On Thu, 30 Mar 2006 04:54:43 -0800 RavenKnight <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
wrote:
Hello Everybody,
I would like to ask a few questions about cultural differences
...
Before I answer the questions, let me note that they have provoked much
entertainment,
but probably not much useful stuff for your project... I like to think I
could change that ... but then again, when I was 17 I thought I could change
the world and now I fear that I can't even change myself :-(
1) What is the predominant language used in business in your country?
Hmmm. Most business discussions begin with a discussion about which language
will be used ... and then ends up being in a mixture anyway! It's
predominantly
French in the south and Dutch (Flemish) in the north and mostly English for
international business or when the participants need a neutral language
because they can't agree between Dutch and French!
However, this is important: any contract is not considered legally binding
unless it's written in the official language of the region (i.e. Dutch in
the
north, French in the south, Dutch or French in the capital and French or
German
in the south-east.
2) How important is it for people to be on-time?
Pretty important. If you stuck in a traffic jam and you'll be more than 10
minutes late, give a call on your mobile phone to warn, and you'll get away
with it once or twice, but not every time.
3) What would you consider to be a large misconception about your country?
1. That it is responsible for everything bad and inefficient about the
European Union.
2. That there's nothing interesting here, just a bunch of boring
beaurocrats.
4) What is academia like in your country?
Well I settled here half way through my university studies (and the part I
complete here was at an American-style college) so I have little first-hand
experience. But here's what I know:
Generally very high standard by world standards, but not without its
problems...
Also very "democratic cost", i.e. affordable to most, not exclusive. Well,
the "not exclusive" applies to the student population, not the profs! If you
want to be a prof in a Catholic university, you can forget it if you are not
somehow associated with the church, the christian-democrat party, the
christian trade-union or something like that. In the "free" universities
(non-Catholic) you have to be a member of the Free Masons. Well, in a manner
of speaking, anyway.
5) What is the average workweek in your country? (hours\days)
blue collar: about 36, I think
white collar: 38
ICT sector: 38 on paper, 50 in practice.
6) What role does government play in business in your country?
Taxation and regulation. Lots of both, but ignored as much as possible!
7) What three things should I know to get along with the people in your
country?
Cycling, REAL beer (recommendations available on request), good food & wine.
Probably in the reverse order.
The following could also be helpful:
1. Agree up front what percentage of the business will be done on paper vs.
in cash.
2. We don't draw our maps with the Americas in the centre--they are
generally centered somewhere close to the Greenwich meridian and split
somewhere near the international date line.
3. When it comes to weights and measures, we prefer conversion factors of
10, 100, 1000 rather than 12, 16, 1760, etc. We find the mental arithmetic
easier, insofar as that is not yet a lost art.
4. Currency: 100 eurocents = 1 Euro (not a "Euro dollar", although it's
value is roughly on a par with the dollar--sometimes more, somtimes less
depending on who's making war on whom and the price of oil. Right now 1 EUR
= 1.21 USD, mainly because we didn't get mixed up in Iraq.)
5. A GSM is a cell phone.
Thank you,
Eric Hobbs
P.S. I would not ordinarily be asking this type of question on _any_
mailing list but, I really don't know anybody from another country (this is
an assignment for my business communications class).
Well I don't mind you asking as long as you can take the answers.
Any cynicism or sarcasm is probably intended, any offence is definitely not.
OK ;-)
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