Introduction

The theme of this book is the nexus between ethics and national culture, with a special focus on Eastern European countries. Understanding the nuances of cultural differences as well as different perceptions of business ethics will allow a finer understanding of the differences in business styles between Western and Eastern European countries.

Eastern Europe, as defined by the United Nations Statistics Division, includes the countries of Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Russian Federation and Slovakia, as well as the republics of Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine. A number of countries (Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia) that are considered part of Eastern Europe are sometimes referred as part of Central Europe.