by Adrienne Rubatos

SIETAR, the Society for Intercultural Education, Training and Research is a global network encompassing regional and national sections. The Humboldt University in Berlin hosted the 2004 annual congress of SIETAR Europe and SIETAR Germany. The host of the congress was Prof. Juergen Henze and his team from ‘Comparative Educational Sciences’. The university maintains intensive research and exchange relations to universities in CEE (Central and Eastern Europe), especially to those in Ex-Soviet states.

The congress lasted from March 31 to April 4. The pre- and post- congress day was reserved for longer workshops, while the three core days consisted mainly of short paper presentations, workshops and discussion sessions, all clustered around nine pre-defined tracks. The complete program is visible under www.sietarcongress2004.de. Most contributions addressed tracks referring to methods and limits of intercultural work in general and to identities in transition. Disappointingly few treated subjects related to CEE. A similar ratio was reflected by the participants; 16 CEE members out of 450 in total, whereas 9 came from Poland, 3 from Hungary and one respectively from Latvia, Slovakia and Czech Republic. This report aims to spotlight those congress activities with CEE implication.

Dr. Reif from the NGO ‘Südwind’ in Vienna addressed the power, wealth and psychologically related inferiority position of the East. Her research compared, among others, the conflict behaviour within the three countries. The high conflict avoidance and an ‘internalised power distance’ in Eastern Europe facilitates the Western endeavour of imposing its own (economic, value, language) systems.

The approach of Ms. Mueller of osb international consulting Vienna, is to combine Goshall &Ballett’s triangle for organisations (International, Multinational, Global) with the systemic constellation triangle of Varga von Kibéd (Cognition, Trust, Order) to a consultancy tool, applicable for use by Western and Eastern firms. A successful organisation should be balanced in all three poles. The workshop participants positioned their CEE related firm in this triangle and assessed the weak angles to be strengthened. As firms in CEE are mostly local, the discussion turned more to CEE subsidiaries of Western firms.

Ms. Meierwert and Ms. Dunkel, university for economics, Vienna, found the most relevant cultural standards for teaming to be hierarchy- independence, verbal-nonverbal communication and rule orientation. Their effect during the five teaming phases (Tuckman & Jensen) was analysed and compared. An innovative approach, however the displayed results mostly simply confirmed the known business culture profile of these four nations.

Ms. Rubatos of the Henley Management College UK, presented the results of her research quantifying the transition of the business culture by means of the Triangle Model, a cultural audit tool by Terry Garisson. The progress towards a capitalistic ‘IMO’ (individualistic, materialistic, open) culture was explored with regard to cultural bedrock, work systems and behaviour.

Ms. Barthélémy-Capet, Sorbonne University, adopts a complex view on identity. It consists of cultural, sociological and professional part, all being continuously reshaped by heritage and new forces. The potential misunderstandings in projects are investigated through cases of Czech and French partners working with French subsidiaries.

Ms. Brede, University of Latvia, discussed the extent to which the influence of Russian, German and especially English in the Latvian language of the young generation and of the mass media is a cultural necessity within the changing reality of the country.

Mr. Darko Strajn from Slovenia exposed a  theoretical reflection about the applicability of some new sociological concepts to better understanding of old and new democracies.

Mr. Weiss, www.AFS.de, presented the feedback expressed by exchange- scholars and students (Easterner in Germany and vice versa). AFS offers one year exchange programs. The more recently created AFS- Foundation focuses on Poland, Czech Republic and Bosnia- Herzegovina.

Ms. Uehlinger and Ms. Rubatos gave a culturally holistic introduction about CEE as region. The intention was to transmit the deep values and feelings of CEE people to Westerner attendees. After the historical- religious backgrounds, selected cultural dimensions were explained and assessed for East and West. The practical examples were mostly from business. ‘Reconciliation’ proposals were given for the cases with extreme cultural gap between East and West.

Worth mentioning are some other CEE related contacts and information that were announced at the SIETAR congress.

- Larger consultancy firms are looking for partners specialized in the culture of certain CEE countries.

- The European George C. Marshall Centre (founded 1993, located Garmisch-Partenkirchen) bears responsibilities for CEE and Euro-Asian region. Professional management development programs are offered for leaders in diplomatic, military and political services, but also for economists and journalists of these countries. Topics are strategic change, crises management, nationalism, reforms, security. Teachers are mainly university professors, both from Eastern and Western countries.

- SIETAR board member Dr. Castiglioni is designing and executing training programs for managers in Ex- Soviet countries, as part of the a special project (MTP) within the EU program ‘Tacis’. During 7 years 2500 senior and junior managers attended 1-3month course sessions (management skills and intecultural aspects), while working in a Western firm. The learned theory was transferred to own projects supported then by local consultants. The MTP project led additionally to numerous JVs and M&As. MTP is an excellent concept, which could be copied for all CEE countries!

This report remains fragmentary simply due to the nature of the SIETAR organisation. It is an attempt to reflect the multitude of aspects approached by various researchers and practitioners working on the CEE region.