XANDER BLAKELY
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FAQ 4. What are the differences in work ethic between Russians and Americans and what, if anything, Americans can learn from Russians? The typical Russian businessman is much better adapted to change and challenge than his American counterpart. We are currently emerging from a recession that has seen, at most, a single-digit, half-year contraction of output. While I was working in Siberia, the Russian GDP fell by double-digit figures year after year and inflation was in the triple digits. The Siberian businessman has no choice but to think 'outside the box' because, after communism's collapse, there really was no box, no normal way to do business. Of course, the Russian businessman's cavalier attitudes often slipped into a blatant disregard for the laws of state and humanity. But, as the Enron debacle shows, American businessmen and government officials have little to learn from the Russians about callous corruption. Apparently, we're not above crony capitalism. |
