avoiding misunderstandings: cultural differences in the Works Council

Cultural differences in the Works Council are often the root cause of a problematic relationship and communication problems.

Not only can we observe issues between people with different cultural backgrounds in the Works Council, but also cultural differences between the Works Council and the Bestuurder. As a Works Council, you should be aware of cultural differences and discuss these openly. Preventing misunderstandings and improving on collaboration is the best way forward.

- klik hier voor de Nederlandse versie van deze tekst -

Note: in this article, cultural characteristics and differences have sometimes been exaggerated to clarify the meaning of the story.

in which situations can cultural differences occur?

These are often organisations where people of different nationalities work, such as multinationals. However, cultural differences are not only caused by different nationalities. In general, there are two situations:

1. Cultural differences between the Works Council and the Bestuurder
   An organisation with a foreign parent company and/or non-Dutch Bestuurder that have a Dutch Works Council. In such a case, you have to deal with cultural differences between the Dutch Works Council and the foreign parent company/Bestuurder.
2. Cultural differences within the Works Council
   Many nationalities or different backgrounds are represented in the organisation and, as a result, in the Works Council. This leads to cultural differences within the group of Works Council members.

The second situation - cultural differences within the Works Council - is becoming increasingly common. Many multinationals employ a mix of nationalities. This is also the case within Dutch organisations; you will encounter different cultural backgrounds there. When you put people from different parts of the country in one Works Council, you'll notice their different backgrounds and characteristics.

The same applies to organisations where two or more parts of the company perform completely different types of work. In those cases, the different habits and customs of, for example, the 'office' and the 'factory' determine the cultural differences.

The Works Council reflects the organisation, with all its variations and similarities, representing everyone.