Homework Assignment 4 Due in Week 4 and worth 30 points Discuss one (1) project where you used a problem-solving approach to address what turned out to be common-cause variation, or where you used a process improvement approach to deal with a special cause. If you do not have a personal experience that echoes either of these situations, you may use Internet to search for a case that reflects either of these situations. Examples: · one’s personal investment strategy since 2008 · reducing waiting times at the local hospital or emergency room · reducing difficulties trying to connect to a Wi-Fi Internet provider Answer the following questions in the space provided below: 1. Describe the experience in the project. 2. What were the solutions used to address the problem? 3. Was the case you described a special-cause or common-cause? 4. Do you feel the solution or approach used appropriate for the cause? 5. What would you do if you could do it again? 6. What conclusions can you draw from the problem-solving or process-improvement techniques? Note: You may create and / or make all necessary assumptions needed for the completion of this assignment. In your original work, you may use aspects of existing processes from either your current or a former place of employment. However, you must remove any and all identifying information that would enable someone to discern the organization(s) that you have used. Type your answers below and submit this file in Week 4 of the online course shell: Understanding Belgian Business and Social Etiquettes Prepared for Donald Smith, CEO Pit and Pend, Inc. Prepared by John Q. Doe November 5, 2011 Pit and Pend, Inc. Memo To: Donald Smith, CEO From: John Q. Doe Date: November 5, 2011 Subject: Social and Business Etiquettes of Belgium ________________________________________________________________________ Here is the report you requested on October 14 regarding the social and business etiquettes of the Belgian culture that Pit and Pend executives and management team members will need to be aware of. Conducting business in the global marketplace demands a greater understanding of culture and economy. Bring products to world markets present the opportunity for organizations to expand beyond the geographical limitations of the past. However, success is only obtained through mitigation of the risks associated with the investment. Educating your employees in diverse cultures and business strategies will arm them with the knowledge to build international relationships with companies such as Singular Motion. The Belgian culture and the Brussels business district will present a challenge to Pit and Pend executives and management team. The style of business and etiquettes differ from those of the westernized style of business. Thank you for providing me with the opportunity to compose this report and render recomm.

1. Homework Assignment 4
Due in Week 4 and worth 30 points
Discuss one (1) project where you used a problem-solving
approach to address what turned out to be common-cause
variation, or where you used a process improvement approach to
deal with a special cause.
If you do not have a personal experience that echoes either of
these situations, you may use Internet to search for a case that
reflects either of these situations.
Examples:
· one’s personal investment strategy since 2008
· reducing waiting times at the local hospital or emergency
room
· reducing difficulties trying to connect to a Wi-Fi Internet
provider
Answer the following questions in the space provided below:
1. Describe the experience in the project.
2. What were the solutions used to address the problem?
3. Was the case you described a special-cause or common-
cause?
4. Do you feel the solution or approach used appropriate for the
cause?
5. What would you do if you could do it again?
6. What conclusions can you draw from the problem-solving or
process-improvement techniques?
Note: You may create and / or make all necessary assumptions
needed for the completion of this assignment. In your original
work, you may use aspects of existing processes from either
your current or a former place of employment. However, you
must remove any and all identifying information that would
enable someone to discern the organization(s) that you have
used.

2. Type your answers below and submit this file in Week 4 of the
online course shell:
Understanding Belgian Business and Social Etiquettes
Prepared for
Donald Smith, CEO
Pit and Pend, Inc.

3. Prepared by
John Q. Doe
November 5, 2011
Pit and Pend, Inc.
Memo
To: Donald Smith, CEO
From: John Q. Doe
Date: November 5, 2011
Subject: Social and Business Etiquettes of Belgium

4. _____________________________________________________
___________________
Here is the report you requested on October 14 regarding the
social and business
etiquettes of the Belgian culture that Pit and Pend executives
and management team members
will need to be aware of.
Conducting business in the global marketplace demands a
greater understanding of
culture and economy. Bring products to world markets present
the opportunity for organizations
to expand beyond the geographical limitations of the past.
However, success is only obtained
through mitigation of the risks associated with the investment.
Educating your employees in
diverse cultures and business strategies will arm them with the
knowledge to build international
relationships with companies such as Singular Motion.
The Belgian culture and the Brussels business district will
present a challenge to Pit and
Pend executives and management team. The style of business
and etiquettes differ from those of
the westernized style of business.

5. Thank you for providing me with the opportunity to compose
this report and render
recommendations to successfully fulfill the ever changing needs
of our organization. Please feel
free to contact me if you would like to discuss ideas or
questions regarding this report.
Contents
Page
Executive Summary
…………………………………………………………………………
…iv
Business and Social Etiquettes
……………………………………………………………..1
What to Know: Social and Business Networking
……………………………………………..1
Culture
…………………………………………………………………………
…..1
Language
…………………………………………………………………………
…..2
Style

6. ……………….………………………………………………………
…………….3
What to Respect: Ethical, Religious and Political
……………………………………..3
Ethics
…………………………………………………………………………
…………..3
Religion
…………………………………………………………………………
…..4
Politics
…………………………………………………………………………
..4/5
What to Look For: Economical Indicators and Behaviors
……………………………..5
Foreign Trade
…………………………………………………………………………
…..5
Public Relations
……………………………………………………………………..6
Insurance Policy
……………………………………………………………………..6
Conclusion and Recommendations
……………………………………………………………..7

7. References
…………………………………………………………………………
…………..8
List of Illustrations
Figures Page
1.1 Regional Linguistic Map
……………………………………………………………..2
1.2 Gross Domestic Profit
……………………………………………………………..6
.iv
Executive Summary
The information provided in this report outfits Pit and Pend’s
executives and
management team members with the knowledge needed to foster
a strong international
partnership while respecting the values of a dichotomist culture.
What to Know: Social and Business Networking

8. The Belgian culture is divided primarily by two regions; the
Flemish and the Walloons.
The division plays an important role in the cultural, linguistics
and business style of Belgium.
Understanding and respecting the heritage of Pit and Pend’s
Belgian business associates will be a
favorable gesture in building trust.
What to Respect: Ethical, Religious and Political Views
Business ethics has become a hot topic debated boardrooms
across America. In this
report, the term ethics is broadened to expand beyond those
associated only with business. The
Belgian culture places priority on family and religion over the
devotion to business.
What to Look For: Economic Indicators and Behaviors
At first glance, the international partnership with Singular
Motion appears to be a smart business
decision because of Belgium’s chief transportation equipment
market. However, indictors show
that the partnership will place our product in one of most
significant business areas in Europe.
Recommendations

9. 1. Be aware of the dualistic culture and understand its impact on
Belgian business
2. Be prepared for lengthy discussions and bureaucratic style of
decision making
3. Avoid the display or use of dominance of power and control
4. Contact the Belgium embassy in the United States for
business laws and regulations.
5. A work visa type “D” is required for members working in
Belgium for 90 days or more.
1
Business and Social Etiquettes
Working in the global marketplace requires a certain level of
cultural awareness in order
to be successful. No matter what industry you or your
organization specializes in; understanding
the differences in cultures across the globe will help your
business build international
relationships and increase profitability (“Doing business in
Belgium”, 2010). Armed with the
proper knowledge, Pit and Pend executives and supporting
management team members will

10. certainly be prepared for the international partnership with the
Belgian based company, Singular
Motion.
The following report will provide the information pertaining to
the views, practices and
all around proper business etiquette Pit and Pend’s Belgian
business associates will expect.
Executive level employees will find the information presented
in this report will directly impact
the effectiveness of soliciting the partnership. Members of the
management team will also find
the report resourceful in the indirect, day-to-day business
operations that support the joint
venture.
The structure of the report presents the attributes of the Belgian
culture through three
primary avenues; what to know, what to respect and what to
look for. The intent of this report is
to define a code of conduct in order to “shape the responsible
behavior” in preparation of an
international partnership (Nijhof and Laan, 2003, p. 3).
What to Know: Social and Business Networking

11. Culture
The first section of the report explores the fundamental
characteristics and practices of the
Belgian culture. Executives will want to pay particular attention
to the content of this portion as
2
it addresses etiquettes associated with social and business
networking that is defined by the
region’s cultural dualism.
The culture of Belgium differs greatly from that of the
America’s melting pot. The
society of Belgium remains somewhat divided by the people
native to the country. As you can
see in figure 1.1, the population is primarily divided between
the Dutch speaking, Flemish
community of the north and the French speaking Walloons to
the south. Pit and Pend executives
will need to be aware of the dichotomy that defines Belgian
business and society in order to
dispense the proper etiquette.
Language

12. Visitors will find that there are three
official languages spoken in Belgium as depicted
in figure 1.1. The use of language and dialect are
based on geographical location. Dutch is spoken
in the northern Flanders region bordering France
and the southern region of Wallonia speaks
primarily French with a very small eastern area
that speak German. The various native languages
require Belgians to be excellent linguists so Pit
and Pend executives can expect meetings and
general communications to be conducted in
English. In return, Pit and Pend executives should
respect the heritage of their Belgian business
associates by offering formal greetings spoken in the person’s
language and by presenting
3
business cards with the backside printed in Dutch or French.

13. Both pleasantries will be considered
a favorable gesture in building trust among international clients.
Style
Aside from its diverse culture, Belgium is known for its
egalitarian style of business.
Unlike the hierarchical structure of westernized business that
flaunts power and stature, the
egalitarian approach promotes equality. Belgians reinforce the
egalitarian concept through
bureaucracy by debating and considering all opinions and
options at hand prior to making a
decision. Those familiar with the western style of business may
consider the lengthy discussions
and processes to be a form of bureaucratic red tape. The display
or use of power or position to
influence a hasty decision will be viewed as offensive and
should be avoided. Belgian’s also hold
punctuality in high regards. Therefore, if you’re attending a
social or business engagement, it is
in your best interest to honor the preordained time or notify
your host in advance with a
legitimate reason and an alternate time if needed.
According to Kwintessential, an international translation

14. specialist website, “[m]eeting
etiquette requires a degree of formality” (2010). For individuals
meeting for the first time or the
tenth time, a brief handshake is in order. However, women may
exchange three kisses on or near
the cheek; beginning with the left and then alternating to the
right.
What to Respect: Ethical, Religious and Political Values
Ethics
Businesses have been focusing more intently on ethics over the
last three decades. A
study in volume ninety-eight of the Journal of Business Ethics
shows that fifteen thousand
scholarly Business Ethics articles were published in 2008
(Fassin and Booleans, 2011, p. 431). In
4
the interest of fostering an international partnership, Pit and
Pend’s scope of ethics will need to
broaden to include those of the partnering organization and
culture.
In the Belgian culture family is considered to be a person’s first

15. priority which will be
evident in the desire to separate work and private life. Therefore
Pit and Pend executives as well
as members of management should be sensitive to the value
their Belgian associate’s place on
the family unit by understanding and offering flexibility in
correspondences and expectations.
The Belgian culture also values equality among the genders.
Much like the growing trend
in most world cultures, women are considered equal to their
male counterparts in both social and
business standards. Men and women in the business are required
to dress conservatively in
formal business attire. However, Pit and Pend executives will
find that despite the consideration
of equality, few Belgian females occupy executive level
positions in Belgian organizations.
Transversely, Pit and Pend female executives will be respected
equally to the male executives as
are all female executives of foreign businesses operating in
Belgium.
Religion
Roman Catholicism is the observed religion of nearly three-
quarters of Belgium’s

16. society. Other religions of the country include Protestant,
Jewish, Muslim and Russian Orthodox
("Background note: Belgium," 2011). Despite the strong
influence of the Roman Catholic faith
has in Belgian politics, the country remains secular in nature.
Thus providing religious freedoms
and observes the right in political practices.
All Pit and Pend employees assigned to the Singular Motion
collaboration should respect
the religious values and obligations of their Belgian associates
as they may impact the
availability and deadlines of day-to-day operations.
Politics
5
The national government of Belgium is a Parliament run
democracy which is overseen by
a constitutional monarch or king ("Background note: Belgium,"
2011). The executive powers of
the multi-party system are split between the Head of State
(King) and the Head of the

17. Government (Prime Minister). As the Head of State, the King’s
role is to select a Prime Minister
to oversee the government and stands as a symbol of a unified
Belgium. Below the Prime
Minister, the government is divided once more into two groups
similar to the Senate and House
of Representatives of the United States.
Recognizing the division of the powers of government is
important to understanding its
influence in Belgian industry. The government of Belgium
maintains strong trade alliances and
supports the private sector economy. The dependence on foreign
trade and business relationships
presents a favorable opportunity for Pit and Pend executives to
form the partnership.
What to Look For: Economical Indicators and Behaviors
Foreign Trade
The capital city of Brussels is one of the most significant
business centers in Europe
which makes Belgian based businesses very attractive to
international partnerships. According to
Laurance Mettewie and Luk Van Mensel, “… Brussels has
developed into an important

18. international centre, attracting both major international
businesses and small sized companies”
(2009, p. 1). Belgium facilitates its heavy dependency on
foreign trade through Antwerp, one the
largest ports in the world. Both of these factors indicate that Pit
and Pend, Inc. potential
international partnership with Singular Motion will provide a
strong return on investment.
Trade alliances with the United States, Germany, and France
prove to be a vital means of
importing goods that are otherwise unavailable to the people
and businesses of Belgium. The
trade agreements also permit the export of goods that made up
24.3% of the country’s gross
6
domestic profit (GDP) in 2010 ("Background note:
Belgium," 2011). Figure 1.2 shows how the three primary
contributors to the GDP compared in 2010. Pit and Pend
executives should use this opportunity to exploit the demand
for the automotive drivetrain components in Belgium’s

19. automotive assembly and transportation equipment exports.
Pit and Pend will need to lobby for “direct representation” as a
business in Brussels. Due to the
nature of business and the size of the employee base, Pit and
Pend, Inc. will be included in the
Association of Companies and covered by the normal trade
association (TA) perimeters (Bennett,
1999, p. 248).
Public Relations
Belgium is considered to have one of the highest standards of
living while also balancing
a low poverty rate. Currently the unemployment of rate of
Belgium is lower than that of the
United States at 8% (“Doing business in Belgium”, 2010). The
country is also known for its
outstanding healthcare and education systems. Partnering with a
manufacturing business based in
a nurturing environment such as this will certainly promote a
positive, ethical public image
which will directly benefit the company and its stakeholders.
Insurance Policy
Current economic uncertainties would normally warrant a
measure of caution when

20. making a considerable investment such as an international
partnership. However, the government
of Belgium insures the demands of the trade agreements are met
by providing a favorable
environment for industry and agriculture through tax incentives.
7
Conclusion and Recommendations
The information provided in this report outfits Pit and Pend’s
executives and
management team members with the knowledge needed to foster
a strong international
partnership while respecting the values of a dichotomist culture.
By observing the economic indictors discussed the report,
executive decisions can be
made based on current facts and data. Understanding upfront the
economical impact foreign
relations have on Belgium’s economy will bring to light
opportunities that will provide a positive
return on investment for Pit and Pend and Singular Motion

21. stockholders.
It is my recommendation that Pit and Pend executives should be
prepared for lengthy
discussions and a great deal of red tape due to Belgium’s
bureaucratic approach to business.
American business reflects the dominance of power and control
whereas Belgian’s prefer an
equal and subtle approach. Executives and management will
need to be sensitive to this style.
Pit and Pend management team members relocated to the
Singular Motion facility in
Brussels for a period of ninety days will require a work visa
“D” (Angloinfo, 2011). Therefore I
also recommend contacting the Belgium embassy in the United
States and to discuss the legal
requirements regarding the partnership and employment.

22. 8
References
Angloinfo (2011). Starting a Business in Belgium.
Retrieved from
http://brussels.angloinfo.com/countries/belgium/business.asp
Background note: Belgium. (2011). Retrieved from U.S.
Department of State website:
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2874.htm
Bennett, R. J. (1999). Business routes of influence in Brussels:
Exploring the choice of direct
representation. Political Studies, 47(2), 240. Retrieved from
EBSCOhost.
Doing business in Belgium. (2010). Retrieved from
http://www.worldbusinessculture.com/Business-in-Belgium.html
Fassin, Y., Van Rossem, A., & Booleans, M. (2011). Small-
business owner-managers’
perceptions of business ethics and CSR-related concepts.

23. Journal of Business Ethics, 98(3), 425-
453. Doi: 10.1007/s10551-010-0586-y
Kwintessential (2010). Belgium - language, culture, customs
and business etiquette. Retrieved
from http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-
etiquette/belgium-country-profile.html
Mettewie, L., & Van Mensel, L. (2009). Multilingualism at all
Costs: Language Use and
Language Needs in Business in Brussels. Sociolinguistica,
23131-149. Retrieved from
EBSCOhost.
Nijhof, A., Cludts, S., Fisscher, O., & Laan, A. (2003).
Measuring the Implementation of Codes
of Conduct. An Assessment Method Based on a Process
Approach of the Responsible
Organization. Journal of Business Ethics, 45(1/2), 65-78.
Retrieved from EBSCOhost.
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2874.htm

24. http://www.worldbusinessculture.com/Business-in-Belgium.html
http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-
etiquette/belgium-country-profile.html