6. Variations in the E.U.
Image: Wikipedia
28 Countries
24 “official
and working
languages”
Nationalities in
Kochi:
Belgium
France
Germany
Italy
Netherlands
Slovenia
Sweden
U.K.
7. Cultural Differences: UK vs. Finland
U.K. Finland
Hierarchy Important Flat organizational structure
Someone to blame No one to blame but yourself
Management direction
important
Autonomy and Initiative
important (no micromanaging)
Strict dress codes Very relaxed dress codes
Colleagues socialize in the pub
(Thursdays in London)
Going to the sauna is important
English is the language of
business
It’s better to learn Finnish
8. Cultural Differences: General
Behavior Culture Tip
Food &
Meetings
Dinners can be lengthy, as colleagues will
socialize and eat
Time Sensitivity Northern Europe stricter than the
Mediterranean
Referring to
others
Typically use of Sir and Ma’am is not
required in most European offices
Dress Codes Quite formal, depends on industry.
Neutral colors, little jewelry, close toed
shoes.
9. Cultural Differences: General
Behavior Culture Tip
Greetings Depends on country- different handshakes, kisses
on the cheek
Eating Habits Avoid making noises while eating- burping,
slurping, biting cutlery.
Small Talk Some countries may not prefer it (Germany),
while others can’t live with out it (Poland).
Small Talk Topics Some countries may consider different topics
acceptable or avoidable in business
conversations.
Small talk on virtual teams may be more
important to some than others.
10. European Culture ≠ American Culture
Europeans tend to:
• Be conservative/risk averse
• Work less hours/have more
vacation
• Be more relationship focused
than task focused
11. Mistake:
Applying Indian Solutions to
European Problems
• Lack of business, economic, or
cultural context of solutions
• Team in India does not
understand pressures from
client/end users/customers
13. Learn about the
industry in a European
country-specific
context
Work Abroad
Open an Office
Abroad
Learn the
basics of
Biz Culture
Find a Subject
Matter Expert
Don’t
Assume:
Ask or
Research
How to Build
Cultural Context?
14. How to Fix a Faux Pas
1. Look for the other’s body language or tone of
voice
2. Use the pleasantries or etiquette of the
country to apologize – through a local phrase
or mannerism
3. In some cases, it may be ok to blame it on
your culture misunderstanding, and ask how
it’s done in their country
Editor's Notes
Before the session, break the class into 3 or 4 groups for the several group discussion energizers we have during the session. Each group can have a group name.
Welcome participants and hold introductions.
Ask audience to consider, “What kind of notions or ideas could people in India get about Spain after watching this movie?”
An American’s impression of Indian culture after watching Indian popular media is touched on.
Introduce slide, ask participants, “What kind of differences do know about or have personally experienced in visiting different EU countries or interacting with Europeans?”
(5-10 min) Ask participants to go to the board and create a mind map or a list on ways they can build cultural context.
It may be nice to take photos of their lists and share them over skype. Each group can write their group name near their list or mind map.