Doing business in different cultures
Belgium
The Netherlands
India
Belgium is a small country in Western Europe of around 11 million people. It has the most complex legislation in terms of language in all of Europe. Officially there are three languages: French, Dutch and German. Belgium’s two largest regions are the Dutch-speaking region of Flanders in the North and the French-speaking region of Wallonia in the South. Brussels, the capital, is a mostly French-speaking area within Flanders. Although these issues may seem irrelevant in such a small country, it is a very sensitive topic within Belgium and therefore one should be aware of these issues whenever talking to Belgian people. Given that Brussels is seen as the capital of Europe, Belgium is a highly Europe-oriented country.
It is often stated that Belgium is not a country but a compromise. If you are looking for solutions, there is a high chance of finding agreements with Belgian people. Belgians tend to have a pragmatic bent and calm style. All members of a group or team are expected to show competence and to be adaptable. In terms of taboos, arrogance, over-assertiveness and pulling rank are no-goes in Belgium.
The Netherlands, also commonly called Holland in English, is a small country in West-Europe. The Netherlands counts nearly 17 million inhabitants, of which the native language is Dutch. However, The Netherlands is absolutely not small in impact, as they are the world’s largest exporter of agricultural products. Moreover, the port of Rotterdam is the third largest port of Europe, which stimulates their economic activity. Living standards are consistently high ranked in the OECD’s better life index and The Netherlands has the fourth best work-life balance. Furthermore, the Netherlands is one of the most densely populated countries in the world. No matter where you go, you are never far away from civilization. At last, Dutch people are really fond of their royal Kingdom and admire the royal family.
India is an enormous country with a population over one billion. Hindi and English are the main languages spoken. It is somewhat comparable to Europe as it is divided in twenty-nine states, each with an own identity. For example, only geographically they differ in a range going from mountains to beaches, from desserts to jungles. India has several big cities, amongst others Mumbai, New Delhi and Calcutta. These are known as very crowded and busy. In New Delhi live over 16 million citizens officially, over 20 billion citizens estimated. A huge religious diversity exists. The most common religions are Hinduism, Sikhism, Islam, Christianity, and Jainism. Actually everything in this country exists in contrasts. There is a wide range going from extremely poor to extremely rich, from very tidy places to the most filthy ones, … This also applies to the inhabitants, being utmost friendly and welcoming at one hand, sometimes being very avoidant for reasons a foreigner cannot comprehend. These have something to do with their time perspective or the caste system. Although, younger citizens try to challenge the last one, a strong attachment to the caste system still exists. This brings a very rigid structure of inequality amongst social classes.