Business across cultures

Diplomatic vs. Autocratic Corporate Structure
Russian companies follow a stricter, more clearly defined hierarchy than do American businesses. Many Russian businesses are led by a single, autocratic authority figure who makes the decisions and delegates tasks to middle managers and lower-level employees. Employees are expected to follow management's direction with little to no discussion, as described in Russia Beyond's article, "Cultural Differences in BUsiness: Russia vs. the U.S." While in American businesses, even lower-ranked employees often ask questions about duties assigned to them and collaborate with supervisors, don't expect to see that in dealings with Russian businesses.
Formal vs. Informal Communication Style
Russian businesspeople place greater emphasis on the spoken word than do professionals in the United States explained Today Translations article, "Doing Business with Russia." While American businesspeople do much of their business via written communication such as email, letter or fax, Russian professionals prefer to hear things directly from people they trust. Face-to-face meetings are usually more productive than written correspondence because they allow participants to more fully discuss and explain issues. Russian businesspeople also demonstrate much less body language than American professionals, especially in meetings. They might listen silently without even nodding in agreement, confusing their American counterparts who rely on visual cues such as eye contact and posture.
Meetings, Teamwork and Trust
In Russia, meetings are formal, serious gatherings, and casual behavior is considered a sign of disrespect. Decisions are usually made in advance, either one on one or in small groups of decision-makers, with meetings held solely to share information and give direction. In contrast, in the United States meetings are slightly less formal, with participants interacting casually and frequently debating and discussing issues. Russian businesspeople value personal relationships and trust, and tend to be suspicious of strangers. As a result, they usually work in small teams where people know each other well. Instead of forming a new team for each project, these teams often work together regularly. By contrast, in America teams are often created on a project basis, and the participants frequently have not previously met.
Similarities and Differences in Business Attire
Business attire in Russia is similar to that in the United States, with men usually opting for dark suits and women wearing business suits or skirts and blouses. Women in Russia wear slacks at work less frequently than American businesswomen. One of the major cultural differences between U.S. and Russian business practices is the emphasis on designer labels. Russian professionals usually dress as expensively as their salaries permit, and clothing that is obviously expensive is a sign of credibility. While a tasteful wardrobe is also a status symbol in the United States, a designer label is less important. When doing business in Russia, though, American professionals should appear elegantly dressed to be perceived as equals.
Roles of Women in Business
In theory, Russia's business culture advocates equality for women in the workplace, but in practice, the status of women is much lower than in America's corporate culture. While many Russian women work, few hold high-ranking positions, in contrast to the American workplace, where women frequently hold senior management and top governmental positions. American women doing business in Russia will often be treated politely and with old-fashioned courtesy but viewed as inferior to their male counterparts regardless of their position. They might have difficulty getting their voices heard in meetings, where men will likely be given preference. This attitude has been changing in recent years, however, and businesses are beginning to give women more respect, including in business.

References:
1. ‘business ’ 2021, Wikipedia, viewed 13 April 2021, wikipedia.org.
2. Beck and Harter, 2014, Why Great Managers Are So Rare, viewed 13 April 2021, www.gallup.com.
3. Schwantes, 2018, 5 Rare Habits of Managers Everyone Would Die to Work For, viewed 13 April 2021, www.inc.com