Angela Ayios: Trust and Western -Russian Business Relationships, Aldershot: Ashgate 2004

Anyone who has done business with Russians can appreciate the importance of trust in building effective business relationships. For historical and cultural reasons, many Russians exhibit a dual standard of trust in their behaviors, depending upon whether the other party is a member of their personal network, or exogenous to that group. Within their personal networks, Russians typically demonstrate high trust that is necessary for achieving both personal and business objectives. Beyond their personal sphere, however, Russians tend to be very apprehensive of outsiders and are reluctant to trust them. This can be puzzling and frustrating to Westerners who are accustomed to expecting greater trust and openness in business dealings. Much of Westerners' expectations have emerged from their experiences in developed economies with strong institutions, laws, established business practices, and contracts that provide clear rules and enforcement governing business transactions. Thus, the expectations of Russians and Westerners in business transactions are quite different, with the low trust of Russians often becoming an obstacle to working effectively, particularly in the eyes of Westerners.