Dujat Showcase 2022

28 jul 2022

The Dujat Showcase provides a platform for member companies of the Dujat to present themselves by either exhibiting their goods and services or by giving a short pitch presentation to the guests, or both. Last week, Global Connect Consultancy B.V., together with Global Connect Admin B.V. attended this successful event again and enriched their professional know-how and expanded its vast & steadfast business network!

The Dujat was founded in1984 with the aim to improve the trade balance between The Netherlands and Japan. It provides a professional platform for Dutch and Japanese companies to increase cooperation and business opportunities.

We met many visitors and companies in the Dutch-Japanese business community which included:

Aon; Asunaro; Holland Interplan B.V.; Dutch Accounting House; EIZO; Fujitsu; NDL – Nederland Distributieland; Japanmuseum SieboldHuis; Jellice; Pioneer Europe B.V.; KEWPIE Corporation; L&A advocaten, arbeidsrechtspecialisten; Norinchukin Bank Europe NV; Ricoh Nederland; Tokyoesque and Yakult Europe B.V.

We would like to thank our hosts for the outstanding event that was had! We would like to congratulate Kikuhiko Okura, president of Hotel Okura Amsterdam and his extremely capable team on the marking of the hotel’s 50^th anniversary, and a worthy mention to Adam Elzakalai, Deputy Mayor of Amstelveen for his appointment as Deputy Mayor.

We look forward to another successful Dujat Showcase in 2023! Join Global Connect Admin B.V., your trusted partner in financial reporting – today, tomorrow and into the future. Our professional global team will ensure that you are in control of your financial data, allowing you to focus on your core business.

Photo gallery: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/10gBPRlfykADcN08XcF4EqEkFEqK0OjhS

Link to DUJAT website: https://bit.ly/3otymgA

Intercultural differences between West and East: A closer look into the Russian negotiation style

03 mrt 2022

Current news, Europe, Germany, Netherlands, Russia, United States

intercultural communication, Russian negotiation style

Intercultural differences between West and East

A closer look into the Russian negotiation style

No secret that the west and Russia clash with different views and styles of communication. When taking a closer look at the intercultural dimensions of Hofstede, for example, you can already see vast cultural differences. What does this mean for your business communication? What should you be aware of when negotiating with the West and the East?

Keld Jensen and Michael Gates spoke about the Russian negotiation style and how to prepare for intercultural communication. Keld Jensen is an expert in negotiation, trust and behavioral economics. While he is a managing director of a listed Scandinavian company, he has more than 30 years of experience in international management, negotiation and communication. Michael Gates, managing director of CrossCulture, is an international expert on cross-cultural management. They wanted to share the Russian negotiation style with their expertise and background and gave insightful examples of why Europe and Russia often misunderstand each other.

Before we continue, we would like to share a disclaimer. The main goal is to educate, not to generalize, the Russian business culture. It is like the saying that all Dutch are direct: while this is generally true, very indirect Dutch also exists. Furthermore, we wish to give insights on the intercultural differences between Russia and the West, not to justify the actions of Putin.

Russians tend to trust 'the individual' rather than 'the system'

Gates stated that trust is an issue in general. Furthermore, there seems to be a gap in trust in every culture, especially when you take a closer look into ‘official’ and ‘personal’ trust. It is a long-time dilemma: If your friend commits a crime, will you lie in court to save them? In some countries, such as Russia and Korea, the answer is often “yes.” Yet, in other countries, such as Sweden and Finland, the answer is often “no.” These answers have to do with whether the people trust the system or the individual.

"I win, you lose"

When taking a closer look into negotiation, Russians tend to find winning the most important outcome. Gates stated that the Russian culture includes obsessions with strength and power. However, when you compare this obsession of strength to, for example, the United States, the Russian Federation tends to be more passive and patient, like Asian cultures. So if Russians tend to wait for the other party to speak first but want to ‘win,’ how do you prepare for negotiations?

Try to find a third way of negotiating instead of seeing negotiations as positional with a win-lose or lose-lose situation. Instead of acting from your frame of reference, try to understand the other party. What are the characteristics? How can the flow of communication go smoothly?

Important factors to know before you start negotiating with Russian enterprises

Geographically, Russia is divided into European Russia and Asian Russia since this country shares its land borders with sixteen countries. Therefore, it is no surprise that the Russian business and negotiation culture is European and Asian. While Russia is relationship-based like Europe, there are vast differences. For example, Russia is more passive and has much patience for doing business. As a European company, if you wish to make it big in Russia, you can only do so by having an extensive Russian network with solid relationships. When European companies negotiate, there is already a level of trust, namely the expectation that the other party also wishes the best for you. In Russia, this is no such thing; Business people tend to be more cautious and want to know what is in it for them.

The start of the negotiation: Be prepared to start strong

When your company starts negotiating with a Russian counterpart, they will most likely ask you first to tell what you think. Afterward, you will most likely hear a form of resistance due to the high level of cautiousness and suspicion. So you might wonder: How do I deal with this? How do I have a healthy negotiation with a partner who does not entirely seem to trust me? Well, Gates stated that you must be strict with Russians.

Russian governments and companies prefer hard power over European ‘soft power.’ To fight pressure, you need to respond with force. Negotiating expects to recommend starting your Russian business journey small but steady. Be well prepared, and expect matters to start slowly. Just as starting doing business in Germany, it takes time for the market participants to trust you fully. If you are working with trial and error, make sure not to do business with life-changing parties that negatively affect your business.

During the negotiation: Mirror and hold your ground

Negotiating and doing business in Russia is a long-term process with much pushing and pulling. It also often happens that Russians have different perceptions of truth. Just as in Korean culture, it is allowed to tell white lies. The views on white lies are often the biggest barricade between European and Russian business; being aware of this will benefit you during negotiations.

Russians tend to be cautious listeners interested in European enterprises, yet also suspicious. Russian culture is full of emotion. However, they do not show emotion and prefer apathy over empathy. You can see this in the way Russians smile. In the Netherlands, it is not uncommon to see people do small talk and smile while doing business. In Russian business life, smiling is seen as a form of intelligence. So actually, if you are communicating with Russian business people, and they never smile at you: See this as a compliment, not an attack. And if you smile, make sure to let your Russian counterparts know it is a form of politeness and trust from the west. Are you unsure how to act? Play it safe and secure by mirroring your negotiation partners.

Finishing the negotiation: Be patient and respectful

As seen in the infographic at the beginning of this article, Russia has a high level of power distance. In general, Russians have different views on trust based on system and personal levels. However, one thing is clear: If you want negotiating to go well, you must have a person in charge that is powerful and a true leader. Russia’s business style is very autocratic.

If you want to finish the negotiation on a positive matter, be sure to build and maintain a close relationship with the CEO and the people the CEO fully trusts. You will find that the process will go much quicker, and the level of trust gaining to go much faster.

Jensen shared a clear overview of steps to take during negotiations, namely:

-Replace if necessary. Does the personal chemistry not work as intended? Do not be afraid to replace negotiators on both sides.

– Silence is key. If you are unsure how to react to certain provocations, respond by silence.

-Do not be afraid to delay the negotiations. Think long-term.

-Be clear in your communication. Choose precise formulations and provide an alternative when necessary.

-Empathy works in the west, apathy in the east — play along with your negotiator. Do not be afraid to think from a different mindset than you usually do.

-Ask questions to make the other party feel heard and show that you respect them.

-If you have no other option, fighting is more effective than giving in.

Conclusion

In the end, Russian organizations that are internationally active will be less challenging to negotiate with than Russian-only enterprises. Currently, doing business with Russia is not recommended due to international sanctions and actions. We hope to show that it is easy to misunderstand other cultures. If you have any questions regarding your international business, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. We will gladly assist you.

Sources

Keld Jensen – CrossCulture

2022: Working-from-home Allowance In The Netherlands

20 dec 2021

COVID-19, Current news, Netherlands

2022, Allowance, Businesses, Corona, Netherlands, working-from-home

With the Covid-19 pandemic changing the working dynamics across the globe, the 40-hours work week is transforming into a flexible job from home. This two-year process now enters the stage of governmental supervision. With this increase in employees working from home, and the fact that employees would like to have the ability to work from home, the Dutch government introduces from 2022 onwards the working-from-home allowance. Is this mandatory? Does this include taxes, and what does this new regulation do with the existing travel allowance?

Coverage and the new work-from-home trend.

Working from home is the increasingly popular alternative for spending all the days at the office. With the increasing demand by employees to cherish this new system, and the fact that staying from home stimulates the climate-friendly approach of working, working from home is a trend. Instead of travelling by car or plane to your office of clients, Zoom calls and Teams meetings are frequently used to (partly) replace the co2 polluting alternative, and thus emphasises the cautiousness toward the climate.

In a survey by the employers’ association AWVN, 60% of the inquired 450 Dutch companies replied that working 2 days from home can be the new norm(al). In this light, combined with the rise in the percentage of employees working from home due to the pandemic, the Dutch government introduced the working-from-home allowance starting from the first of January 2022. This new regulation is a tax-free allowance consisting of maximally 2 euros per day. This allowance is the extra costs for the employee that can be paid by the employer and includes for instance the water and electricity usage (for the computer), heating, coffee, thee and even toilet paper.

The new regulation

After research by Nibud, the amount of the working-from-home allowance is fixed at a maximum of 2 euro per day or part of a day worked from home. The employer does not need to pay payroll tax over this allowance. The tax-free travel allowance keeps existing and is fixed at 0,19 cents per kilometre. And most importantly, the employer can give the working-from-home allowance or the travel allowance per day of work.

To maintain clarity, for both the employer and the employee, contractual rules can be made to assure the days that the employee works from home, or is at the office. In this manner, the employer can calculate the monthly allowance and does the employee not need to self-handed note the days worked from home or the office. After establishing these rules, and the employee incidentally works from home instead of being present at the office, the calculated allowance does not need to be changed. Only in the case of structurally changing the working flow, the allowances need to be altered to the changing situation.

Some employees work one part of the day at home and the other part at the office. Here, the employer chooses to either give the working-from-home allowance (2 euros per day) or the travel allowance (0.19 cents per kilometre). The employer cannot give both these allowances. Employers also have the choice to let the employee choose. In the case of living far from the office, the travel allowance would be more beneficial for the employee. This can differ from the employer.

Is the working-from-home allowance mandatory?

Starting from 1 January 2022, employers can give working-from-home employees a tax-free allowance of a maximum of 2 euros per day. This allowance is not mandatory, but can be imposed on the employer in the case working from home is integrated into the branch-related CAO. While not mandatory, employees might expect to get this allowance and can showcase their goodness and willingness as an employer. Potentially, this can stimulate employees to stay longer or attract new employees more easily, as it guarantees the company to not suffer under the employee shortage.

The employer pays the working-from-home allowance themselves. This is not compensated by the Belastingdienst (tax authorities). Removing the payroll tax from this allowance is a method by the government to stimulate the companies to give this allowance to the employees. If the employer wants to compensate more than 2 euros per day, payroll tax needs to be paid over the initial 2 euros.

Home workplace equipment

To decorate the home workplace, the employer is already able to give a tax-free allowance. The costs for needed equipment for this home workplace such as a computer or a phone can be done through the already-existing werkkostenregeling (WKR) (work-related cost arrangement). While the CAO can include liabilities regarding the home workplace, the home workplace allowance is, on par with the working-from-home allowance not mandatory. Furthermore, according to the Arbowet, every workplace needs to be included in the Arbo health and safety policy. The employer or company needs to assure that the workplaces, including the home workplaces, are ergonomically designed and have the correct equipment to let the employees correctly and healthy work (from home).

Conclusion

With the new demand for working at home, the Dutch government established the new working-from-home allowance that covers the basic needs of the employees and does not include payroll taxes. While this allowance is not mandatory, incentives to pay this financial contribution are showing willingness and goodness of the employer, attracting new employees or maintaining employees in the current era of employee shortage. Next to this allowance, the travel allowance stays in existence with the rule that only one of these allowances can be applied. In the case of working from home and working from the office on the same day (two different parts of the day), only one allowance can be given. While the working-from-home allowance is not mandatory, the branch-related CAO should also be taken into consideration for the correct rules and regulations.

Curious about these new allowances, or your want more information about personal advice regarding international business advice, tax situations or consolidation? Global Connect Admin B.V. can assist you with these challenges due to the rich experience and framework of connections.

Sources

Thuiswerkvergoeding 2022 | Ondernemen Met Personeel

Plannen kabinet voor thuiswerkkostenvergoeding van maximaal € 2 per dag | Prinsjesdag: Belastingplan 2022 | Rijksoverheid.nl

Global Connect Admin meets Canon in Venlo

18 nov 2021

GCA on Tour, Investment, Netherlands

Canon, DUJAT, green energy, green landmark, green printing solutions, innovation, investments in Limburg, Kyosei, Limburg, Limburg investment, LIOF, philosophy canon, the future of printing, Venlo

When you think of printing, you may think of digitalization or paper waste. When you think of 11 November, you might think, “That is just a normal day” or “The 11^th of the 11^th is once again canceled in Limburg. What a bummer!” For Global Connect Admin, 11 November 2021 was the day to celebrate high-end innovative printing technologies. With the DUJAT Meets Limburg event, we traveled to Venlo to visit the new state-of-the-art Canon headquarter and the Customer Experience Center. But first, what makes this new headquarters so unique, and why invest in Limburg?

Limburg and innovation

Limburg, the southern Dutch province located next to Belgium and Germany, knows several key sectors, such as agri-food, life sciences & health, logistics, chemicals & materials and high-tech systems. Companies and the environment benefit from innovation and growth, with thriving ecosystems around different hotspots. The Dutch are well-known for being fluent in English. In Limburg, it is also prevalent to be native in other languages, such as French and German.

Several sectors have started to cooperate, creating ideal locations in combination with knowledge institutions. In recent years Limburg has grown into a multi-language and intercultural hotspot for many sectors. A prime example is the high-tech systems, making it more inviting for companies to thrive there. Canon, one of the biggest employer of Limburg, is a big player in this integral growth.

Green printing solutions

Canon invited companies to their newest ‘Green Landmark’: The Canon headquarters in Venlo. The location opened in the summer of 2020. However, many companies only recently have the chance to pay a visit. Global Connect Admin and the DUJAT community were one of the first to marvel at the new Canon accommodation. Inside the building are the four Green Plazas that provide an open and inviting atmosphere, ideal for stimulating synergy and exchange of knowledge.

The event

First, Mr. Asada, CEO of Canon, Mr. Leurs, Board Member of DUJAT and Managing Director of Canon Benelux and Mr. van Elk, Director of LIOF, welcomed everyone with a presentation and a tour of the sustainable building.

Secondly, everyone was invited to the Customer Experience Center, where Canon showcases its brand-new innovations for potential clients. During the networking lunch, Mr. de Goeijen, VP BL CTS of Canon, introduced everyone to insights into innovative printing technologies.

Key takeaways: Kyosei 共生

What impressed us the most was the corporate philosophy of Canon. Their philosophy is Kyosei, which translates to “Living and working together for the common good.” This corporate philosophy conveys the dedication to see all people, regardless of culture, customs, language or race, harmoniously living and working together in happiness into the future. Realizing Kyosei is a challenge due to current factors related to economies, resources and the environment. Nonetheless, Canon strives to eliminate difficulties through corporate activities. They believe that a genuinely global company must foster good relations with customers, communities, governments, regions and the environment. Therefore, Canon embraces the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations, creating new value while conserving the environment, solving social issues and responding as a responsible corporate citizen.

One of the key takeaways is the San-ji (Three Selfs) Spirit, embracing self-motivation, self-management and self-awareness. We agree that taking the initiative and being proactive is crucial for motivation. To manage your business and yourself well, you need to conduct yourself with responsibility and accountability. Especially with the state of our world, we need to understand our situation and our role in this world.

Conclusion

The printing business is far from dying; it is evolving! The time of paper waste and office buildings swallowing energy like a hungry monster is slowly but surely coming to an end. Suppose you want your company to inspire others, or you want to see a long-term profit. In that case, it does pay off to invest in green energy and innovative solutions. It is a challenge to evolve your business. However, the good news is that you do not have to take this step alone. Many organizations and sectors, either in Limburg or worldwide, cooperate to find the best possible solutions for companies and society.

We want to thank Canon Production Printing Netherlands, DUJAT and Limburg Investment and Development Company LIOF for hosting this event and introducing us to this innovative location.

Sources

DUJAT – Canon – LIOF