Managing a “change” Project in the Asia Region can be an exciting challenge for a Western Consultant but so often they arrive armed with their Western “linear” type methodologies, tools and techniques which do not sit comfortably alongside Asian culture which features many nationalities, societies and ethnic groups as well as many different ancient cultures like Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism, Hinduism and Islam to name but a few. All these will all have a big impact on how a Western Consultant should go about their business. Read More

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Trend Spotting in Europe

Media commentators are talking about the long-term risk that the European institutions will “disintegrate”. But thefoundations on which these institutions are based – the subsoil of the European Union – are also shaky.

There are a number of long-term trends that all seem to point in the same direction: the ‘balkanisation’ or fragmentation of European society.

The first trend is already with us: a public opinion that challenges the historical status of the institutions. The political classes have lost the respect of the man-and-woman-in-the-street, public administrations are ridiculed, Big Business is discredited, bankers are treated like vermin, NGO’s are greeted with cynicism, religion is marginalised, even royalty is now fair game. Read More

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This post is on request from Kerry (no other details have been given). The question is “what problems could arise if a dutch person would communicate with a north American customer base?”

In this article I’ll identify the differences between the US and the Dutch in two ways:

• Looking at the numbers first (the scores on Hofstede’s culture model)
• Practical implications and my own experience
• Some tips to consider Read More

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We are always told to keep out of other people’s politics but, as an admirer and a long-standing resident of this country, I feel as concerned as a lot of Belgians do about all the talk of breaking the country up. Not that we did a very admirable job in putting it together in the first place. But, then, the things we foreigners – Brits, Germans, Dutchmen, Frenchmen, Austrians, Spaniards, Romans, etc. – managed to do to this little slice of Europe over the millennia don’t even bear thinking about… Read More

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