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Netherlands In the Netherlands they are known for their commercial history and famed adaptability. This means that they import goods to re-export them at a profit. Fifty percent of all trucks in Europe are from the Netherlands. Some of the cultural differences between the United States and the Netherlands are work floor, education, business structures, management style, communication styles and prestige.
Work Floor In the United States workers what to be rewarded for a job well done. Some companies may give out an employee of the month to the best performing employee or some might give out bonuses for performing well. In the Netherlands it is a general opinion that it is normal to do a good job, expected without reward. Also Dutch employees will stay with one company for a long period of time, showing their loyalty and interest in long-term goals. Another big difference is the labor laws. The Dutch laws are very stringent which make it difficult to dismiss employees. So for a company to downsize it is difficult and can be very costly.
Education
Education and grades are much more important in the United States than in the Netherlands. In the US having a degree is about the only way one will get very far in any business anymore. The Dutch on the other hand as long as you have a diploma that is enough and grades don’t matter. With that being said the Dutch as a nation are highly educated. A large percentage of the country’s GDP is spent on education.
Business Structure Business structure in the Netherlands is quite different than the United States. They have an industrial democracy. This system is run by the Works Council of elected members that discuss and will make recommendations to senior management. Larger companies have a supervisory board that is made up of people who are not employed by the company. Their job is to oversee the direction of the company and to finalize annual accounts. This can be viewed like a shareholder in the United States.
Management Style I thought this was interesting that a manager is not the boss, but the first amongst equals. The manager will not usually take an authoritarian approach. They are viewed as the colleague who has the most influence. The boss is not powerless it just means that their influence and control are more subtle than in US. In the US this may be viewed as the manager is shown little respect. The manager thinks that everybody has a point to make and deserves to be heard and must show equal respect for all ideas.
Communication Style Respect is gained in the Netherlands by speaking one’s mind and being straight forward. If one does not seem direct they are viewed as being devious or underhanded. In the US we might consider this to be aggressive or even rude. People are considered being distasteful and arrogant for promoting themselves, so do not think of yourself as special. Be careful in trying to use humor it could be interpreted as a lack of commitment.
Prestige
In the Netherlands modesty is the way to go, standing out from the crowd is frowned upon. What exactly does that mean? Their culture prohibits a person from showing off how much money they have or even how successful a person might be.

Conclusion In the US we seem to embrace business ideas fairly quickly and go with them. Whereas in the Netherlands their decisions will take a lengthy process of debated and consensus before trying them. Our managers are different in the process of running a department. At most companies they say they want your ideas but it seems they are not always listened to and given equal respect as other employees. In the US we also seem not to be as direct as the Netherlands. A higher education is expected in the US to advance in a company. And in the US people defiantly like to show off their money and how successful they are. The Netherlands in some areas seem more laid back than the US, but in other areas more critical such as communication.

References
World Business Culture. (2013). Business culture in netherlands. Retrieved from http://www.worldbusinessculture.com/Business-in-Netherlands
Culture Vulture. (2012, 12 10). Gamification and cultural differences. Retrieved from http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/read-our-blog/gamification-and-cultural-differences.html

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