The American citizen Ellen Greenberg comes to Bulgaria for the first time before 15 years as a consultant of a project, connected with the education. At that time she had been professor in The Boston University and had been leader of a program on ÌÂÀ (Master of Business Administration). Firstly she stayed in Bulgaria for ten days. After that she came several times for longer stay – firstly she came for one semester, than by scholarship of Foundation “Fulbright” she stayed one year. During that period she leads courses of organization and behavior, management of people’s resources, business strategy, corporative culture, leadership, etc. Until now she had been giving lectures in University of National an World Economics, The American University in town of Blagoevgrad, Sofia University “St.Kliment Ohridski” etc. Now she leads a course of BEIED (Business Education for International Economic Development). Also before eight years she established private consultative centre and is its manager.

How did you appreciate the standard (level) of management in the Bulgarian companies?
- At the beginning of 90-ties it was very low and no methods had been used for management of people’s resources. Nowadays in the private firms the management is of high level. Still it is not likes in the European Union, but each year the companies coming nearer and nearer to its standards.

What is insufficient in their policy of management?
- First of all the firms are not oriented towards the clients – something which is mostly noticeable in the State structures. Some time ago I had to set straight some bureaucratic tasks and I could not explain how rude had been the civil service clerks. In the private firms the behavior to the clients became much better, in the places of amusement and in the shops – also.

Which is the way for the firms to motivate their employs?
- Everyone knows that here in Bulgaria there is no big possibility for good and better wages of the employs. For example in our clinics is working only experts – doctors and good professionals. The wages of the doctors as a whole are far from those in the European Union and in USA. It is know that many people are getting money “under the table”. On one hand I understand why they want to get money in this way, especially when it is a question of highly qualified labor. But on the other hand the people, who gave the bribe, they also do not have money and this is the problem. When the employer do not have the possibility to give high wages, he have to provide (ensure) something else of his workers. For example the manager has to praise his subordinates, when they had deal very well with the work. Most important is that the praise had to be at the very moment, and not after six months. The firms could motivate their workers in different way without costing them dearly. I will give some examples. A student of mine became manager of one hospital in USA, which is not private. This hospitals short of money also. One of her employs wanted to have own office. Of now significance were the size of the room and where there will be some window. The employ just wanted to be separate from the others. Then my acquaintance found one basement in which could be put only a working desk, computer and a chair. And ... the employ was very satisfied with that office.

And how could be motivated the people with high wages?
- In one engineering firm the employs had been with high wages. For them was very important that they could take decisions in their work. The boss was giving the project and they had the choice to decide how to realize it. And this also is strongly motivated. The important thing is that the manager must have to have some knowledge of his employs and to behave to them. Everyone is part of the staff and is important for the work.

You keep an eye on the firms in Bulgaria, what kind of specialist they are lack of?
- In principle the Bulgarian firms have big lack of material than of people’s resources. More or less the education in Bulgaria is good, but the firms could not invest enough in modern technologies. It seams to me that the people here find work always by pulling strings – so called “shourobadjanashtina”. There is such phenomenon in other countries but here it is widely spread.
In USA people find work in two ways – through advertisements and by friendly contacts. But here in Bulgaria if you do not have any acquaintances, practically is impossible to start work. And this is the problem.

How did you explain to your students what is leadership?
- There are many definitions. One of them is “the leader is this person, who inspire people for to do the work he wants” or “the leader is a person who the others wanted to copy (imitate). He must have charm, to be very competent, to have good vision and to have good communicative abilities. Very important thing is to take fast decisions. In Bulgaria there are several problems with the leadership. Elderly people, which had been living in communism, did not have the opportunity to study to be leaders or simply managers. Many of the young people who know what to do went to work abroad. To those young people one could not tell to stay in Bulgaria, because after ten years will be much better here. I do hope that some of them will be back again.

Wha will make them come back?
- My ex-student live in USA with his husband. Both of them have good education for foreign Universities and big professional experience. They want to be back after some years and asked me what my opinion is. I told them that when they will be back they must star own business with high level experience which they have, as well as with their financial possibilities. The chance to start own business here could motivate them to be back.

Where are the non-occupied niches?
- in the tourism, finance, real estates ...

What is the difference between the leader s and the managers?
- The manager have to know how to work, to motivate, to employ people. The leader inspires. The manager and the leader could be one and same thing, but mostly they are different. Not every manager has to be leader, and not every leader has to be manager.

What kind of person there are mostly in Bulgaria – managers or leaders?
- At the moment mostly the managers appeared and we still are waiting for the leaders. In the political area we become aware mostly of the lack of leaders. The purpose for this is that before the changes in the country there was no possibility for gathering of experience.


Interview by
Zornitsa Markova