Czech Republic
CULTURAL INVESTIGATION: Czech Republic
Geography
The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Austria, Germany, Poland, and Slovakia. Czechia is home to a population of 10.56 million (2016) and has an area of 78,867 km². The capital and largest city is Prague, which is famously known for its castles, chateaus and mansions. In fact, the historic center in Prague is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Language
The official language is Czech which is spoken by 96% of the population. Other languages you may hear are Slovak, German, Polish and Romany.
Religion
The Czech Republic was once predominantly Roman Catholic. However, today the Czech Republic is observed as being one of the least religious countries in the world. The breakdown of religions is 39.8% atheist, 39.2% Roman Catholics, 4.6% Protestant, 3% Orthodox, 13.4% Other.
Additionally, a Pew Research Study found 7 in 10 Czechs (72%) do not identify with a religious group, including 46% who describe their religion as “nothing in particular” and an additional 25% who say “atheist” describes their religious identity.
History
Before World War I, Czechia was part of Austria-Hungary. In 1918, the Czechs and neighboring Slovaks joined together and formed the independent Republic of Czechoslovakia. It was later occupied by the Germans during World Ward II in 1939 and eventually fell to Soviet influence and became a member of the Warsaw Pact. The Soviet authority eventually collapsed and in 1989 the Czechs regained their freedom and became a sovereign state during the Velvet Revolution, which reestablished democracy with a market economy. In 1993, the country of Czechoslovakia separated into two national components, the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
politics & Economy
The Czech Republic’s government is a two-chamber parliamentary representative democracy with a President as the head of state. They also have a Prime Minister as head of government. The parliament is comprised of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate.
The Czech Republic ranks 11th in the GPI (global peace index) measuring the safest or most peaceful country. They have strong ties with their neighboring Slovakia, Poland, Hungary, Germany, Israel and the United States.
Czechia is a developed country with an advanced, high income social market economy. The Czech Republic is a welfare state following the European social model - envisioning a society that combines economic growth with high living standards and good working conditions. They have universal health care and tuition-free university education.
In 1999, the Czech Republic became a member of NATO and a member of the EU in 2004. It is also a member of the OECD, United Nations, OSCE and the Council of Europe.
The Czech is considered one of Europe’s most flourishing economies. It is highly diverse and ranks 7th in the 2016 Economic Complexity Index. The breakdown is 37.5% industrial sectors, 60% services, and 2.5% agriculture. Their largest trading partners both both exports and imports is Germany and the EU.
The Czech also gains considerable income from tourism. In fact, their capital city, Prague, is the fifth most visited city in Europe. The Czech is also home to 14 UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Overall, tourism makes up 5.5% of GNP (gross national product).
CulturE, Cuisine & Sports
Czech culture is considered a cottage culture. Many families have small cottages out in the country and Czechs tend to spend their weekends na chatě – at their cottage. It would not be odd to see the bustling city of Prague mostly deserted on weekends during the summer.
Food is inspired by Germanic and Balkan cuisines. Dishes traditionally consist of meat in gravy, rich toppings, beer, pork, potatoes, butter, and cream. The Czech national dish is called Svíčková Na Smetaně. It require three hours of preparation and is usually prepared for special occasions. The dish consists of a quality cut of slow roasted beef or sirloin, served with a vegetable puree, topped with cranberry sauce and whipped cream, and served with bread dumplings.
The two most popular sports in the Czech Republic are football (soccer) and ice hockey. The Czechoslovakia national soccer team were runners-up in the 1934 and 1962 World Cups. And the Czech Republic narrowly lost to Germany in the finals of 1996's European championships. Their national ice hockey team has won the World Hockey Championships seven times. Many of their best players end up playing for foreign leagues, such as the NHL.
Here’s a trivia fact for you all - Czech people consume the highest amount of beer per capita in the world. The country drinks an average of 161 liters of beer per person, according to The Economist. The Czech Republic is definitely known for their beer. In fact, the original Budweiser is made in the Czech republic by the Budweiser Budvar Brewery and the city of Pilsen is the home of Pilsner beer. However, beer production has been declining and fell 8% from last year.
Despite having the highest per capita beer consumption in the world, Czechs like to wake up early. Traditionally, the working day would start around 7am and go until 3pm. However, some are shifting to a more western 9-5 schedule.
Communication Styles
According to Edward T. Hall’s high/low context culture theory, the Czech Republic is considered a low context culture. This means they view communication as an exchange of information, placing an emphasis on the written and spoken word; what is meant is what is said. Czechs are logical, linear, individualistic, and action oriented. Communication should be straightforward, concise and direct on what action is expected.
Czechs are formal, reserved and value privacy. Once you develop a personal relationship, Czechs will begin to open up a bit more, but they are typically never overly emotional. It is recommended to wait until invited to use a first-name basis or an informal greeting. Greetings are typically a polite handshake and direct eye contact. When invited over to someone’s home, it is considered polite to bring a small gift. It is also typical for Czechs not to acknowledge people whom they do not know; This makes complete sense when reflecting on Piotr Pluta’s Intercultural Guide to Humor. Piotr mentioned a Lonely Planet travel book which recommends not to smile at strangers in Poland (a neighboring country to the Czech Republic) because they might think you’re stupid. This may sound strange to an American, but in other cultures perceived smiling or non-smiling is a way of assessing intelligence. In Poland and Noway, they perceive smiling individuals as less intelligent. In fact there is a common Norwegian Joke that goes like this …
When a stranger you meet on the street smiles at you, you assume that:
a) he is a drunk
b) he is insane
c) he is an American
d) … all of the above
Hofstede’s Six Dimensions
Power Distance - The Czech Republic scored a 57 on this dimension. This means it is a hierarchical society, people accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place.
Individualism - With a score of 58, Czechia is considered an individualist society. They have a loosely-knit social framework and view themselves more in terms of “I” rather than “we.”
Masculinity (Tough) - Czech Republic scores higher in the masculine (tough) versus feminine (tender) dimension, with a score of 57. This means they are driven by competition, achievement and success.
Uncertainty Avoidance - With a high score of 74, this means that Czechs prefer to avoid uncertainty. This means their culture tends to have an emotional need for rules, they maintain a rigid code of believe and behavior, and are intolerant of unorthodox ideas.
Long Term Orientation - Czech culture seems to have a pragmatic orientation, believing that truth depends on the situation, context, and time. They scored a high 70. This also means they have a propensity to save and invest, and the ability to adapt traditions to changing times.
Indulgence - The Czech Republic scored low in this dimension with a 29. This means they are generally not indulgent and have a tendency towards pessimism and cynicism. Hofstede would argue there is not much of an emphasis on leisure time, however I have read otherwise that Czechs enjoy their leisure time and balance their work/life.
Leadership Styles
Since Czechia rated relatively high in their Power Distance dimension, we can conclude that their organizations are hierarchical. Subordinates expect to be told what to do and the ideal boss is a benevolent autocrat. Their score in Individualism also reveals that the employer/employee relationship is seen as a contract based on mutual advantage, management is the management of individuals, and hiring and promotion is based on merit.
Managers are more Masculine (tough) and are expected to be decisive and assertive. There is emphasis on equity, competition, and performance.
With a high uncertainty avoidance, Czechs have a strong urge to be hard at work, value precision and punctuality (time is money). Innovation is not highly encouraged and unorthodox ideas may be resisted. Overall, security is a very important motivation for the individual.
Resources
Cottage Culture - Prague, Czech Republic. (2017, October 03). Retrieved September 9, 2020, from https://news.expats.cz/community/czech-cottage-tradition/
Country Comparison. (n.d.). Retrieved September 9, 2020, from https://www.hofstede-insights.com/country-comparison/czech-republic/
Czech Food - 18 Traditional Dishes You Simply Must Try. (2020, August 27). Retrieved September 9, 2020, from https://nomadparadise.com/czech-food/
Czech Republic Culture. (n.d.). Retrieved September 9, 2020, from https://www.praguewise.com/czech-republic-culture.html
Evans, J. (2020, July 22). Most Czechs don't believe in God. Retrieved September 9, 2020, from https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/06/19/unlike-their-central-and-eastern-european-neighbors-most-czechs-dont-believe-in-god/
Hamplova, D. (2010, June 24). Are Czechs the least religious of all? Retrieved September 9, 2020, from https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/belief/2010/jun/24/czech-republic-religious-atheism
Kästle, K. (n.d.). Czech Republic. Retrieved September 9, 2020, from https://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/czech_republic.htm
Sood, S. (2011, March 25). Travel - Seven surprising facts about Czech beer. Retrieved September 9, 2020, from http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20110324-travelwise-seven-surprising-facts-about-czech-beer
Tedx Talks. (2018, Jun 18). Intercultural guide to humor (at home and abroad) | Piotr Pluta | TEDxOslo [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=10&v=w-abKKg0sw8&feature=emb_title