Luxembourg is a small, proud, tradition-conscious country, but also a cosmopolitan and very European country. Almost half of the population comes from 163 different countries. In addition, there are about 177,000 border crossers who live in neighbouring France, Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands. All in all, 370,000 foreigners work in Luxembourg every day. In Luxembourg, you […]
Basically, everything’s been sorted out. It has been decided how the cooperation in the new joint venture will proceed. Negotiations have been underway for months and the objectives and areas of work have been defined in several meetings. Both the Germans and the French expect important advantages from the cooperation. Special appreciation Today, the German […]
Swedes are very modest and restrained in their communication; they will take every pain not to offend you or alienate you. Omtanke, which they have taken in with their mother’s milk, forbids them to do that. That means that criticism is often wrapped up in discreet (counter) suggestions or questions. And people from other countries often […]
Modesty is a must when dealing with Danes. This is how you will make the best impression on your Danish business partners. Introduce yourself very briefly and don’t attempt to show off with your titles and positions. Danes are very conscious of equality. It is much more important to be personable, warm and friendly. Long […]
Meetings rarely start on time. In particular, decision-makers often do not appear until the meeting is already in full swing. An appropriate strategy for dealing with this is to use the first half an hour or so simply to chat to the other participants. This offers the advantage of allowing you to get to know […]
The office atmosphere in Mexico may be very different than what you would expect in your own country. You’ll often encounter open-plan offices surrounded by supervisors’ offices, which may have doors and large windows that look out on the open space. With so many people on a single large, open space, it’s often a lot […]
Geographical proximity to Sweden leads many people in Europe to underestimate the cultural differences. Sweden is a modern Western country, a democracy, a free market, and has many internationally successful companies. Thus, there shouldn’t be that many differences. But there are: there are many internationally successful companies throughout Europe as well as in Sweden, but […]
Setting up a business in the Arab Gulf states is more of a personal endeavor than a business one, as personal relationships drive all business there. There is no separation between relationships and projects. Accordingly, business activities are preceded by many shared meals and after work activities. Topics discussed at these meals and activities will […]
Like his counterparts around the world, a Mexican manager has a calendar full of meetings. Of course, the point of these meetings is to discuss and promote projects, to share information or make decisions. However, these are not the sole purposes of a meeting in Mexico. Relationships matter Building relationships and trust, cultivating contacts and […]
With understatement and an easy-going manner you can win over Dutch business people instantly. Therefore, short and concise presentations are a must at a first meeting. Product details and figures can be offered at a later stage and in more informal discussions. Until then, and before the facts are the focus, the Dutch want to […]
The main characteristics of the US-American communication style can be summed up in a catchy motto: Hard on facts, soft on people. US-Americans communicate clearly and directly on the matter, but are always polite and friendly to the person. That’s why they attempt to establish a pleasant rapport before business topics are addressed. They usually […]
The primary purpose of meetings in China is to figure out how things are going or to announce new things. Forming opinions and coming to decisions on the other hand take place in many private get-togethers outside of the conference room. Meetings in China are made up of mostly accompanying communication. Punctuality Appointments in China […]
