Www.culturematters.com Andreas ter Woort Doing Business: Belgium & the Netherlands, the...

www.culturematters.com

Andreas ter Woort

Doing Business: Belgium & the Netherlands, the difference

compared

www.culturematters.com

Who am I ?

Name: Andreas ter Woort

Nationality: Dutch“if you ain’t Dutch, you ain’t much!”

House: Windmill

Where: Below sea level

Cloths: Wooden shoes and traditional dress

So… What's

the point…

?

So… What's

the point…

?

www.culturematters.com

“It is our believe that you can never understand

OTHER cultures” Fons Trompenaars

But there is hopeAndreas ter Woort

www.culturematters.com

www.culturematters.com

In the narrow sense: “Civilisation”(Art, Science, Education)

In the broad anthropological sense:“Collective programming of the human mind”

What is CULTURE ? What is CULTURE ?

www.culturematters.com

A way in which a group of people solve problems and reconcile dilemmas

What is CULTURE ? What is CULTURE ?

www.culturematters.com

www.culturematters.com

Common to all Common to all mankindmankind

Human mind programmed by Human mind programmed by heredity and experience in 3 levelsheredity and experience in 3 levels

CollectiveCollectiveby groupby group

IndividualIndividual

www.culturematters.com

Symbols

Heroes

Rituals

Values

CultureCulture

www.culturematters.com

Symbols

Heroes

Rituals

Values

CultureCulture

www.culturematters.com

The 4-D Model

WI

PG

HI

0 50 100

AA

Low High

Low High

Low High

Low High

Value differences between countries can be explained by four dimensions of national culture.

www.culturematters.com

We’re all equal…But are we?

www.culturematters.com

1. Dealing with hierarchy

hierarchy low being independent hierarchy for

convenience equal rights superiors accessible

hierarchy high

being dependent hierarchy is

existential privileges superiors

inaccessible

www.culturematters.com

NETHERLANDS JAPAN UK NORWAY BELGIUM

Which culture scores a) highest b) lowest

on HIERARCHY?

www.culturematters.com

Which culture scores a) highest b) lowest

on HIERARCHY?

NETHERLANDS

38

JAPAN

54

UK

35

NORWAY

31

BELGIUM

68

www.culturematters.com

What makes a good neighbour, and how do you respect your neighbour?

2. Dealing with relationships

www.culturematters.com

2. Dealing with relationships

"We" cultures

the group: “We” opinion of the group implicit

communication loss of ‘face’, shame relationship oriented

"I" cultures

the individual: “Self” individual opinions explicit communication loss of self-respect, guilt task oriented

www.culturematters.com

Which culture is a) the most ‘I’ orientedb) the most ‘WE’ oriented ?

U.S.A. JAPAN PORTUGAL BELGIUM NETHERLANDS

www.culturematters.com

Which culture is a) the most ‘I’ orientedb) the most ‘WE’ oriented ?

U.S.A.

91

JAPAN

46

PORTUGAL

27

BELGIUM

75

NETHERLANDS

80

www.culturematters.com

“Employee of the Month!!!”

reward or punishment?

3. Dealing with one's role in society

ConsensusOr

Decisive ?

www.culturematters.com

Reward!

www.culturematters.com

Or punishment???

www.culturematters.com

Which culture is a) the most “Consensus” seeking b) the most “Decisive” ?

NL SWEDEN JAPAN UK BELGIUM

www.culturematters.com

NL

14

SWEDEN

5

JAPAN

95

UK

66

BELGIUM

54

Which culture is a) the most “Consensus” seeking b) the most “Decisive” ?

www.culturematters.com

Bungee Jumping:

Certain or not?

4. Dealing with Uncertainty

www.culturematters.com

Which culture requires a) most structure and detailb) least structure and detail?

NETHERLANDS Belgium Czech Rep. GB GERMANY

www.culturematters.com

NETHERLANDS

50

Belgium

94

Czech Rep.

71

GB

35

GERMANY

65

Which culture requires a) most structure and detailb) least structure and detail?

www.culturematters.com

Action & Implementation

Time

Act

ion

Germany

Dutch

American / UK

Belgium

www.culturematters.com

Manager's role varies across culturesSource : André Laurent

20 30 40 50 6010 7080 % Percentage in agreement

Great Britain

SwedenNetherlandsUSADenmark

SwitzerlandBelgiumGermanyFranceItalyIndonesiaJapan

17182327

384446

5366

7378

17182327

384446

5366

7378

“It is important for a managerto have at hand precise answers tomost of the questions that hissubordinates may raise about their work”

10

www.culturematters.com

Respect / Dis-respect for Hierarchy

Rules / General guidelines

Formality / Act normal

Performance versus performance

…

Implication for communication Between Netherlands& Belgium

www.culturematters.com

Scores compared (BE - NL)

www.culturematters.com

Practical tips for Dutch

Be less direct

Do not make jokes. Really…

Ready to spend more time on relationship building

Respect hierarchy

Listen (in other words, shut up for once!)

Detail, detail, detail (also legal!)

www.culturematters.com

“Everything that irritates

us about others…

can lead us to an

understanding

of ourselves.”

Carl Jung

www.culturematters.com

Want to know more? Visit:

www.culturematters.com

or

www.culturebriefing.com

Thank you!Andreas.terWoort@culturematter

s.com