Take the old rotary phones, which I grew up with. She was raised in this city and in Istanbul before moving, at age 10, to Montreal, and later to Toronto. Answers to your intercultural questions from a Canadian and a local point of view. 7:00AM and 4:00PM CET Historically, professional women have been participating in the work life with men since the 1920s. Due to its diverse nature Turkey has a mix of all kinds of people ranging from the uneducated labourer, to educated middle class worker and the highly educated or very rich business owners. While talking, men and women could frequently touch each other, for emphasis. Women do check each other’s clothing but when a man stares it is scorned as salacious. The Kurds make up the largest minority group in Turkey. So to come across Walmart, and have clothing on one side, and lettuce across from it, it was definitely weird. Filling up with Gas/Petrol was a better experience in the USA, since many pumps have a lever that you can set on, so you don’t have to hold the handle while filling up, and can clean your windows while you are waiting. She studied in Canada at the University of Toronto. In the USA it’s the opposite. On the contrary, Canadians are acknowledged as being from a country that is high on the list of places to live. Afterwards, your cultural interpreter immigrated to Canada to live and work in Ottawa. Just observe the people around you and emulate. The Istanbul Guide is a good source that will provide you with tourist information as well as historical insights. Confrontation is a sensitive issue. Explore similarities and differences. I have rarely experienced a power outage in the UK since the coal miners strikes in the 1970’s, and yet living in the USA I experienced regular power outages, and having to use a surge protector and UPS (battery backup) for the computer and the television became a necessity to help prevent them from getting “fried” during a storm. 11. According to some scientists Kurds could be closely related to the Persians (Iranians) and they migrated from northern Europe. Topics such as family, work and where you come from will give your colleagues a good idea about you. Clothing: Dress code is rather conservative in banks, government offices, law firms, schools, etc. If the person has neither, you still have to interview them and politely and tactfully make suggestions for alternative options. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. Always be on time for your appointment but be prepared for delay or even postponement. It is customary to shake hands with both men and women when greeting the person. Men are the dominant gender with women taking secondary roles. It is acceptable however, to ask politely for feedback. You must sample Turkish coffee or tea in an hourglass, play a game of backgammon while puffing the water pipe (nargile). The basic distinction is that Mohammed, Noah, Adam, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus were all prophets, and their relation to God is as teacher and NOT a divine being. Putting the index finger between the thumb and middle finger is objectionable and must be avoided. Then Christmas of course, where in the UK we have Boxing Day, the day after Christmas Day. I have a work-related problem with a colleague. Most middle-income Americans do visit places in their back yard for holiday (vacations) because it is cheaper than travelling long distances. Turks use hand gestures and mimic a lot to express themselves. It sounds perfect doesn’t it! The kebab houses are good for meat and rice dishes, and yogurt drink (ayran). We would encourage you to share your experiences; your contributions will help to make Country Insights a richer environment for learning. Generally though, it is customary to wear Western attire in Turkey. Another generalization made by Canadians is that polygamy is acceptable in Turkey. 3. When I went for my first interview with an American company I had a horrible shock when I was told by Human Resources that the working week was 40 hours (but they expected more like 60). All too often neither of you can understand each other, and the service is usually without a smile. Personal relationships are highly rated in this society. As you said, that is normal for anyone to find. You are correct that people in places like Jamaica and the Bahamas do not take advantage of their backyards. Being open to ideas would also be a good quality to have in a superior. There are many female physicians, lawyers, professors, deans, and other professionals. Humour is appreciated. Among the hand gestures, using the middle finger is considered offensive. Bodrum and Marmaris are two cities in the southern Aegean Region, which are worth visiting. Are there shared historical events between this country and Canada that could affect work or social relations? They will provide you with various aspects of the culture. You may disagree with or object to the content of some responses. Religion: The religion in Turkey is predominantly Muslim around 98%. In the UK it’s free! Women in larger urban areas, e.g. If the recommended person has the credentials and/or diligence, then consideration may be warranted. He is married and has two children. Turkish business culture is a contrast of two extremes. He freed the country from the occupying forces and formed the modern Turkish nation in 1923. Hours of work may vary during the month of Ramadan. A superior who is distant and uninterested in his or her staff and their ideas and needs will probably not obtain a very high degree of cooperation. Use tact and diplomacy. Let’s face it, I didn’t grow up here, so things are not what I am used to, and that is normal for anyone to find. Everywhere that I had worked in the UK had either a 35 or 37.5 hour working week. I don’t know if it’s this way in the UK, but where I am in Aus, there are no combined grocery/department stores. Your cultural interpreter was born in Eskisehir the eldest of two children. The hotel has produced a cookbook of their best recipes. The last paragraph of question 1 is worth repeating here also as it is a key component of the Turkish mentality. Education, age and expertise are highly respected by Turkish people. What motivates my local colleagues to perform well on the job? A superior who is not respected would not be told so directly, but it is quite likely that his or her staff would talk amongst itself. Information includes local cultural tendencies, profile comparisons and key strategies on how to manage cultural differences. Keep in mind that it is customary and expected that the staff are given gifts and bonuses during holidays. That is because Jamaica and the Bahamas are poor countries. Select one or several countries/regions in the menu below to see the values for the 6 dimensions. Workplaces are not all the same but it is good to be clean and punctual. In some jobs, Americans get three weeks off after five years service. Traffic is congested in major cities, therefore you must allow for extra time. These things are extremely minor. In the field of entertainment, it is common to see many popular minority performers. In a semi-formal way. There are so many things that I can think of, especially when it comes to language differences. However, if you get sick in the UK and your treatment isn’t urgent, you could end up on a waiting list for a year. Other signs might be inflexibility or low morale. Why is managing Cultural Diversity important? Developing good work relations will foster loyalty. In general, the minorities play down their differences, and are not openly discriminated. Privately or publicly? Sexism exists subtly and blatantly depending on the venue and situation. Religious and sexual topics should be avoided unless one is extremely familiar with the individual, as differences of opinions in these topics have resulted in extreme disagreements. It does help to have a personal relationship with a colleague or client before getting to business. Frequent power outages… The more tropical the climate you live in, the more fragile the power supply often is. London: Oxford University Press, 1961 (excellent source book); Metin Sozen: The Evolution of Turkish Art and Architecture; Cooking in Turkey. Interlink Books, 1998 (a readable overview of Turkey). This may be true for part of the population, but in general, and especially in major urban areas, people are very similar to those in the West. Also, being Italian-Australian (and having traveled) I completely get what you’re saying when you say ‘no where’s perfect’ and ‘I’d love to take the best of each place and combine it’ I often tell my (current) boyfriend this, who is also American (hence my worry about 60 hour weeks).