Conflict of generations: Business culture of contemporary Russia

Text by Elena Groznaya

Inhaltsübersicht

Conflict of generations: Business culture of contemporary Russia

That which seems the height of absurdity in one generation often becomes the height of wisdom in another.  ~ Adlai Stevenson

Doing business in a foreign country and encountering an unfamiliar business culture can be a complex and strenuous activity. Even more so, if the country is torn between three different business cultures and mentalities. This is the case in contemporary Russia.

A variety of business cultures

The first discussions about the generation gap in Russia can be found in the 19th century, in Ivan Turgenev’s classic “Fathers and Sons”. In his novel Turgenev describes the age-old conflict between young people who, influenced by Western culture, struggle for changes, and the older people who cherish past memories and want to maintain traditional Russian values. Interestingly enough, today this 19th century novel is topical again. Rapid, often chaotic and quite extreme ...