Cross Cultural Differences

and Business Communication

India v/s Netherlands
Power Distance
This dimension deals with the fact that all individuals in societies are not equal – it
expresses the attitude of the culture towards these inequalities amongst us.

India
 India scores high on this dimension, 77
 Dependent on the boss or the power holder
for direction, acceptance of un-equal rights,
immediate superiors accessible but one
layer above less so, paternalistic leader,
management directs.
 Real Power is centralized even though it
may not appear to be and managers count
on the obedience of their team members.
 Control is familiar, even a psychological
security, and attitude towards managers
are formal even if one is on first name
basis.
 Communication is top down and directive
in its style
Netherlands
 The Netherlands scores low on this
dimension, 38.
 Being independent, hierarchy for
convenience only, equal rights, superiors
accessible, coaching leader, management
facilitates and empowers
 Power is decentralized and managers
count on the experience of their team
members.
 Control is disliked and attitude towards
managers are informal and on first name
basis.
Individualism v/s Collectivism
It has to do with whether people´s self-image is defined in terms of “I” or “We”. In Individualist
societies people are supposed to look after themselves and their direct family only. In Collectivist
societies people belong to ‘in groups’ that take care of them in exchange for loyalty.

India Netherlands
 India, with a rather intermediate score of  The Netherlands, with the very high score of 80
48, is a society with both collectivistic and is an Individualist society.
Individualist traits.
 The actions of the individual are influenced  In Individualist societies offence causes guilt
by various concepts such as the opinion of and a loss of self-esteem
one’s family, extended family, neighbours,
work group and other such wider social
networks that one has some affiliation
towards.  Hiring and promotion decisions are supposed to
be based on merit only
 Hiring and promotion decisions are often
made based on relationships which are the
key to everything in a Collectivist society.  Management is the management of individuals.
 Focus on individualism interacts with the
otherwise collectivist tendencies of the
Indian society which leads to its
intermediate score on this dimension.
Masculanity
A high score (Masculine) on this dimension indicates that the society will be driven by competition, achievement and success, with
success being defined by the winner/best in field – a value system that starts in school and continues throughout organisational life.

India
 India scores 56 on this dimension and is
thus considered a Masculine society.
 In more Masculine countries the focus is
on success and achievements, validated by
material gains.
 An effective manager is supportive to
his/her people, and decision making is
achieved through involvement.
 Managers strive for consensus and people
value equality, solidarity and quality in their
working lives.
 Conflicts are rather resolved by Higher
Management and being Masculine in
nature, one has to abide to the
Management decisions.
Netherlands
 The Netherlands scores 14 on this
dimension and is a Feminine society.
 In Feminine countries it is important to
keep the life/work balance and you make
sure that all are included.
 An effective manager is supportive to
his/her people, and decision making is
achieved through involvement.
 Managers strive for consensus and people
value equality, solidarity and quality in their
working lives.
 Conflicts are resolved by compromise and
negotiation and Dutch are known for their
long discussions until consensus has been
reached.
Uncertainty Avoidance
The dimension Uncertainty Avoidance has to do with the way that a society deals with the fact
that the future can never be known: should we try to control the future or just let it happen?

India
 India scores 40 on this dimension and thus
has a medium low preference for avoiding
uncertainty.
 There is acceptance of imperfection;
nothing has to be perfect nor has to go
exactly as planned. Tolerance for the
unexpected is high ; even welcomed as a
break from monotony.
 Money is Time.
 A word used often is “adjust” and means a
wide range of things, from turning a blind
eye to rules being flouted to finding a
unique.
 Finding a unique and inventive solution to a
seemingly insurmountable problem.
Netherlands
 The Netherlands scores 53 on this dimension
and thus exhibits a slight preference for
avoiding uncertainty.
 Countries exhibiting high Uncertainty Avoidance
maintain rigid codes of belief and behaviour and
are intolerant of unorthodox behaviour and
ideas.
 Time is money
 People have an inner urge to be busy and work
hard, precision and punctuality are the norm.
 Innovation may be resisted, security is an
important element in individual motivation.
Long Term Orientation
This dimension describes how every society has to maintain some links with its own past
while dealing with the challenges of the present and future
India
 With an intermediate score of 51 in this
dimension, a dominant preference in
Indian culture cannot be determined
 Time is not linear, and thus is not as
important as to western societies which
typically score low on this dimension.
Countries like India have a great
tolerance for religious views from all
over the world.
 India is often resistant to new traditions
and changed conditions.
 India believes in both Pragmatism and
Scepticism.
Netherlands
 The Netherlands receives a high score
of 67 in this dimension
 It has a pragmatic nature. In societies
with a pragmatic orientation, people
believe that truth depends very much on
the situation, context and time.
 They show an ability to easily adapt
traditions to changed conditions
 A strong propensity to save and invest,
thriftiness and perseverance in
achieving results.
Indulgence
This dimension measures the extent to which people try to control their desires and impulses,
based on the way they were raised. Relatively weak control is called “Indulgence” and relatively
strong control is called “Restraint”. Cultures can, therefore, be described as Indulgent or Restrained.

India
 India receives a low score of 26 in this
dimension, meaning that it is a culture of
Restraint.
 Societies with a low score in this
dimension have a tendency to cynicism
and pessimism. Also, in contrast to
Indulgent societies.
Netherlands
 With a high score of 68, the culture of the
Netherlands is clearly one of Indulgence.
 People in societies classified by a high score
in Indulgence generally exhibit a willingness
to realise their impulses and desires with
regard to enjoying life and having fun.
 They possess a positive attitude and have a
tendency towards optimism.

 Restrained societies do not put much

emphasis on leisure time and control the  They place a higher degree of importance on
gratification of their desires. leisure time, act as they please and spend
money as they wish.
 People with this orientation have the
perception that their actions are Restrained
by social norms and feel that indulging
themselves is somewhat wrong.
Analysis Chart
7 Dimensions of Culture

1. Universalism vs. particularism.

2. Individualism vs. communitarianism.
3. Specific vs. diffuse.
4. Neutral vs. affective.
5. Achievement vs. ascription.
6. Sequential time vs. synchronous time.
7. Internal direction vs. external direction.
1. Universalism v/s Particularism
This dimension can be summarized by asking what matters more, rules or relationships? Cultures based on
universalism try to treat all cases the same, even if they involve friends or loved ones. The focus is more
on the rules than the relationship.

India Netherlands
• India is Particularistic. • Netherlands in Universalist.
• Invest in building relationships • Keep your promises.
so you can understand the • Be consistent.
particular needs of others.
• Explain the logic behind why you
• Respect these needs as much have made a certain decision.
as possible in your decision
making.
• Call out specific important rules
that must be followed.
Individualism v/s Communitarianism
This dimension can be summarized by asking do we work as a team or as individuals? Do
people desire recognition for their individual achievements, or do they want to be part of a
group?

India
 India follows Communitarianism.
 Cultures based on communitarianism believe
your quality of life is better when we help each
other.
 these cultures organize themselves around
groups. There is a strong sense of loyalty within
the group.
 decision making is slower as everyone gives
input.
 Job turnover will be lower due to high group
loyalty.
 The group gets rewarded for high performance,
not the individual
Netherlands
 Netherland follows Individualism.
 Individualistic cultures believe that your
outcomes in life are the result of your
choices.
 In these cultures, decision makers make
decisions and they don’t need to consult to
do so.
 Decision makers can make decisions at
speed.
 It is your responsibility to look after your
happiness and fulfillment.
 You, as an individual gets rewarded.
Neutral v/s Affective
This dimension can be summarized by asking do we show our emotions? In a neutral
culture, people tend not to share their emotions. In an affective culture, people tend to
share their emotions, even in the workplace.

India
• India is Affective in this aspect.
• Use emotion to communicate what
you want and your goals.
• Share how you feel to strengthen
your workplace relationships.
• Learn some techniques to diffuse
situations where emotions run high.
Netherlands
• Netherland in Neutral in this aspect.
• Keep your emotions, both what you
say and what your face says, in
check.
• Remember that people are less
likely to express their true emotions.
So try to read between the lines of
what people are telling you.
• After initial chit-chat, stay on topic
in meetings.
Specific v/s Diffuse
Can be summarized by asking how separate is our personal and professional life? In a
specific culture, people tend to keep their personal and work life separate. In a
diffusive culture, people tend to see their personal and work life as interconnected. 

India
• India is Diffused in this aspect.
• Build your relationship before
you start setting objectives.
• Expect invitations to more social
occasions from colleagues.
Commit to attending them.
• Expect to discuss business in
social situations and personal
matters in the workplace.
Netherlands
• Netherlands is Specific in this
aspect.
• Organize agendas for your
meetings.
• Stick to your agenda as best
you can.
• Focus first on setting
objectives for people. Your
relationship comes later.
Achievement v/s Ascription
Can be summarized by asking do we prove ourselves to get status or is it given
to us?

India
• India is Ascription based country.
• In an ascription culture, you are given status
based on who you are. This could be
because of your social status, your
education, or your age.
• You earn respect in these cultures because
of your commitment to the organization, not
your abilities.
• A decision will only be challenged by
someone with higher authority.
• Use titles to refer to peers. If you wish to
challenge the decision of a superior, handle
this delicately.
• Pay extra care to show respect to your
superiors.
Netherlands
• Netherlands is Achievement based country.
• In an achievement culture, you earn status
through knowledge or skill.
• Job titles are earned and reflect this
knowledge and skill.
• Anyone can challenge a decision if they
have a logical argument.
• Issue praise to an individual in front of their
peers.
• Avoid using titles.
• Reward individual performance.
Sequential time vs. Synchronous time
This dimension can be summarized by asking, do things get done one at a time or do many things get
done at once?

India
• In a synchronous time culture, people see the
past, present, and future as interwoven.
• People do several things at once, as time is
interchangeable. This results in plans and
deadlines being flexible. It also explains why
punctuality is less important.
• Allow people some autonomy within the
schedule.
• Allow time for people to arrive late to meetings.
• Be explicit, calling out any deadlines that are not
flexible and must be reached.
Netherlands
• In a sequential time culture, time is very
important. People like projects to be completed
in stages.  Time is money, and so it is important
that each stage is finished on time. It is rude to
be late for meetings in these cultures.
• No Multitasking of Personal and Professional
work.
• Try not to deviate from the set schedule.
• Show up on time.
• Keep to deadlines and commitments.
Internal direction vs. External direction
Can be summarized by asking do we control our environment or are we
controlled by it?
India
• External Direction.
• In an external direction culture, people
believe that they must work with their
environment to achieve their goals.
• They focus on environmental factors e.g.
relationships to achieve their goals.
• In these cultures winning isn’t as important
as maintaining a strong relationship.
• Rather than set goals, give feedback so as
people can correct their course en route.
• Allow people autonomy to use their
relationships to achieve results
Netherlands
• Internal Direction.
• In an internal direction culture, people
believe that they can control their
environment to achieve their goals.
• The focus is selfish (one’s self, one’s team,
and one’s organization).
• Winning is important in these cultures and
aggressive personalities are thus prevalent.
• Allow people to set their own (within
reason) learning development plans.
• Allow a degree of constructive criticism.
• Set clear goals and objectives.
 Do’s and Don’ts
 Plan your meeting well in advance; Dutch are ruled by their agenda’s.
 Get down to business fairly soon; too much small talk may be viewed as lack of competence.
 Expect decision making to be slow due the need for consensus; all involved may voice their
opinions first.
 Dutch tend to be very direct and honest in their communication, but they do not tell you
everything.
 Dutch do not use many words which may make their messages rather blunt; don't take their
comments too literal.
 Agreements and promises should be kept at all times.
 Do not act superior and show off your wealth or status; Dutch will hold this for arrogance.
 Meetings often start with drinking coffee which offers a good moment for small-talk.
 Pay attention to using the right titles and names in written communication; addressing a
Dutch person wrongly makes him/her look as not important enough.
 Private life and work are separate; don't be insulted when you are not invited after working
hours.