BULGARIA | Internship: At work | Cultural standards
Definition of Culture Standards
It is natural that cultural standards, or, in other words, socially accepted norms and values within a particular culture that define one’s behaviour, differ from country to country. You might find Bulgarian cultural standards very different from the standards of your home country. On the other hand, it is impossible to describe cultural norms that would be true in every situation or the work environment. Business etiquette is rapidly changing in Bulgaria as more companies establish active contacts with foreign partners and learn from them.
Hopefully the following information gives you an idea about what one might encounter at the work place in Bulgaria.
People at work
The Bulgarian economy is still undergoing serious changes toward real market economy. The traditions of the old “planned economy” along with the fact that the transition period is still in progress, as well as some characteristics that lie deep in the mentality of Bulgarians, define the contemporary Bulgarian communication standards at the work place.
It is not a secret that engagement of the employees in the work process widely depends on the national culture and the level of satisfaction with life in a certain country. Sometimes the general dissatisfaction of the people due to the slow economic changes is reflected in the work environment. Since in many places the amount of money paid for equal positions is the same regardless of the performance levels, it is a common belief that a person can rarely make a career by working too hard. That’s why many employees are not motivated at the work place to do their best.
It is a common practice when Bulgarians complain about work (and life in the country in general). Probably this is the reason why the percentage of Bulgarians who answered (in a survey) that they are stressed at work is one of the highest among other European Union countries while the work conditions are often no more stressful than in other countries.
On the other hand, it is true that IT at the work place is not as developed as in other countries and as a result to complete the same amount of work usually takes more time and effort. Moreover, a percentage of Bulgarians that work on the weekends is also one of the highest in European Union. A trainee could also be asked to work on the weekend.
Professional and private life
You might find it strange that the way Bulgarians behave at work is not very different from that out of the office. It is still possible to do the job if you show you are friends with somebody. Due to the extended work hours under the new market economy conditions one’s circle of friends consists mostly of some of his or her colleagues. It is common that after work they would go for a drink with some of the colleagues and often talk about work. Most probably you will notice a fact that might be different in your culture: Bulgarians talk about work during their leisure time and talk about their private life during work hours.
So unlike other cultures emotions and personal relationships are very important at the workplace. Many professional problems are solved through the network of friends, relatives and acquaintances. It is not unlikely to hear a lot of private conversations at work – not only during the numerous coffee and cigarette breaks.
Accepting new people
The traditional Bulgarian hospitality doesn’t always show at the work place. Studies reveal that it’s not uncommon for people to be unfriendly to a new colleague out of fear that he or she would take their job, do the job better or catch the boss’s attention. This is usually not true when it comes to meeting a foreign colleague. Bulgarians are generally very friendly and open to foreigners. They would most probably want to become friends with you regardless of the way you are performing at work. They would expect even that you would know more, but if you are not at the desired level they would forgive you and consider this as due to your coming from a different culture and still trying to adjust.
Keeping time
Keeping time exactly to the minute is not one of the strongest Bulgarian features. It is considered normal if a meeting starts within 15 minutes after it was announced. If you are coming to a meeting, particularly if it’s a business meeting, it is still a good idea to be on time, but you might have to wait for the meeting or interview to start. It has to be emphasized here that especially companies dealing with foreign partners are learning to adjust and keep better time since it influences their success and professional relationships in a good way.