Working in belgium: Management and social culture

The Belgian workplace structures and management practices tend to differentiate markedly between the Flemish and Walloon cultures.

The Flemish management culture is equitable and consensual, with a relatively broad, less formal structure than the American model of layered management. The workplace relationships tend to be more based on collective decisions, despite the obvious delegations of authority.

The Walloon management culture is quite different. There's a chain of command, with relative status of office holders, and leadership roles. It's closer to the French model, and the emphasis is understandably on a well organized structure to match the model.

Style

Belgian management style is more directed to achieving mutually agreed results than a purely arbitrary approach. This process is considered slow, because of the obvious consultation element, but another view is that this allows for better balance in decision making and negotiation. It incorporates all stakeholders and interested parties, and can't, by definition, be an arbitrary process, with a single viewpoint dictating.

The management cultures play their different roles in this process, but the common ground is that a representative approach is used. The result is a built in quality check on decisions.

Internal management

One of the more obvious differences in Belgian management culture is that staff meetings are a basis for discussion of business and work, as well as an information session. These meetings often include actual agendas, so the meetings are well put together to allow informed dialogue.

Business culture

Being punctual on the job and for appointments is not negotiable. It's a professional and business courtesy.

The languages create a slight difficulty for those unfamiliar with them, particularly English speakers. The personal pronouns for the word 'you' are expressions of relationships in some European languages, notably French, German, and Dutch, the three official languages in Belgium.

Business dress codes

The business attire is the normal Western business wear, not flashy, but functional. Male and female attire is basic, but clearly 'office wear'.

Social functions

The Belgian social functions are closer to traditional European and older English forms. The host introduces the guests to each other. Drinks are not taken until without checking that no toast is being proposed.

Business meals are somewhat different, too. Business breakfasts haven't really caught on in Belgium. Business lunches are common, but more likely to be normal lunches, business meetings for people who are eating as well as conducting business.

Business cards

The business card is a unit of currency in Belgium. It will be much appreciated if you use both Dutch and French on your business card, and using German isn't a bad idea either, since the country's next door. The common advice is to use separate Dutch or French cards on one side of your card for each language group, but in practice multiple usage is acceptable, and normal in the bilingual Brussels area.