Graph: Netherlands VS. Finland

On this blog, Im pretty often whining of how the same Dutch and Finnish culture are. Now thanks to my fellow Dutch Geert Hofstede I have proof that it is actually true. Luckily there are some diffrences, so we can also dive into them as well. If there is only a 5 point diffrence or less, it is too insyncnifinant to mention.

But lets start with power distance, we Dutch and the Finns love equilty and we don't like hiearchy. We both like that our employer consult us on what changes are needed in a company. It also makes us proud that our manager or boss trusts us and values us. Also we like that our manager is excesable to us, in case we needed

Induvalism is one of the prides of Dutch cultures, even it personally saddens me that is. The Dutch think that people should take care of their own problems. Only when they really need help, they can come. And even then it is up to us if we decided to help. If you ask a Fin for help, they do everything in their power to help you. Even if they are not fully able to do it. Also when a Finn calls you a friend, you never get rid of them again. In Dutch sociaty there are 3 diffrent levels of friendship: friends, good friends, best friends. The higher you get, the more we like and trust you. If a Dutch calls you a friend, it most often means that they like to hang around with you but nothing more. When you are in a higher level, we are more willingly to help you with your problems. Never asks in which level of friendship you are, this is the de-friend question. You will notice it in how kindness and willingness to share with you. Like Finns, we Dutch see people as individuals not as part of the group. Thats why we don't like to put in to boxes or be compared to others. We both don't feel responible for actions of others, only for the action of ourself. If you blame us for something, we feel guilty and want to repair the thing we accuesed off

We Dutchies are also much more feminine then the Finns. We reallly love to talk in contradiction with the Finns who like to be silent. Also Finns normally live with descisions giving by their management our school. They complain silently and learn to live with it. In the Netherlands, descisions are normally taken by compromise and negotiation. No other way is accepted by the Dutch. Even our goverment does so, if changes or budgetcuts have to be made they start negotiations with trade unions and/or other organisations before the final descision is made. We can't stand that descisions are made for us without consulting us. It is therefor suprising we have an advisery referendum since 2013. Before that, referendums where not posible by law. But we don't need them that much, because normally a year or more of negtiations take place before the actual change. We even have a special verb for this "polderen". Like the Finns, we like to have our working and privat live in balance. We don't need to stand out from the rest. A good quality in life is seen as a better value in life than being the best of the rest. We Dutch and Finns value equality, solidarity and quality allike.

Finns, like the Dutch, have slight tender to avoid uncertaincies. Although we both welcom new idea's and new way of thinking, we also are not very willingly to give up what we already know and wre we used to be. But unorthodox idea's are welcom from time to time. We both value to be busy and work hard, precision and punctuality. And for some odd reason we also like rules.

Worrying about things that may come is not something for a Finn but more a thing for a Dutch. But than, we live in a country which can get devoured by the sea at any moment. Unlike you might thing our discussions and conversations take a long long time before we finally come up with something, we can be very fast descisionmakers. We trust the knowledge of others so if quick descions have to be made, we making it with the people who know most of the subject. We Dutch are really long time thinkers and we also don't really mind to change plans if the situation or context changes. Finns are a little bit more conservative in this point. Once a descision is made, they stick with it till the end. Which has some positive site also, because they are more often a little bit more self confinend than we Dutch are. We can very easy change plans to adjust. Finns do not adjust, their plan is good is it was before.

While the Finns are shy, the Dutch follow their impulses. Because why wouldn't we? It is fun, brings new idea's and you do something weird. Quality of life is importend and for that, sometimes you need to surender to you inner child and let go te boundries. If nature calls, you have to awnser it. So Finns you can be more rule sticken then we are, but there is deep inside of you also a little Finn who wants to come out and play.