CROSS-CULTURAL COMMUNICATION - THE CHALLENGES FACED BY FINNISH ORGANISATIONS IN ESTONIA

Relations between Estonia and Finland have been very strong traditionally. Their geographical proximity has facilitated the exchange of goods as well as ideas. Finland has a major stake in the Estonian economy – Finland is Estonia’s number one trade partner. Finnish organizations make up about a quarter of all foreign direct investment in Estonia. The two countries also share very strong cultural ties. Both peoples are of Finno-Ugrian origin, they speak similar languages. Many Estonians speak the Finnish language fluently. Although Estonia is a Baltic state from a geographical point of view, Estonians consider themselves more Nordic than Baltic. Yet, despite these similarities, Finnish companies operating in Estonia face major communication challenges with their Estonian business units. Half a century of Soviet occupation has left its mark. On the one hand it had introduced the lasting legacy of Soviet management style. On the other hand, it has led to widespread prejudice against Estonian businesses, which even fifteen years of restructuring and the adoption of contemporary management practices could not change. Cooperation between Finnish organizations and their Estonian counterparts is cumbersome due to prejudices, taken-for-granted assumptions and miscommunication. This paper analyses the communication problems by examining intra-organizational communication between Finnish parent companies and their Estonian subsidiaries. The findings of this paper are based on a survey conducted with Estonian and Finnish managerial and non-managerial staff. The paper will underline the importance of cultural sensitivity in business communication.Cross-cultural communication; Estonia; Finland; Baltic economies

Liberalism as a form of economic nationalism.

This article examines the concept of economic nationalism. My arguments are the following. Firstly, economic nationalism is not an outdated phenomenon but is very much relevant. Secondly, using Estonian economic policy formulation as a case, I claim that economic nationalism and liberalism are not a dichotomy. Liberal economic policies are not only compatible with economic nationalism but can also constitute a form of it. Estonian policy makers have been pursuing neoliberal policies because they perceived them to best serve their objectives of regaining and maintaining their political, economic and cultural sovereignty. This article is based on a qualitative, inductive and interpretive study, which investigated the motives behind policy choices of Estonian policy formulators in the country’s post-socialist transformation. The research method consisted of semi-structured, in-depth, face-to-face interviews with key decision makers and influencers of economic policy direction

Growth without prosperity

Estonia’s post-socialist economic performance has been exemplary. Its liberal economy regularly outranks other Central and Eastern European economies, as well as numerous ‘Western’ economies in terms of competitiveness and economic freedom. The neoliberal virtues of small government, laissez-faire macroeconomic policies and international openness have all been reflected in its economy’s transformation. However, it is arguable whether the country’s economic success has been translated into a similar improvement in welfare. Using Estonia as a case, I argue that whereas the neoliberal shock therapy can be an effective tool for quick market-oriented reforms, its long-term use has adverse socio-economic impacts

The cornerstone of economic nationalism: national self-image

The focus of this article is Estonia’s post-socialist economic transition and the reasons behind the liberal nature of the country’s economic policies. I argue that the self-image of a nation plays a significant role in shaping its economic policies. Objectives associated with economic nationalism can be achieved through various means that can include strategies of economic liberalism as well. Thus, the concepts of economic nationalism and economic liberalism are not a dichotomy. I examine the construction of the Estonian self-image through the discourses of radical individualism and industriousness, historical suffering, desire for freedom and return to Europe and sense of abandonment. By showing how these discourses interact with the liberal paradigm, I claim that Estonian policy-makers chose liberal economic policies because they perceived them to most efectively serve their objectives. When economic policies are examined in view of the national self-image and motivation of policy-makers, the incongruence between economic nationalism and liberal policies disappears

A zöld, környezetvédő gondolat hallgatói megítélése

A zöld, környezetvédő ideológiai önbesorolás a 2019-es adatfelvétel szerint is meghatározó (17%) a magyar főiskolások és egyetemisták körében. Az Aktív Fiatalok kutatás korábbi hullámának adatfelvétele azonban arról árulkodik, hogy a zöld ideológiai önbesorolás nem alakít ki egységes politikai csoportot (Keil 2014, 205). A pártválasztás és a politikai részvétel tekintetben sem predesztinál a zöld identitás. Fals tehát az a kép, hogy a környezettudatos egyetemista zöldpárti szavazó és a politika aktív résztvevője lenne. Jellemző azonban a kivonulás, az intézményekkel szembeni bizalmatlanság. A 2019-es adatok is arról árulkodnak, hogy az önmagukat zöldként, környezetvédőként defi niálók nem feltétlenül LMP szavazók, ugyanis körükben nagyobb támogatottsággal bír a Jobbik, a Momentum és a Kutyapárt is. A teljes mintához képest (19%), nem kimagasló körükben a tüntetési részvétel sem (17%). A közbeszédben ugyanakkor egyre meghatározóbb a klímaváltozás ügye. Európában kibontakozott egy új zöld mozgalom (Fridays For Future), amely megjelent Magyarországon is, az európai parlamenti választásokon pedig másfélszeresével nagyobb támogatottságot kapott a zöld csoport. Ezeknek a folyamatoknak a hatása a 2019 elején felvett adatokon természetesen még nem mérhető, a fejezet így azt vizsgálja, hogy jelent-e politikai elkötelezettséget a zöld, környezetvédő önbesorolás, vagy 2013-hoz hasonlóan továbbra is a kivonulás a jellemző. Másképpen megfogalmazva a kérdést: adottak-e a lehetőségei társadalmi bázisát tekintve a klímamozgalomnak Magyarországon? A kérdés megválaszolásához az Aktív Fiatalok Magyarországon kutatás 2019- es hullámának azon adatait vizsgálom meg, amelyek az intézményes és azokon túli politikai részvételhez, az intézményi bizalomhoz, az értékválasztásokhoz (materiális-poszt-materiális) és mobilitáshoz kötődnek. Az Aktív Fiatalok adatai mellett a European Social Survey, valamint a Fridays For Future tüntetések kutatásának nemzetközi és hazai eredményeit kívánom használni a magyar zöld egyetemisták politikai arcélének kontextusba helyezéséhez

Effect Of Nanoparticles On The Biochemical And Behavioral Aging Phenotype Of The Nematode Caenorhabditis Elegans

Invertebrate animal models such as the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) are increasingly used in nanotechnological applications. Research in this area covers a wide range from remote control of worm behavior by nanoparticles (NPs) to evaluation of organismal nanomaterial safety. Despite of the broad spectrum of investigated NP-bio interactions, little is known about the role of nanomaterials with respect to aging processes in C. elegans. We trace NPs in single cells of adult C. elegans and correlate particle distribution with the worm\u27s metabolism and organ function. By confocal microscopy analysis of fluorescently labeled NPs in living worms, we identify two entry portals for the uptake of nanomaterials via the pharynx to the intestinal system and via the vulva to the reproductive system. NPs are localized throughout the cytoplasm and the cell nucleus in single intestinal, and vulval B and D cells. Silica NPs induce an untimely accumulation of insoluble ubiquitinated proteins, nuclear amyloid and reduction of pharyngeal pumping that taken together constitute a premature aging phenotype of C. elegans on the molecular and behavioral level, respectively. Screening of different nanomaterials for their effects on protein solubility shows that polystyrene or silver NPs do not induce accumulation of ubiquitinated proteins suggesting that alteration of protein homeostasis is a unique property of silica NPs. The nematode C. elegans represents an excellent model to investigate the effect of different types of nanomaterials on aging at the molecule, cell, and whole organism level. © 2013 American Chemical Society