The Russian perception of the Finnish identity in case of cross-border cooperation in international business

In the contemporary globalization process plenty of previously national companies tend to expand to the international markets. This process is difficult because of the different perceptions and identities network in the minds of different nations. To facilitate the process of national business adaptation in another state there is a need to research the perceptions that are created in the minds of the citizens of the country planned for the expansion. The cooperation with other nation representatives provides identities network shift for the individuals that are executing international contacts. This research focuses on Russian perception of the Finnish identity in case of cross-border cooperation in international business. It aims to demonstrate how the misperceptions and stereotypes emerge and being changed in the co-working process. The given thesis' research worth and novelty for the international relation studies is preconditioned by the fact that the problematic of the research is concentrated mostly on international business. Long-lasting historical partnership between Finland and Russia and the contemporary processes that are happening in the sphere of this partnership provide the relevance of the topic. In order to analyze the identities formation and perception the research adopts the postsructuralist approach. The methodology of the study is an interview of Russian employees of Finnish companies in Saint-Petersburg in order to gain a picture of identities shift and the influence of the daily cooperation on the other nation's perception establishment. Keywords: international business, perception, identity, image, Finnish-Russian co-operatio