Intercultural Training Turkey

Communicating successfully with Turkish (business) partners

Contact between Germans and Turks is often characterised by neglect, lack of knowledge and prejudice. Hence, situations in business and private life can be misread and hold the potential of conflicts and misunderstanding. The aim of this training is the prevention of such misinterpretations. This seminar prepares you for business in Turkey and forms the basis of successful collaboration with Turkish (business) partners.

Contents

Introduction:
• Intercultural communication and competence

Turkey – a subcontinent:
• Thrace, Anatolia and behemoth Istanbul in between: the different regions
• Politics, religion and society: the decay of the empire and the national trauma; patriotism, Atatürk and the young national state; the head scarf and gender roles, gender divisions; What do Islam and chocolate cookies have in common?

Turkey and the world:
• How do Turks see themselves?/ How do Turks see Europe/the USA?/ How do we see Turks? (self-perception and public image, stereotypes)
• Common history
• Cultural dimensions and culture standards

Behavior, attitudes, and means of communication:
• Exchanging greetings (with Turkish words and phrases!)
• Conversations, silence, physical contact
• Facial expressions, gestures and politeness
• Nosiness, gossip, and tittle-tattle
• The importance of social networks
• Trust and superstition

Doing business in Turkey:
• Typical business style
• Work and leadership styles: expectations for leaders and the meaning of hierarchies
• Team work and internal communication
• Behavior in daily business (negotiations, presentations, meetings, customer relations, conflict management)
• Contracts and liability
• Business lunches/dinners: taboos and appropriate behavior
• Business attire, accessories, being well-groomed

Popular culture
• Private meetings: etiquette, small talk, good manners and behavior, invitations
• Separation of public and private life as well as professional and private life
• The feeling of “us”, “togetherness”, and responsibility for the other
• Football, music, dance and film

You will learn…

… how to (re)act in encounters and communication situations with Turkish partners by developing your intercultural competence.

This training course will enable you to act prudently, thoughtfully and with appropriate knowledge in Turkey and thus to successfully establish business relations with Turkish partners. You will learn to contrast your cultural background with the Turkish background. Your intercultural competence and your ability to reflect on situations will be improved, enabling you to make the most of your business contacts and collaborations. Insights into thought and behavior patterns given in the training allow you to (re-)act respectfully and appropriately in private and business contexts and to prevent misunderstandings.

Methods

This training features a variety of methods: group work, simulations, role-play, discussions and communication exercises. These practical activities are supplemented by short lectures that clarify theoretical background information and thus facilitate the structured approach to pertinent material. An extensive collection of books, films and other illustrative material is provided for self-study during breaks.

For further study, all handouts and materials used during the seminar are provided for each participant.

Participants

This two-day training course is suited for participants who work either with Turkish businesses or in Turkey within the framework of their company, organisation, or individually. Additionally, it addresses those who plan to conduct business with Turkey in the future and therefore will be establishing relations with Turkish companies or businesspeople.

Organisation

Duration: 2 days
Dates: by request
Location: Göttingen
Number of participants: max. 12
Trainer: Hilime Arslaner

Price: 1.180,- € plus VAT (1.404,20 € gross)

Beverages, snacks and seminar documents are included. The participants receive a certificate upon completing the seminar.
We look forward to welcoming you on this training course.

Currently only available in German. For additional information please see our German homepage: Interkulturelles Training Türkei.

If you wish to book this course as an inhouse seminar, please use the contact form.

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