Cultural similarities and differences as factors of economic cooperation of Ukraine with the European Union countries

Abstract

The article is devoted to the study of the cultural background of economic cooperation between Ukraine and the European Union countries. Cultural background is an important factor that affects the success of international economic cooperation between countries. It includes aspects such as language, religion, history, social norms and values. The relevance of such a study is growing in connection with the accelerated progress of our country towards full membership in the EU. Ukraine and the European Union have many cultural similarities: common history, culture and values. Ukraine is part of the Christian world, and the majority of the population of the European Union is also Christian. Both countries share similar social norms and values, such as the importance of education, family and work. Despite the cultural similarities, there are also some cultural differences between Ukraine and the European Union. In Ukraine, an authoritarian style of management is more common, while a democratic one is typical for the European Union. In Ukraine, hard work and dedication to work is also more valued, while in the European Union - a balance between work and personal life. The results of the conducted research indicate that similarity in cultural dimensions affects international economic cooperation. In the proposed study, the ABC model was used in order to divide countries by the volume of trade relations with Ukraine, as well as the Hofstede model in order to have quantitative indicators according to 6 cultural dimensions. However, it should be noted that the study was conducted on the example of the European Union, which has 27 countries, so the results may differ if we take into account an individual country. Also, it is not recommended to disregard other factors that are catalysts or obstacles for international economic cooperation.