Moldova

Greetings

Men greeting Men – A firm handshake is typical for most situations.

Women greeting Women – In a social setting it’s typical to greet with a hug and kiss on the cheek, in any other situation it’s just a “hi, how are you."

Men greeting women – Men don’t typically acknowledge women when they are in mixed groups, however in a professional setting if the man is more “westernized” and views the woman he is presented with as an equal he will shake her hand. Sometimes, especially if the man is older he will kiss the hand of the woman he is introduced to. In a social setting i.e. a birthday party as someone’s home, the greeting is a hug and kiss on the cheek.

Communication Style

• People in don’t like to offend. People will tell you what they think you want to hear. They simply don’t want you to be offended and be upset with them specifically. This way of talking around the subject happens in all forms of situations.
• For those travelers who are only around for a short while will see this as simply a people trying to be nice and tactful. For those who will spend a significant period of time in one area they may start to see it as a people trying to avoid an honest discourse.
• In general, when conversing with a Moldovan, you need to be an active listener and really examine what you, and they, are saying. Sometimes they answer you get is based completely on how you asked the question. If you rephrase it even slightly, the answer may be completely different.
• Moldovans tend to avoid taking responsibility for their actions and admitting when they have done something wrong. Moldovans will tend to find someone or something else to blame, never taking responsibility for what they did. Of course, this view is experience specific.

Personal Space & Touch

• Moldovans tend to be close talkers. There is very little sense of personal space in any situation.
• There is very little to no touching when speaking. Moldovans may get a little animated in their speech but it won’t involve touching the arms or legs of they person they are speaking with.

Eye Contact

• It is not a good idea for a woman to make direct eye contact with a man when conversing in a social situation. More often than not, if a woman makes direct eye contact with a man she is speaking with the man feels that he can take this as a sign that the woman is “into” him. Any type of direct conversation may lead to a situation the woman can not get herself back out of.
• In a professional setting amongst colleagues, direct eye contact is acceptable and in most cases, expected.

Gestures

• One expected to give up one's seat in public transport for the elderly or very young.
• Holding the door for the person following you, or even helping a person with overweight baggage is expected as well.
  
• People beckon one another by extending an arm and making a scratching motion with their fingers.

Views of Time

• Time tends to be a fluid thing in Moldova. At work it is best to arrive on time and stay the full hours you are supposed to work but don’t expect a meeting to start on time or finish when it’s supposed to.
• Trains are punctual. Buses that run on a schedule out of the capital to another city or town leave on time. Buses running between villages are never on a schedule, they leave once they are full.

Gender Roles

• Women are more than able to obtain high positions in local government. There are many female mayors.
• Women are expected to take care of the home, but don’t normally tend to the fields. During harvesting season everyone pitches in but generally heavy farming tends to be viewed as “man’s work”.
• Society views women who smoke or drink harshly. Female smokers are considered dirty by those who live in villages. It’s different in the cities. You’ll see many women going to bars to drink or smoking in public.
• People will take a less severe view on foreign women seen drinking or smoking. They do however tend to view American women as “easy”. This is usually because we’re more willing to talk to men than Moldovan women are.

Law & Order

• The drinking age is 18 and not readily enforced.
• It is best to carry a copy of your passport and visa with you AT ALL TIMES, especially when you are in the capital. The police can and will stop you to make sure you are carrying proper identification and they will try to arrest/get a bribe from you if you don’t have it on you. Speaking English too loudly will most likely make you a target.
• Penalties for possession, acquisition, and trafficking of drugs are severe and include fines and/or mandatory lengthy imprisonment in local jails.

Dress

• For Men - pants, button down, suit jacket, tie optional, polished shoes.
• For Women- slacks or skirt, dress shirt, polished shoes.
• Jeans and less casual attire are usually not appropriate in business settings.
  
• Make sure shoes are cleaned and polished. People will look down on you if you have worn looking shoes.

Titles & Business Cards

• Titles are important and it is best to address people directly by using Mr., Mrs., or Miss, followed by the surname.
• One should always wait to be invited to use first names before doing so yourself.
• There is no specific protocol surrounding the giving and receiving of business cards. It is always best to treat the card with respect.

Meetings

• It is best to show up on time and if possible greet the most important person at the meeting first.
• A few minutes of small talk generally occurs but isn’t necessarily expected.
• Most meetings have a written agenda with predetermined speakers to begin and end the meeting. Who these people are depends on the type of meeting.

Negotiations

• It is best to remain calm when trying to negotiate a price.
• Avoid hard selling and any sort of conflict or confrontation.

Gift Giving

• Gifts are generally left to social situations. It is possible to celebrate a colleague’s birthday at a party at work and then gifts may be exchanged.
• Gifts generally aren’t wrapped.
• Most people give flowers or maybe some type of home décor item i.e. a clock or a set of dishes or a picture frame.
  
• Generally if you are giving a gift as opposed to flowers you probably know the person better. Giving wine is also acceptable.

In the Classroom

• The school year beings Sept 1 and ends May 1. Students get a break around Christmas that starts around Dec 20 and usually runs until January 15. Then there is a week long break for Easter.
  
• is primarily Eastern Orthodox and they follow the Orthodox religious calendar.
• Some University students will dress-up for class others will show up in street clothes.
• Grades generally follow a 1-10 scale, with 10 being the highest and 4 to 5 being the pass/fail mark.
• Lecture is the most common form of teaching.