Business culture în Turkey

I. BUSINESS CULTURE IN TURKEY

>> BACKGROUND TO BUSINESS IN TURKEY

Turkey is a country at the crossroads in many ways. It has always been at the centre of the crossroads which divides Europe from Asia which gives the country enormous geo-political significance. It is also a crossroads economically and politically. The past couple of decades have seen Turkey attempt to move from an economy mainly dependent on agriculture and manufacturing to an economy which is much more diversified with a burgeoning high-end tech sector.

There are many reasons why you should consider doing business in Turkey. Turkey’s economy has performed relatively well over the past few years with growth rates remaining high and several key economic indicators remaining stable. It is projected that Turkey will be the 12th largest economy in the world by 2050 and much of that growth will be fuelled by the increasingly affluent middle-class element in this country with a population of around 81 million people.

It is definitely worth considering doing business in Turkey as it is a market with great potential. It is also worth looking into the challenges that can be encountered this country profile outlining key Turkish characteristics in business should be helpful on your journey.

>> BUSINESS STRUCTURES IN TURKEY

The first thing to say is that when interfacing with a client or other stakeholder in Turkey it is important to consider the national origins of the parent company. Many multi-nationals have operations in Turkey and when dealing with the subsidiary of an international company, it is likely that that subsidiary will have taken on at least some of the characteristics of the culture of the head office.

Traditionally most indigenous business in Turkey has either been family-owned companies or state-owned enterprises and, as can been imagined, these companies have tended to be extremely hierarchical in nature with multiple layers of bureaucracy. Even in foreign-run businesses it is highly likely that you will encounter an increased level of hierarchy and this need to be factored in when doing business in Turkey.

As in all hierarchies in the region, decisions tend to be taken at the top of the organisation and it is therefore really important to put some research into who the decision-makers actually are. Are you dealing with the decision-maker or somebody who might be an influencer of the decision-maker? Take the time to analyse this carefully as it should have a major impact on your tactics when starting to do business in Turkey. If you are not careful, you can waste a lot of time, effort and money speaking to the wrong people. The nearer your conversations are to the top of the pyramid, the better chance you have of being successful.

>> COMMUNICATION STYLES IN TURKEY

The first thing to say - and this might seem obvious - is that everybody in Turkey does not speak fluent English. There are many good speakers of English especially in the major cities in the Western Turkey but it is also possible to find yourself in a meeting where English language levels are very patchy. Therefore, it is always a good idea to check in advance if a translator is needed.

Like many countries in the Middle East emotion is not seen as a negative. On the contrary, the lack of an emotional response will often be viewed as a lack of interest in the issues which are being discussed. Therefore, if you find yourself in a meeting in Turkey where your counterparty seems to be overly emotional (from your perspective) you should in fact read this as a positive development. If a Turk remains concretely impassive throughout your discussions this is likely to be a much more worrying development.

Titles such as doctor or professor are very often used and are very much appreciated. In fact, the titles are often used without adding the person’s name. Using the titles is seen as a sign of respect and it is a good way of showing that you understand the importance of hierarchy within the organisation.

Speak slowly and clearly and make sure to avoid complex vocabulary, colloquialisms and sentence structures. If the Turks are taking the trouble to speak English to you, the least you can do is to speak English as clearly as possible.

>> DRESS CODE IN TURKEY

Business dress code in Turkey does not differ significantly from other areas of the world. As meetings, especially initial meetings, are seen as serious affairs it is probably safest for men to wear a smart suit with a tie and for women to wear a smart business suit with either skirt or trousers.

The weather in Turkey can obviously be extremely hot and in these circumstances, it is acceptable to wear lightweight clothing with an open neck shirt. However, it can also be extremely cold in Turkey in the winter and it is therefore advisable to check on what are the likely climatic conditions will be and pack accordingly.