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1. 2
A World of cultures

2.
Netherlands
Area
of
Country
:
41,453
Sq.
Kilometers
Population
:
16.8
million
Capital
:
Amsterdam
Government
Structure
:
Unitary
parliamentary
constitutional
monarchy
Literacy
rate
:
99%
Official
Languages
:
Dutch
Languages
Commonly
:
Dutch,
Frisian
Spoken
Major
Religions
:
Christianity
GDP
per
capita
:
50,339
USD
Unemployment
rate
:
7%
Inflation
rate
:
1.1%
Currency
:
Euro

3.
Introduction
The
Netherlands
is
the
main
constituent
country
of
the
Kingdom
of
the
Netherlands.
It
is
a
small,
densely
populated
country
located
in
Western
Europe,
with
three
island
territories
in
the
Caribbean.
The
largest
and
most
important
cities
in
the
Netherlands
are
Amsterdam,
The
Hague
and
Rotterdam.
The
European
part
of
the
Netherlands
borders
Germany
to
the
east,
Belgium
to
the
south,
and
the
North
Sea
to
the
northwest,
sharing
maritime
borders
with
Belgium,
the
United
Kingdom
and
Germany.
The
Netherlands
has
20
national
parks
and
hundreds
of
other
nature
reserves,
which
include
lakes,
heathland,
woods,
dunes
and
other
habitats.
The
predominant
wind
direction
in
the
Netherlands
is
southwest,
which
causes
a
moderate
maritime
climate.
There
are
cool
summers
and
mild
winters
with
typically
high
humidity.
The
history
of
the
Netherlands
is
the
history
of
a
seafaring
people
thriving
on
a
lowland
river
delta
on
the
North
Sea
in
northwestern
Europe.
The
Dutch
part
of
the
Wadden
Sea
in
the
north,
with
its
tidal
flats
and
wetlands,
is
rich
in
biological
diversity,
and
was
declared
a
UNESCO
World
Heritage
Nature
Site
in
2009.
The
Netherlands
has
a
market-­‐based
mixed
economy.
It
ranks
17th
of
177
countries
according
to
the
Index
of
Economic
Freedom.
It
had
the
thirteenth-­‐
highest
per
capita
income
in
the
world
in
2013,
according
to
the
International
Monetary
Fund.
The
Netherlands
is
a
founding
member
of
the
EU,
Eurozone,
G-­‐
10,
NATO,
OECD,
WTO
and
a
part
of
the
trilateral
Benelux
economic
union.
The
country
is
host
to
the
Organization
for
the
Prohibition
of
Chemical
Weapons.
Dutch
culture,
or
the
culture
of
the
Netherlands,
is
diverse,
reflecting
regional
differences
as
well
as
the
foreign
influences,
thanks
to
the
merchant
and
exploring
spirit
of
the
Dutch
and
the
influx
of
immigrants.
The
Netherlands
and
Dutch
people
have
played
an
important
role
for
centuries
as
a
culturally
liberal
and
tolerant
center,
with
the
Dutch
Golden
Age
regarded
as
the
zenith.
The
Dutch
have
a
code
of
etiquette
which
is
considered
important
and
governs
social
behavior.
Many
general
points
of
European
etiquette
apply
to
the
Dutch
as
well.
Dutch
society
is
egalitarian,
individualistic
and
modern.
The
people
tend
to
view
themselves
as
modest,
independent
and
self-­‐reliant.
They
value
ability
over
dependency.
The
Dutch
have
an
aversion
to
the
non-­‐essential.
Facts
about
Netherlands
The
Netherlands'
name
literally
means
"Low
Countries",
influenced
by
its
low
land
and
flat
geography,
with
only
about
50%
of
its
land
exceeding
one
meter
above
sea
level.
In
2013,
the
United
Nations
World
Happiness
Report
ranked
the
Netherlands
as
the
fourth
happiest
country
in
the
world,
reflecting
its
high
quality
of
life.
70%
of
the
world's
bacon
comes
from
Netherlands.
It
was
the
first
country
to
legalize
same
sex
marriages
in
2001.
75%
of
the
world's
flower
bulb
production
comes
from
Netherlands.
Netherlands
was
one
of
the
six
founding
members
of
the
European
Union.

4.
Cultural
Mindset
Flat
Business
Structures
Dutch
companies
are
rarely
hierarchical.
Decision
making
is
a
group
process
through
which
consensus
is
established.
During
this,
all
team
members
involved
get
opportunities
to
voice
their
opinion.
This
is
a
very
egalitarian
society
where
everyone
can
have
his
or
her
say.
The
worker
representatives
on
the
company
council
can
be
influential,
so
there
should
be
no
secrets
within
the
organization.
Relationship
Oriented
Building
trust
matters
but
business
relationships
are
only
moderately
important
in
Netherlands.
They
are
not
a
necessary
precondition
for
initial
business
interactions.
Dutch
counterparts
appear
friendly
but
are
somewhat
reserved
even
after
they
have
had
several
business
interactions
with
you.
They
will
open
up
once
sufficient
trust
has
been
established.
Once
this
has
been
established,
there
will
be
a
sense
of
loyalty
to
you
as
a
respected
business
partner.
Group
Oriented
The
Netherlands
are
a
very
egalitarian
and
tolerant
society.
Everyone,
no
matter
what
his
or
her
status
and
influence,
is
considered
valuable
and
worthy
of
respect.
It
is
considered
offensive
to
criticize
a
person
in
public
or
otherwise
embarrass
that
person.
Business
relationships
in
this
country
exist
between
companies
as
well
as
between
individuals.
Direct
Approach
Communication
is
very
direct
in
the
Netherlands.
The
Dutch
value
straightforwardness
and
honesty
much
more
highly
than
tact
or
diplomacy.
They
dislike
vague
statements
and
openly
share
opinions,
concerns,
and
feelings
with
others.
The
concept
of
‘saving
face’
is
not
important
in
this
country.
While
you
want
to
remain
respectful,
pointing
out
mistakes
is
accepted
and
often
appreciated.
Diversity
of
opinion,
across
and
on
both
sides
of
the
negotiating
table,
is
readily
accepted.
Do
not
Avoid
Uncertainty
Most
Dutch
are
moderate
risk
takers.
Dutch
businesspeople
apply
universal
principles
rather
than
considering
the
specific
situation.
They
dislike
‘making
exceptions,’
even
when
arguments
speak
in
favor
of
doing
so.
Personal
feelings
and
experiences
are
considered
irrelevant
in
business
negotiations,
so
people
focus
on
empirical
evidence,
logical
arguments,
and
objective
facts.
Cultural
Facts
about
The
Netherlands
Group
Oriented-­‐
Dutch
care
about
who
they
are
dealing
with
and
team
building
is
important.
Relationship
Oriented-­‐
Building
trust
matters
but
business
relationships
are
only
moderately
important.
Flat
–
Dutch
companies
are
rarely
hierarchical.
Direct
Approach
–
Dutch
prefer
to
be
direct
as
they
get
to
know
and
appreciate
honesty.
Concept
of
Saving
Face
is
not
important
in
Netherlands.

5.
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ENGLAND
Phone: +44 (0)20 7060 0650
Email: london@crossroads-global.com