A few years ago I researched cosmopolitanism, which basically is a philosophy or worldview that emphasises the importance of recognising and respecting the diversity of cultures and identities that make up our global community. It is based on the belief that all human beings have inherent value and dignity, regardless of their nationality, ethnicity, religion,…
Continue reading ➞ Finding belonging halfway across the world
This blog has been discussing intercultural (mis)communication for a few years now. What hasn't had a lot of attention yet though, are the expectations when it comes to the ability of people to engage with traditions and activities of people who come from different cultural backgrounds. Since this subject plays a big rol in intercultural…
Why do you need cultural awareness in the workplace if you already have skilled workers? Well, by promoting cultural awareness and improving your teams cultural literacy skills, your team will overcome cultural differences. Employees that can overcome these differences will act as a team with a common goal and common goals build team spirit and…
In my last blog I wrote about "finding your kind of people". Based on the book "Belong" by Radha Agrawal. Today's blog is about nurturing your community: once you found your kind of people, how do you make them coming back for more? As with everything in live: you sow what you reap. The more…
In other words, how to create your personal community in the Netherlands? A big question or quest, for all expats arriving in the Netherlands. Although work related passion has let you to this country, most expats don't want hang out solely in the "expat bubble", where to find like minded Duchies though? How to create…
I have been writing about this subject before: the importance for employers of a team that can understand and work with people from different cultural backgrounds. If you are reading this blog you are most likely an expat in the Netherlands and you will know as no other that cultural competencies are a necessity to…
Continue reading ➞ Being culturally competent in the Netherlands
Levels of diversity Did you know that when we talk about diversity we often think about culture? Well cultural diversity definitely is one of the layers of diversity, but there is more to it than culture alone. Culture is actually the outer layer of the diversity paradigm, therefor it's very visible. No wonder this is…
In these hard times, where the world gets tortured with the Corona virus, intercultural communication in the professional life is a daily situation. There is a lot to learn from other countries in these difficult times. But there are so many different approaches, so where to start? It's a hot topic, intercultural communication in business.…
Continue reading ➞ COVID-19 pandemic and cultural differences
According to Wikipedia ethnocentrism is the act of judging another culture based on preconceptions that are found in the values and standards of one's own culture. In the field of intercultural communication this is a major subject. Why? Well, because most of us can only respond to what we perceive based on our own frame…
The Netherlands hosts approximately 60.000 expats, also known as “the non-Dutch” and approximately 17.100.000 permanent residents, also known as “the Dutch”. When you Google: “what do expats think of the Netherlands” you get about 25 million results. When you Google: “what do Dutch think of expats” you get 138.000. That brings me to the question:…
Dialogue with the Dutch 