The Do’s and Dont’s in the Egalitarian Dutch Workplace

By: Together Abroad 28-08-2018 4:10 PM
Categories: * Daily employment news, ** HR daily news,

The Do’s and Dont’s in the Egalitarian Dutch Workplace

The Netherlands provides businesses with a perfect strategic location from which to serve markets within the EU, including central and Eastern Europe, Africa and the Middle East. The openness of the Dutch economy is one of the reasons why the Netherlands is extremely popular with foreign companies. And, of course, its egalitarian model of the workplace. In the egalitarian model, employees have general job descriptions, rather than specific ones as with the traditional hierarchical corporate structure. They also work collaboratively on tasks and behave as equals, instead of reporting to a superior. But does this make an egalitarian workplace better than one with a hierarchal structure? The answer does not seem to be a definitive one.

The Stanford Graduate School of Business, together with Lisanne van Bunderen with Lisanne van Bunderen of the University of Amsterdam and Daan Van Knippenberg of Drexel University investigated a Dutch health insurance company. The surveys measured to what degrees the teams felt they were in a hierarchical or an egalitarian structure, and how they perceived contention with other teams in the company. Afterward, the respective company managers measured team performance. The results of the study found that hierarchical teams which felt they were competing against other teams underperformed, while egalitarian teams did not. Hence, context is essential when considering the value of hierarchies. For instance, a hierarchal structure would work out well if the company and the teams involved in it were not facing an external threat. However, when competition is present, an egalitarian model is the one leading to stronger collective performance.

Since the Netherlands is one of the world's leading exporting nations, meaning there is a lot of competition, it is comprehensible why the Dutch chose the egalitarian model over the hierarchal structure. Three words reflect this culture: "verdraagzaamheid” (tolerance), “persoonlijke levenssfeer” (personal privacy), and “praktische zin” (pragmatism). The Dutch tend to be abstemious and pragmatic in their reasoning and actions. Hence, they rationalize everything before proceeding with decisions. Therefore, if you want to make an impression on your colleagues, be proactive at work and try to contribute to discussions during meetings. Share your ideas and your reasoning behind them so you can better demonstrate your creativity and analytical skills. Such proactivity would show your involvement with the company.

The Dutch use privacy as a way of maintaining a sense of fairness and equality in society. By keeping knowledge of one’s accomplishments from others, no hierarchical distinction can be made between peers and thus, egalitarian beliefs are preserved. For that reason, respect everyone’s personal space. Also, by no means mix business with the personal. Try not to beseech personal questions since this is often considered rude. However, there is an exception to the rule – if you have created a strong relationship with a colleague, it would be polite to ask questions, as long as they are appropriate.

The Dutch are adept at dealing with foreigners; therefore, respecting people's freedom of choice in attitudes, beliefs, and individuality is one of the core beliefs in the Dutch culture. Tolerance is most pronounced in industrial centers located in the Randstad, especially in Amsterdam. It is one of the reasons why people of religious or political minorities move to live in the capital city. Since the definition of permittable behavior at the workplace differs per culture, there often are cultural clashes regarding business etiquette.

The most significant faux pas is in term of punctuality. For instance, people from Turkey, Latin America, and the Middle East are infamous for being habitually late. However, in the Netherlands, punctuality is taken very seriously and therefore being late is considered disrespectful. Missing appointments or even postponing a meeting can cause reservations about commitment and even ruin professional relationships.

Additionally, some cultural taboos should be avoided if possible. For example, addressing people by their first name upon the first encounter is considered offensively impolite. You should always address people by their last name. The only exception is if they ask you to address them by their first name, in which case it would be considerate to do so. Another thing to avoid is not to promise something you cannot deliver. Breaking promises will only make you seem irresponsible and unreliable. Furthermore, avoid raising certain topics of conversation such as what people earn, personal or intimate questions, outfit, appearance or weight.

When doing business or working in a foreign country, it is helpful to have some knowledge of the business culture of your counterparts. It may help you to adjust your expectations and save you time and money.

Written by Nesrin Nazlieva for Together Abroad Executive Job Board | Expats & Int. Recruitment
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