Do you ever wonder how Europeans think and act in business? Could you imagine that every part of Europe has its own similarities and differences in running business? Check out more about Western European business culture!
Similarities:
- all six countries have the Euro as their common currency, they are all within the same time zone (CET: 0)
- the educational systems are compatible with a high level of the educated workforce
- these countries tend to favour formal arrangements where documentation and formalities are preferred over personal relationships in business
- punctuality in Western European countries tends to be valued
- the most common social media network used for private purposes is Facebook
Differences:
- in Austria, France, Germany and Luxembourg it is common to use the complete title of a person together with their last name to address them; in Belgium and the Netherlands this is not the case, rather, the title is not necessary, only the name
- all six countries could speak English as their business language (also in Germany); in France, an effort to speak French is appreciated since it is considered to be a major part of the national culture
- the use of student placement schemes is popular in Germany, France (where it is considered essential), Netherlands and Austria but it is not so popular in Belgium
- LinkedIn is one of the primary professional social networks in Luxemburg and the Netherlands, Germanys’ most-used business network is called Xing and in France it is Viadeo.
Have you spotted those similarities and differences in West Europe during your business travels and company management? Tell us about your experience!
Our Partners from Western Europe:
expertINtalent
PS Currently, we’re looking for new Partners in Wester Europe! If you want to join Thalento® International, please visit the website thint.eu/becomeapartner and contact us!