Abstract
Following the globalization trend in the world, Turkey and Belgium have become good business partners in the international arena. Belgium, with its geographically and politically critical location and high Turkish population has been a very attractive European country for Turkish investors. However, there are still Turkish companies leaving Belgium possibly due to adaptation problems to business culture in Belgium. In this chapter, cultural differences between Belgium and Turkey are investigated using qualitative research method with a single company case study. The results of the study indicate that differences between Turkish and Belgian cultures are mainly due to language, communication and relationship building styles, different level of individualism, and future orientation.
Top1. Introduction
The introduction section presents background and problem definition, research question, purpose, and delimitations of the chapter.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Cultural Dimension: Observable and measurable aspect of culture.
Culture: Values, attitudes, and norms of workers.
Cross-Culture: A business environment where people from different countries interact, bringing different values, business practices and communication styles.
Internationalization: The process of entering and expanding business in international markets.
Host-Country: Destination of the foreign investment.
Home-Country: The country from which the investment originates.
Cultural Model: A tool to compare different cultures through cultural dimensions.