inter cultural insights when dealing with dutch people

1. Dealing with the Dutch
H. Donker MEd
March 2014
2-3-2014

2. Some history
2-3-2014

3. 2-3-2014

4. 2-3-2014

5. Golden age, 17th ceintury
2-3-2014
in which Dutch trade, science, military,
and art were among the most
acclaimed in the world

6. 2-3-2014

7. Erasmus,
international
humanist
Trading
Michiel de Ruyter
Heroes of the sea
1602- 1799
Overseas
expansion
Rembrandt
Van Gogh
Mondriaan
Anne Frank
2-3-2014
Amsterdam has
people from 170+
nationalities
living there.

8. 20% of its areas is located below sea
level! 50% of its land lying less than
one meter above sea level
2-3-2014

9. The Delta plan
2-3-2014

10. Polders,
reclaimed from the sea
2-3-2014
The Afsluitdijk, 20 miles long,
constructed between1927-1933

11. Dealing with the dutch
Jacob Vossestein
2-3-2014

12. Some quotes
• In 1840 a poet says” when the world
comes to an end, go to Holland because
everything happens 50 years later there”.
Nowadays this is certainly not true in the
21st century.
• “Are you from Holland? Such a nice
country with flowers everywhere. Pity it
always rains there*” (French lady on a
train from Paris to Nice talking to the
author).
2-3-2014
* 120 dagen in 2012

13. Some quotes
• Quote Spanish lady “sometimes I wonder
it the Dutch have blood in their veins, or
milk!
2-3-2014

14. American investor gave eight reasons
why his company had set up a
business in the Netherlands:
• Stability of the country
• Co-operative business climate
• Rotterdam and Amsterdam as the major
gateways of Europe
• Availability of a desirable site and of raw
materials
• Modern infra structure
• English is widely spoken
• High level of education
2-3-2014

15. Norms and values (I)
1. Egalitarianism. The idea that people are equal,
especially from a moral point of view, and
accordingly, the somewhat ambiguous stance
the Dutch have towards hierarchy and status.
2.
Directness and critical attitudes. The Dutch are
never afraid to voice their opinions in clear
terms.
3. Pragmatism and money-mindedness. A
functional approach to life, with an eye open to
financial aspects, but less so for more
relationship-oriented matters.
2-3-2014

16. Norms and values (II)
4. Procedures and planning. An inclination towards
applying fixed procedures for almost everything, and
yet permissive: a land of rules and regulations that a
still allows everybody to live the way they want to
live.
5. Internationalism and openness. The Dutch are a
trading nation that needs to face the world, and
does.
2-3-2014

17. Lets try to make a list of the most
important images of Holland (I)
• Sturdy image: flat land fighting against the water and where
it is always raining
• Tourist image: wooden shoes, windmills, flowers, bicycles,
milk, cheese.
• Cultural image: great tradition of artists, wonderful
museums. Painters, Symphony orchestras, ballet, literature.
• Permissive, lenient image: A place where everything goes. A
far (too) liberal society (drugs, “de wallen”).
• Humane image: a country that takes seriously its
international obligations and a “safe haven” for immigrants
and political refugees.
2-3-2014

18. Lets try to make a list of the most
important images of Holland (II)
• Image of being blunt and opinionated: a tiny country with
a big mouth, wanting to appear bigger than it is, its people
tactlessly expressing their views on other people’s and
other nations’ affairs.
• Sporting image: excellent football team, but they haven’t
won very much recently. Ice-skating, hockey, darts, tennis.
• The tight-with-money image: money minded people.
“potatoes in caravans”. ”kijken, kijken, maar niets kopen”.
• Economic image: the Dutch economy is taken very
seriously. Small as it is, it is world’s eighth largest trading
nation. “Gateway to Europe”, many international
companies.
2-3-2014

19. Egalitarianism
2-3-2014

20. Egalitarianism
• People speak up to their superiors and feel free
to disagree with them. “Yes, but..” are fairly
standard in most Dutch conversations. “it seams
quite normal here to strongly disagree with your
boss”(English business man)
• All people should be treated equally, with fairness
and have the rigt to speak up. The major
condition is-low profile behaviour (no arrogance
allowed).
• “The managing director takes is place in the row”.
2-3-2014

21. Dutch directness and criticism
2-3-2014

22. Dutch directness and criticism
• they are barely concealed and certainly not expressed in
euphemisms: good is good, bad is bad. This direct manner
of expression can shock people who are not used it.
• “British people will not say what they think, except to very
good friends”
• “In the short term I have been here what I have learned
about the Dutch is that they are very straight, very much to
the point and always asking WHY?”
• The other thing is that they are eager to share ideas, their
brainpower, their thought.
• “You can tell the Dutch they are wrong, but you have to
come with arguments WHY you think so “.
2-3-2014

23. Pragmatism and money-mindedness
(I)
• The Dutch are very pragmatic people, with a
highly developed sense of realism in
combination with “down to earth-ness”.
• The rather functional approach to other
people, rational and unemotional is especially
striking to people from cultures where this
brain/heart-separation is not so strong
• “Business comes before the girlfriend”
2-3-2014

24. Pragmatism and money-mindedness
(II)
• In Holland people immediately ask you what
things cost
• “We (Belgium) always find the best hotel for
our Dutch colleagues during the visit to our
headquarters. They always find an economic
nearby Motel for us (pragmatic.. and/or money
minded)”.
• Feel that you are a smart consumer by saving
money”!
• Paradox: Dutch spend one of the highest
percentages of gross national income in the
world on charity.
2-3-2014

25. Procedures and planning (I)
• “If something is not writing down on
paper, it doesn’t exist in Holland”
• “Everything is based on time. Two
o’clock is two o’clock ”.
• Dutch are control freaks “pietje
precies”.
2-3-2014

26. Procedures and planning (II)
• Most non-Dutch people see Holland as an
orderly country. Indeed looking to the
roads, canals, suburbs the landscape
looks organized.
• The Dutch have insurance for just about
anything that might amiss in life.
2-3-2014

27. Internationalism and openness (I)
• To the Dutch the world has always been a potential
market
• Dutch traders were already sailing the seas some
700 years ago. Nowadays the Dutch are trading and
doing business with countries in every corner of the
world. The Dutch like going places, either for
business or for pleasure.
• With its open economy, the Netherlands was among
the original founders of the European Union. It is still
strongly advocating further integration and is even
willing to give up certain national symbols in order to
achieve it
2-3-2014

28. Internationalism and openness (II)
• It was the Dutch who discovered Australian and
founded New York (New Amsterdam was the
original name).
• At home the Dutch were very smug, thrifty and
careful, but overseas they found challenge and
adventure.
• The Dutch Government is playing an important
international role ( NATO, EG, UN).
2-3-2014

29. You still want to do business with the
Dutch?
2-3-2014

30. Do’s
• do come well-prepared, with detailed and practical
information about your products, needs and
capacities;
• do come to the heart of the matter quickly, within a
few minutes at most;
• do try to present yourself as punctual, modest and
practical;
• do try to give a positive, but realistic and not
'overdone', presentation of yourself, your product and
your company;
• do concentrate seriously on the matter in hand,
making only occasional small-talk or jokes, until the
business itself is over and done with;
• do state your opinions clearly but unemotionally;
2-3-2014

31. Do’s
• do consult Dutch colleagues at all levels (but don't take up
too much of their time!);
• do be prepared for criticism and learn to deal with it
calmly;
• do be critical and outspoken about the Dutch too - they
expect it and appreciate it;
• do be open to compromise during any form of negotiation;
• do keep the rational and emotional sides of your character
separate during working hours;
• do take initiatives and don't be afraid of losing face by
being creative or by asking questions;
• do bring up alternatives when something is said to be
impossible;
• do ask Dutch colleagues their opinion on your performance
(but be prepared for very honest answers!);
2-3-2014

32. Do’s
• do tell Dutch colleagues your views on their working
environment and ways of doing things: 'constructive
criticism' will be appreciated;
• do participate in company rituals such as colleagues'
birthday coffee and cake, the 'borrel', Christmas
celebrations, etc.;
• do try to learn to speak Dutch (and practise it!), even
when the Dutch speak English to you;
• do read about - and ask questions about - Dutch
history and society; this will help you to understand
the Dutch better;
• do try, by your behaviour, to disprove any negative
stereotypes of your country and fellow countrymen;
and conversely, do try to avoid generalising about, and
stereotyping, the Dutch.
2-3-2014

33. 2-3-2014

34. How many times, out of 11 matches
did Scotland, won against the Dutch
team In the last 32 years?