The document provides an overview of cultural and business practices for expatriates in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM). It discusses the country's culture, religion, and business etiquette. Macedonia has a transitional climate, parliamentary democracy, and a predominantly Eastern Orthodox Christian population. Business meetings are used to build relationships, and gifts are customary. Expatriates should understand the culture, customs, and religion to be successful in Macedonia.

1. EDUCATING THE EXPATRIATE ON THE FORMER YUGOSLAV REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA (FYROM) - Richa B. Arora

2. OVERVIEW Introduction on the Republic of Macedonia.(FYROM) Psychographic of Culture and Business in Macedonia. The religion and Belief System. Behaviorist Culture Do’s and Don'ts in Macedonia Ethnocentrism, SRC and Social Personality Importance of Time Entertaining the clients Country Fact Grid Recommendation to the Expatriate

3. INTRODUCTION The Republic of Macedonia is located in the central Balkan Peninsula in Southeastern Europe. The country gained independence from Yugoslavia on Sep 8th 1991. It is bordered by Kosovo, Serbia, Bulgaria, Greece, and Albania.

4. INTRODUCTION Contd… The capital of Macedonia is Skopje .

5. INTRODUCTION Contd… The estimated population is 2,114,086 (July 2010 est.) The official language is Macedonian , others being Albanian, Turkish, Serbian etc.

6. Member of UN, EU, WTO, WHO,IMF and CEFTA

7. Macedonia has a transitional climate from Mediterranean to Continental . Demir Kapija is the hottest town in the country.

8. Macedonia has a Parliamentary Democratic System

9. SOME WELL-KNOWN PEOPLE Aristotle Alexander the Great- born in Pella, capital of the kingdom of Macedon. Mother Teresa- born in Skopje, capital of Macedonia. (former Yugoslavia)

10. HOFSTEDE’S CULTURAL DIMENSIONS Macedonia has low individualism. The country is high on uncertainty avoidance. It is a masculine culture. People have long-term orientation. Macedonian has an effective and diffused culture. The Republic of Macedonia is high on Power Distance .

11. The cultural dimension prove that the Republic of Macedonia has: HIGH CONTEXT CULTURE

12. RELIGION AND BELIEF SYSTEM The main religion is Christianity, with 64.7% of Eastern Orthodox Christians. The constitution believes in freedom to religion and right to express one’s faith freely. Macedonians are highly religious, and the country has been recognized as the Centre of Eastern Spirituality. The people have great belief in heavenly bodies.

13. GLASS CEILING AND FEMALE BOSS The culture of Macedonia is mostly male-dominated, women get less educational opportunities. Only 20% of the women make the workforce Only 18% are business owners of small & medium size firms.

14. BRIBERY A major problem in Macedonia Corrupt practices obtains benefits from businesses. 30% of the firms operating in Macedonia have paid bribes to public officials.

15. DO’S IN MACEDONIA Shake hands at the start/completion of a meeting. Give gifts when you visit or meet someone. Exchange business cards in initial meetings.

16. DON’TS IN MACEDONIA Smoke/drink in public Kiss/Hug in public Refuse when refreshments are offered. Laugh loudly or using foul language. Never address people with their first name.

17. ETHNOCENTRISM AND SRC Macedonians are ethnical and social people. They have strong cultural values, and are good at hospitality. The Macedonian ethnocentrism perspective dates back to their struggle for independence from Yugoslavia.

18. IMPORTANCE OF TIME Macedonians have a casual attitude towards time and punctuality. Late arrivals at business meetings and social events are accepted. If an outsider has been invited for a meeting, it is recommended to be punctual and be prepared for late arrivals of the attendees.

19. BUSINESS ATTIRE Attire similar to the western countries. For men, suit with tie is formal business dress. Dresses are more frequent for women. Well-dressed and groomed person is appreciated by all.

20. ENTERTAINING THE CLIENTS People believe in building relationship and trust with the clients. Business meetings are an opportunity to know the other party. The meeting venue could be a restaurant, or a coffee shop. Gifts are customary, when invited to an individual's home. Wine, sweets, flowers and chocolates make good gifts.

21. BUSINESS CARDS AND TITLE Business cards are exchanged on initial business meetings. Including founding date of the company on business card, adds credibility to the company. Respect other’s business cards and do not write on it. Organizational structure is hierarchical.

22. COUNTRY FACT GRID The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) Cultural 1. Major Religion Eastern orthodox Christianity (64.7%) Muslims (33.3%) Other Christian denomination (0.37%) Unknown (1.63%) (2009 census) 2. National Language Macedonian 3. Business Language Macedonian (66.5%) Albanian (25%) Turkish (3.5%) Roma (1.9%) Serbian and Bosnian (2009 census)

23. COUNTRY FACT GRID CONTD.. Political 4. Type of Government Parliamentary democracy 5. Membership of the World Organizations IMF since 1992 UN since Apr 3 rd 1993 WHO since 1993 Council of Europe since Nov 9 th 1995 WTO since 2003 EU since 2005 CEFTA since Jan 1 st 2006 (source: mfa.gov.mk)

24. COUNTRY FACT GRID CONTD.. Geographical 7. AETUSAS Total 25,713 sq km (9,779 sq miles) 8. Population 2,114,550 (est. 2009) Population density- 82.2/sq km 9. Time difference UTC+1 (6hrs ahead of Washington DC) 10. Climate Transitional climate from Mediterranean to continental. The climate zones are- Temperate Mediterranean Mountainous Mildly Continental 11. Average Temperature Hottest in July-goes beyond 40 deg C. Coldest month-January about 3 deg C.

25. COUNTRY FACT GRID CONTD.. Social 12. National Bird None, some common birds are- Loons, Grebes, and Petrel. 13. National Flower Poppy 14. National Animals Four national animals Sarplaninec (Yugoslav shepherd dog) Lion Lynx Ohrid Trout (freshwater fish)

26. Economical 15. GDP (in US $) World Bank figures Macedonia- $ 9.2 billion US- $14.3 trillion (est.2009) 16. GNP $ 21.5 billion (World Bank, Est. 2009) 17. PPP $ 21.5 billion 18. BOP Current a/c -324 Capital a/c 1 Financial a/c 388 , Net errors & omissions 26 Related Items -91 (in million US$) 19. BOT Imports- 2,232 , Exports- 1,616 BOT- -612 (in million US$) 20. National Budget Revenues-$3,167 billion Expenditure-$3,239 billion (est.2008)

27. Economical 21. National Debt Public debt- 20.80% of GDP External debt- $4,667 billion (est.2008) 22. Inflation -0.8% (consumer-price index 2009) 23. Money unit name Macedonian Denar 24. Exchange rate to US$ 1 USD = 43.15 Denar (est.2010) 25. Unemployment 32% official figures (est.2009) 26. Growth rate -0.7% (est.2009)

28. Demographical 27. Literacy rate Male- 98.2% Female- 94.1% 28. Per capita income Macedonia- $4,515 Greece- $29,240 Serbia- $5,819 USA- $46,436 (est.2009) 29. Male-female ratio Total population- 1 male(s)/female (est.2009) 30. Life span 74.73 years Women average age- 74 Men average age- 70 31. Age 67.8% between 15-64 years 19.5% between 0-14 years 12.75% over 65 years

29. Social 32. Sports Football (Soccer) is the most popular game. Other games are basketball, volleyball and swimming. 33. Leisure activities Cinema, historical places, and outdoor activities. 34. Communal activities Theatre and music

30. INFORMATIONAL WEBSITES AND LINKS http://www.exploringmacedonia.com/ http://www.mymacedonia.net http://faq.macedonia.org/information/101.html Videos http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NI8bkRih3I4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3ek5BuMbvs&NR=1

31. Competitive 35. Major Imports Top import- US meat (poultry) Machinery, automobiles, and chemicals. 36. Major Exports Tomatoes, tobacco, textiles, iron and steel 37. Trading Partners Exports- Serbia, Germany, Greece, Bulgaria and Italy Imports- Germany, Greece, Bulgaria, Turkey, Slovenia, and Poland. 38. Top MNCs Procter & Gamble Co. Adidas ArcelorMittal National Bank of Greece Heineken NV Migros 39. Top investments in USA IT, healthcare, software development, food processing, textiles, communication, Banking and agriculture

34. RECOMMENDATIONS The key to Macedonian culture is building relationships. English is not the primary language. Great disparities between employees on basis of skills, education and status. Slow business growth when compared to US. Prevailing corrupt practices makes the progress of business, a big challenge. Cost of living is a lot less than many European countries, while telecommunication services are surprisingly expensive. The country is low on infrastructure, taxation, and work force availability. An expatriate should try to understand the business culture, customs and respect the religion and other beliefs.

35. RECOMMENDED READINGS The Macedonian Question - Victor Roudometof Macedonian Business Culture - Edward G. Hinkeman The Past in Question: Modern Macedonia and the uncertainties of nation - Keith Brown Macedonia 2 nd : The Bradt Travel Guide - Thammy Evans