innovation – TDI LTD Bulgaria