Romania is situated
in the south-eastern part of Europe and shares borders with Hungary, Serbia,
Bulgaria, the Black Sea, Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova. It has a
population of about 21,700,000, making it the seventh largest population of the
European Union. This population is 89% Romanian, over 7% Hungarian and over 2%
Romani. The overwhelming majority of the population identifies as Orthodox
Christian although Romania itself is a secular State and has no official
religion.
Most visitors
consider Romania one of the most friendliest and hospitable countries in
Europe. Romanians are fun loving, warm, hospitable, and playful people, with an
innate sense of humour and especially self-irony.
Romanian Language
Romanian is a Latin
based language, very closed to the language of the ancient Roman Empire, even
closer than Italian. A 31-letter Latin alphabet is used and Romanian is the
only Romance language where definite articles are enclitic: that is,
attached to the end of the noun (as in Scandinavian, Bulgarian and Macedonian),
instead of in front, proclitic.
Some useful phrases
to remember when visiting Romania include:
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"Bună ziua"
-
(BOO-nuh zee-wah)
|
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Hello
|
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"Ce mai faci?"
-
(cheh my FAHTCH)
|
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How are you?
|
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"Mulţumesc, bine"
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(mool-tzu-MESK BEE-nay)
|
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Fine, thank you.
|
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"Îmi pare bine"
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(OOHM pah-reh BEE-neh)
|
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Nice to meet you.
|
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"Mulţumesc mult"
-
(mool-tzoo-MESK moolt)
|
-
Thank you very much.
|
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“La revedere”
-
(lah reh-veh-DEH-reh)
|
-
Good bye.
|
It is also important
to remember to address people in Romania by their Romanian honorific title: ‘Domnul’
for men, and ‘Doamna’ for women, followed by their surname. While friends may
address each other using the honorific title followed by the first name, only
close friends and family will use the first name without appending the
honorific title.
Hungarian, Romani,
Ukrainian, German and Russian are the most spoken other languages in the
country.
Recent Economic and Business History
During the 2000s
(decade), Romania enjoyed one of the highest economic growth rates in Europe
and has been referred to as "the Tiger of Eastern Europe." This has
been accompanied by a significant improvement in human development. The country
has been successful in reducing internal poverty and establishing a functional
democracy
The country made a
number of government reforms in order to satisfy the conditions of EU
membership, which it obtained in January 2007. Now the requirements of
membership – including EU directives – make up one of the driving forces in
Romania’s program of reform, modernization and investment in infrastructure.
More significantly, these directives are accompanied by funding from the EU in
the form of Structural Adjustment Funds and other programs to enable the new
members to align their economies with the rest of the EU.
Romania has not yet
entered the "Eurozone," but has set 2014 as the target year to adopt
the euro. The current currency is the leu.
Why do Business in Romania?
A marketplace of 22
million, 37 million acres of arable land, a vibrant oil and gas industry,
breathtaking landscapes, an expanding economy, a well-educated workforce with
more than 50,000 specialists in information technology, access to the Black Sea
and Asia; these features of Romania have attracted investors from many
different sectors worldwide. Other advantages to doing business in Romania
include: one of the largest markets in Central and Eastern Europe (ranking 7th,
with over 21 million inhabitants); EU unique market gateway (acess to
approximately 500 million consumers); rich natural resources, including surface
and underground waters and fertile agricultural land; high potential for
tourism and NATO membership.
Romanian Business Culture and Etiquette
Romanians are also
very famous for their hospitality. Business meetings are, in the majority of cases,
very warm and friendly. It is also very common to conduct business meetings
over lunch. Work colleagues, after a hard day, especially in multinational
companies, often socialise together in the evening at a local bar. It is quite
uncommon for a Romanian to invite foreign business people to their homes or do
business in a residential place.
Business
appointments are necessary and should be planned two to three weeks in advance
within the traditional working hours of 9:00am to 17:00pm. Summer or other
holiday periods (particularly Christmas and Easter) should be avoided.
Meeting schedules
are not rigid in Romania. There may be an agenda, but it serves as a guideline
for the discussion and can act as a springboard to other business. Remain
flexible in your approach when doing business in Romania.
This post has, hopefully,
taught you something about the intricacies of Romanian business culture.
There is, however, a lot more to learn: a professional lifetime’s worth. At TJC
Global, our interpreters are experts in Romanian practice as much as they are
experts in the language. To find out how our services can assist you on your
next business trip to Romania, visit TJC Oxford, or contact us.
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