Hungarian Business Culture

Hungarian Business Culture - Introduction

If you are familiar with other European cultures, you will find that many Hungarian
customs and practices are similar to those of Western and Central Europe. However, you
will also find that in its particular mix of traits, Hungary's business culture is really one of a
kind. In other words, exporters, importers and investors new to Hungary will be confronted
by a novel blend of cultural characteristics, a business culture which is in certain respects
unique. The aim of this article is to prepare the visitor to do business successfully in this
challenging market.

Most Hungarian negotiators are
- relationship-focused,
- indirect in their verbal communication,
- formal and hierarchical in their business interaction as well as
- very expressive in their verbal and nonverbal behavior.

While these particular mixture of characteristics are common enough in southern Europe,
you won't find it among Hungary's immediate neighbors.

More on Hungarian business culture >>>

Hungary's Geography, Ethnicity & History

On the map Hungary appears as a non-Slavic wedge separating the southern Slavs
(Bulgarians and the peoples of the former Yugoslavia) from those of the north - the Czechs,
Slovaks and Poles. As a non-Slavic people surrounded mostly by Slavs, Hungarians
sometimes feel like lonely outsiders.

Ethnically most Hungarians are descendants of the warlike Magyars who pushed into Europe
a thousand years ago from their original homeland in Central Asia. Thus their language is not
an Indo-European tongue but rather part of the Finno-Ugric group. It is distantly related to the
languages spoken by other ancient settlers from Central Asia: the Finns, Estonians and Lapps.

Invaded by the Mongols in 1241, Hungary was also occupied for 150 years by the Turks after
losing the decisive battle of Mohács in 1526. The embattled Hungarians were defeated again
in 1849 by the Austrians and Russians and then somehow managed to end up on the losing
side in both World War I and World War II. Centuries of defeats and invasions may explain a
certain tendency to pessimism and cynicism.