Czech cultural standards from the perspective of top management of German companies

Main part of this thesis is focuses on identification and schematic expression of Czech national standards, which are mostly demonstrated in top management managerial practice of multinational teams. These are also mainly perceived by top level German managers on higher and higher-middle management of Czech managers in German-Czech companies. The thesis also analyses relevant theoretical sources regarding possible advantages of Czech managers when mediating intercultural communication between Russian and German culture. The first part of the thesis contains summary and evaluation of relevant theoretical sources extended by a polemic on the applicability of existing models from the intercultural study fields. Further on there is a description of appropriate research model choice including research questions formulation. The research seeks answers for two research questions: Which Czech cultural standards appear on Czech top management level from the perspective of German managers? Which of these cultural standards are most intensively perceived by German managers? The research is based on studies of theoretical sources and field work. Typologically the research is a qualitative research in a form of semi-standardized narrative interview using the methodological approach of „method of critical events“. Twelve German top managers who grew up in the territory of former West Germany and had worked in the Czech Republic in international corporations for a period of at least two years have been interviewed. The research was conducted by one person. Complete interview transcription, text analysis and evaluation of events and cultural standards were made in Maxqda12 program. Czech cultural standards were given total of 229 codes. The research has brought important findings, which were used for main proposition formulation. The results present and schematically express three main propositions connected with most perceived cultural standards of Czech managers from the German colleagues‘ perspective: propensity of improvisation, conflict avoidance, rejection hierarchical structures. A partial result of the thesis is expression resulting from current findings of theoretical sources supporting the assumption about existence of particular intercultural skills of Czech managers for mediation of communication between German and Russian culture.