by Chris Smit | Mar 6, 2023 | Business
Japanese versus Western culture What is considered Western culture? First a list of what we (here at Culture Matters) consider Western countries (possibly skipping a couple): Canada USA UK Netherlands Scandinavia France Germany Northern Italy (not the south, which has...
by Peter van der Lende | Feb 15, 2023 | Business
Uncovering the Hidden Depths of Cultural Differences in Business: A Fish Out of Water’s Perspective The metaphor of a fish out of water is often used to describe a feeling of discomfort or unfamiliarity in a new environment. However, when it comes to...
by Chris Smit | Aug 29, 2022 | Business
It’s Culture Stupid [4-mins read] In an earlier article called Nine Signs, You’re Not Getting it, I wrote about 9 signs showing that people who work internationally don’t always realize that they should pay attention to cultural differences. Not...
by Chris Smit | Jul 28, 2022 | Business, Countries
Nordic Culture, Scandinavian Culture, and Swedish Culture [6-mins] Is this One Region? Americans crossing the Atlantic often say they’re going to “Europe”, thinking in terms of a region. But of course, Europe is a continent and not one country....
by Chris Smit | Jul 21, 2022 | Business, Countries
How to Shake Hands in Other Cultures; To Kiss Bow or Shake Hands [3-mins] How often do you kiss if that’s the way you greet each other? In Belgium, it is once. In the Netherlands, it is three times. In the USA you air-kiss (kissing when only the cheeks touch if...
by Chris Smit | Jun 1, 2022 | Business
The Most Common Cultural Diversity Mistakes [3-mins] These are the most common cultural diversity mistakes we’ll cover in this article: The lumberjack syndrome You Think We’re All the Same They Don’t Get It (but you do) I Just Don’t Understand...
