SOLUTIONS
GREETINGS
The three different countries use different greetings, Dutch people and Belgian often give each other a handshake but in India people greet with the Namaste. This might lead to misunderstandings within the company, so we will solve this by not desiring any of these greetings. We would prefer to just say “hello” and the person’s first name when you see each other in the hallways or in meetings.
RELATION WITH COLLEAGUES
The Dutch will rapidly use someone’s first name, which is something Belgians will only use after some time. Indians on the contrary cannot do business with people they do not know or do not trust. To stimulate the group feeling within our company we would suggest teambuilding activities and maybe an open bar on Fridays, so that they get to know each other outside the working environment.
HIERARCHY
In the Netherlands they do not focus much on the hierarchy within the company, everyone is very accessible and call each other by their first name. Indians have a very rigid and hierarchical structure, which everyone obeys. Belgium on the other hand is somewhere in the middle. To compromise we would opt for a hierarchical structure but on the same time make that everyone is accessible.
MEETINGS
In Belgium a lot of the actual decision are determined during the post- and pre-meeting. This is not so in the Netherlands where all of the decision are made during the meeting itself. In India decisions are made to keep the harmony within the group. A solution for these differences can be provided by establishing clear rules around the meeting culture: keep discussion within the meeting, everybody has the right to voice his/her opinions, some focus on harmony within the group, etc. Discussions or debates are possible but you have to achieve consensus in the end.
BUSINESS LUNCHES
For Belgians this is highly appreciated, while Dutch people tend to have fast lunches. Indians also have extensive eating moments with their colleagues and business partners, but they often invite people at each other’s homes, as you can only work with someone you trust. A handy exists of providing a restaurant within the company itself, e.g. the Vlerick restaurant.
FEEDBACK
Belgians give feedback to their colleagues on fixed moments and Dutch at any time and at any place. This is in strong contrast with Indians who don’t like open feedback since they are driven by conflict avoidance. As a solution we propose to provide feedback at frequently fixed moments so there is a lot of opportunity to give feedback in an open dialogue.
DRESSCODE
In Belgium, the Netherlands, India and especially in the working environment, people wear conservative clothes. This will not lead to any misunderstandings. So in our company, we would also advise people to wear formal business clothes.