This part of the research activities of CEEPUS-NETWORK A-30 tries to investigate communicative patterns which are linked to a set of defined situations both relevant for foreign language teaching and cooperative cross-cultural behaviour.
The hypotheses behind this part of the project activities is that different linguistic groups in Central Europe have been living together for hundreds of years practising an extensive exchange of cultural and linguistic means of communication. The question is whether there are cross-language communicative rules - mentalities - common to all language communities of Central Europe as opposed to Western Europe mentalities and cultural rules.
Literature:
Geert Hofstede (1984): Culture's Consequences. International Differences in Work-Related Values.
Geert Hofstede (1991): Cultures and Organizations. Software of the Mind. Intercultural Cooperation and its Importance for Survival.
Michael Clyne (1994): Intercultural Communication at Work.
Leslie Bodi (1995): Traditionen des Österreichischen Deutsch.
Rudolf Muhr/Richard Schrodt/PeterWiesinger (Hrsg.) (1995): Österreichisches Deutsch. Linguistische,  sozialpsychologische und sprachpolitische Aspekte einer nationalen Variante des Deuschen. Wien.

The tool for finding out which prgmatic differncies exist was a questionaire with a discourse completion text - presenting descriptions of common everyday situations asking people to complete the dialoge according ot their liking and to what they thought they would say in such a situation. With the answers of people to the same situations in different countries it is possible to compare communicative behaviour in so called micro-pragmatic situations. See some examples of answers from countries (in German):

The Situation
Sabine fährt in die Stadt. Plötzlich sieht sie vor sich zwei ineinander verkeilte Autos und zwei
Polizisten. Offensichtlich ein Unfall. Sie stellt ihr Auto am Straßenrand ab und geht schauen,
ob ihre Hilfe gebraucht wird. Als sie gerade auf die Autos zugeht, hält sie einer der Polizisten an.
Polizist: _________________________________
Der Rettungswagen muss jeden Moment hier sein.
Sabine: Ja natürlich, ich fahre sofort weg.

Sabine drives to town with her car. Suddenly she spots two cars who crashed into each other and two policemen in front of them. She stops her car at the roadside and walks over to the site of the accident intending to ask the policemen whether her help is needed. Before arriving at the site, one of the police officers stops her and says:
Police officer: _____________________________
The ambulance will arrive any minute.
Sabine: Of course I will drive away with my car at once.

 

Typical reactions of speakers of

Austrian German

Würden Sie bitte wegfahren! Die Rettung kommt gleich und braucht den Platz! / Would you please drive off (the place). / The ambulance will arrive in a minute and need the space.

German German

Machen Sie bitte die Strasse frei. / Clear the road please.

Slowakian

Sie müssen mit Ihrem Auto wegfahren. / Musite ist so wajim autom prec. / You must drive away your car.

Hungarian

Bitte, fahren Sie weg! / Kerem hajtson tovall / Please drive on!