Netherlands

Country in Europe
The Netherlands is located in Northwestern Europe. The country shares a
border with Germany in the East and Belgium in the South. The West and
North are the Dutch coast and are delimited by the North Sea. The euro is the
official currency.

While Holland is most commonly used to talk about the Netherlands,

‘Holland’ is actually just a part of the Netherlands. When we Dutch talk
about Holland, we mean the provinces of North and South Holland. But the
Netherlands includes another ten provinces. More than 17 million people
live in these provinces!
 Population in
Netherlands
• The Netherlands 2020 population is estimated at
17,134,872 people at mid year according to UN
data.

• World population is 7,762,496,533

 Climate of Netherlands
• The Netherlands have a temperate maritime
climate influenced by the North Sea and Atlantic
Ocean, with cool summers and moderate winters.
Daytime temperatures varies from 2°C-6°C in the
winter and 17°C-20°C in the summer.
 Religions
• Roman Catholic 23.6%
• Protestant 14.9% (includes Dutch Reformed 6.4%,
Protestant Church of The Netherlands 5.6%,
Calvinist 2.9%)
• Muslim 5.1%
• Other 5.6% (includes Hindu, Buddhist, Jewish),
• None 50.7% (2017 est.)
 Food and Music of
Netherland
• Traditionally, Dutch cuisine is simple and straightforward,
with many vegetables and little meat: breakfast and lunch
are typically bread with toppings like cheese, while dinner is
meat and potatoes, supplemented with seasonal vegetables.

• Breakfast (fresh bread, cheese, cooked meat chocolate, jam

& honey, egg)
• Lunch (same as breakfast)
• Dinner (Home cooked meals)
Generally don’t go out to eat food (eg. McDonald)
• Usually drink (coffee, tea, chocolate/fruit juice)
• Music are the same (they don’t exactly listen Rap music)
 Top 10 Netherland
Company
• Royal Dutch Shell (oil company)
• ING (multinational banking)
• Unilever (transnational consumer goods company)
• Ahold Delhaize (supermarket)
• Aegon (multinational insurance)
• Robobank (banking and financial services)
• Philips (Electronic and electrical goods)
• GasTerra (Natural gas trade and supply)
• SHV (world largest private trading groups)
• Heineken (world’s second largest brewer)
 Power Distance
• The Netherlands scores low on this dimension
(score of 38) which means that the following
characterises the Dutch style: Being independent,
hierarchy for convenience only, equal rights,
superiors accessible, coaching leader,
management facilitates and empowers. Power is
decentralized and managers count on the
experience of their team members. Employees
expect to be consulted. Control is disliked and
attitude towards managers are informal and on
first name basis. Communication is direct and
participative.
 Individualism
• The Netherlands, with the very high score of 80 is
an Individualist society. This means there is a high
preference for a loosely-knit social framework in
which individuals are expected to take care of
themselves and their immediate families only. In
Individualist societies offence causes guilt and a
loss of self-esteem, the employer/employee
relationship is a contract based on mutual
advantage, hiring and promotion decisions are
supposed to be based on merit only,
management is the management of individuals.
 Masculine
• The Netherlands scores 14 on this dimension and
is therefore a Feminine society. In Feminine
countries it is important to keep the life/work
balance and you make sure that all are included.
An effective manager is supportive to his/her
people, and decision making is achieved through
involvement. Managers strive for consensus and
people value equality, solidarity and quality in
their working lives. Conflicts are resolved by
compromise and negotiation and Dutch are
known for their long discussions until consensus
has been reached.
 Uncertainty Avoidance
• The Netherlands scores 53 on this dimension and
thus exhibits a slight preference for avoiding
uncertainty. Countries exhibiting high Uncertainty
Avoidance maintain rigid codes of belief and
behaviour and are intolerant of unorthodox
behaviour and ideas. In these cultures there is an
emotional need for rules (even if the rules never
seem to work) time is money, people have an
inner urge to be busy and work hard, precision
and punctuality are the norm, innovation may be
resisted, security is an important element in
individual motivation.
 Long-term orientation
• The Netherlands receives a high score of 67 in
this dimension, which means that it has a
pragmatic nature. In societies with a pragmatic
orientation, people believe that truth depends
very much on the situation, context and time.
They show an ability to easily adapt traditions to
changed conditions, a strong propensity to save
and invest, thriftiness and perseverance in
achieving results.
• Organizational structure
Hierarchies at workplaces in the Netherlands are often flat compared to other
countries.
It is common to address managers and high-level staff by their first names.
The Dutch are proud people and do not like to be looked down upon, so a smart
boss will bear this in mind and act respectfully towards staff at all levels.
However, one should not be surprised to be criticised by the boss publicly as it is
a part of the Dutch directness.

• Meetings and negotiations

Dutch workplaces revolve around meetings.
Meetings are mostly informal, yet fixed to times and agendas. The Dutch enjoy
expressing their opinion, and the attitude is that each individual may hold
information that is valuable to the company. As a result, meetings can involve
staff members of various levels of seniority.

• Join the debate

Negotiations are usually lengthy as people seek consensus, with the most senior
staff member seen as the strategist of plans, and the general staff as the
implementers. Try to prepare yourself, as you will likely be expected to
contribute to the discussion at some point.
• Business behaviour
When conducting business in the Netherlands, unceremonious yet respectful
behaviour is the norm.
The Dutch are rarely very formal, but when greeting older business partners and those
of a higher business rank, they will use the formal 'u', 'meneer' and 'mevrouw' until
the senior person adopts a more informal tone.

• Concept of time
In the Netherlands, time is money. You are expected to be punctual as being late may
'damage' your image.
If you do find yourself running late, you should contact the relevant person and make
them aware of this. Frequent lateness will affect your standing with the individual or
company concerned, as a lack of time management is considered to be a trait of an
unreliable worker.

• Small talk
During business meetings, small talk is usually kept short. Avoid controversial topics
and getting too personal too quickly. A short exchange about the weather will do just
fine!

• Planning ahead
The Dutch tend to plan for the long term, so schedules (both socially and
professionally) are often set weeks or even months in advance.
• Let's shake hands
Handshakes are used in all situations and it is good practice to shake hands
with every person in the room (although in a group of more than 20 people,
this might become inconvenient!). It is recommended to maintain eye
contact when you greet someone as it signals trustworthiness.

Business cards are also exchanged frequently during business meetings,

usually with those with whom you have had contact directly and with whom
you have a shared business interest. They are not usually handed out for no
reason.

• Dress for the occasion

Dress codes can vary greatly between companies: some may require at
least semi-formal wear, even for a typical day in the office, while others
allow you to ‘dress as you please’ within sensible boundaries. Suits and ties
are standard attire in certain business sectors and government agencies.

For interviews, it is best to lean towards a more formal style with a simple
dark suit, white shirt/blouse and smart shoes, for both women and men.
However, our top tip is to visit the company's website to try and find clues
about their dress code.
• Communication styles
The stereotypes of Dutch business communication are often those of straight-talking
directness, with to-the-point discussions.

This is mostly true; the Dutch do like to know where they stand, and if they have
something to say, they will usually say it. This direct way of speaking eliminates the
chances of ambiguity; if a Dutch person tells you are doing a good job, then you
definitely are!

• Global traders
The Dutch have a long history of doing business around the world, ever since their
'Golden Age' (roughly corresponding with the 17th century). Hence, international
experiences and multilingual skills are more than welcome.

• A friendly bunch
Dutch people will mostly try to understand your cultural background. It results in an
interesting clash between directness and understanding: each individual will handle this
differently.

So when preparing for the Dutch labour market, know that there are individuals who will
do their best to understand cultural differences and will try to assist you, but also
people who will strike you with their boldness with little regard for your cultural
background.
Thanks you