wtfeWays They Frame Engineering
日本語

Brazilvsthe Netherlands

ブラジルとオランダBRNL

Seen from Brazil: each line below describes the Netherlands relative to Brazil.

Swap: see Brazil from the Netherlands

Culture Map: eight scales

Erin Meyer's eight scales, sorted by how far apart Brazil and the Netherlands sit, largest gap first.

Filled dot: Brazil, where you are looking fromHollow ring: the Netherlands

Where you will notice the difference8 scales

  1. Evaluating

    The Netherlands gives negative feedback more directly than Brazil (4 steps)

    Brazil +1, the Netherlands −3, on a line from −3 (Direct negative feedback) to +3 (Indirect negative feedback).

  2. Leading

    The Netherlands keeps less distance between boss and team than Brazil (4 steps)

    Brazil +1, the Netherlands −3, on a line from −3 (Egalitarian) to +3 (Hierarchical).

  3. Trusting

    The Netherlands builds trust through reliable work more than Brazil (4 steps)

    Brazil +2, the Netherlands −2, on a line from −3 (Task-based) to +3 (Relationship-based).

  4. Scheduling

    The Netherlands sticks to fixed plans and deadlines more than Brazil (4 steps)

    Brazil +2, the Netherlands −2, on a line from −3 (Linear time) to +3 (Flexible time).

  5. Deciding

    The Netherlands decides by group agreement more than Brazil (3 steps)

    Brazil +1, the Netherlands −2, on a line from −3 (Consensual) to +3 (Top-down).

  6. Disagreeing

    The Netherlands is more willing to disagree openly than Brazil (3 steps)

    Brazil +1, the Netherlands −2, on a line from −3 (Confrontational) to +3 (Avoids confrontation).

  7. Communicating

    The Netherlands spells things out more explicitly than Brazil (2 steps)

    Brazil 0, the Netherlands −2, on a line from −3 (Low-context) to +3 (High-context).

  8. Persuading

    The Netherlands wants examples and the conclusion before the theory more than Brazil (1 step)

    Brazil 0, the Netherlands +1, on a line from −3 (Principles-first) to +3 (Applications-first).

Positions are read by eye from Erin Meyer's published charts and rounded to seven steps. A step means “further towards that pole”, not a measured distance. How the positions were read

Hofstede: six dimensions

Scores from 0 to 100, sorted by the gap between Brazil and the Netherlands. They describe national averages, not either country's character.

  1. Individualism

    The Netherlands scores 64 points higher than Brazil (100 against 36)

    Brazil 36, the Netherlands 100, on a line from 0 (Collectivist) to 100 (Individualist).

  2. Long-term orientation

    The Netherlands scores 39 points higher than Brazil (67 against 28)

    Brazil 28, the Netherlands 67, on a line from 0 (Short-term) to 100 (Long-term).

  3. Motivation towards achievement and success

    The Netherlands scores 35 points lower than Brazil (14 against 49)

    Brazil 49, the Netherlands 14, on a line from 0 (Consensus-oriented) to 100 (Decisive).

  4. Power distance

    The Netherlands scores 31 points lower than Brazil (38 against 69)

    Brazil 69, the Netherlands 38, on a line from 0 (Low power distance) to 100 (High power distance).

  5. Uncertainty avoidance

    The Netherlands scores 23 points lower than Brazil (53 against 76)

    Brazil 76, the Netherlands 53, on a line from 0 (Tolerant of ambiguity) to 100 (Avoids ambiguity).

  6. Indulgence

    The Netherlands scores 9 points higher than Brazil (68 against 59)

    Brazil 59, the Netherlands 68, on a line from 0 (Restrained) to 100 (Indulgent).

Country averages. About 80% of variation in values is between people inside a country (Taras et al. 2016).Source: The Culture Factor — Country comparison tool (2026).About the Hofstede dimensions

What the sources say, theme by theme

Entries for Brazil and the Netherlands, side by side on wide screens. Each keeps its own confidence label and citations.

Design & quality

Brazil2 claims

Netherlands2 claims

Failure & risk

Brazil1 claim

Netherlands2 claims

  • ING moved to a Spotify-style structure of squads and tribes in 2015. In a McKinsey interview (2017), it described each tribe writing down its results and biggest learnings every quarter and celebrating both successes and failures.

    Attested1 source2017nl-failure-1

  • According to Thomke (HBR, 2020), only about 10% of Booking.com's experiments produce positive results; the other 90% or so do not support the hypothesis. The company runs its experiments on that assumption.

    Attested1 source2020nl-failure-2

Feedback & code review

Brazil3 claims

  • The training company Talaera, citing Meyer, writes that negative feedback tends to be wrapped in warmth and delivered in private, and that public criticism easily damages relationships. The behavioral descriptions rest mainly on the authors' own observations.

    Thin1 source2026br-feedback-1

  • In an HR magazine interview, Erin Meyer names Latin America as one of the "really indirect" parts of the world for negative feedback.

    Attested1 source2014Datedbr-feedback-2

  • Talaera says that instead of a plain "no," phrases such as "we can try" or "I'll do my best" can signal concern or refusal.

    Thin1 source2026br-feedback-3

Netherlands2 claims

Hierarchy & decisions

Brazil2 claims

Netherlands3 claims

Communication & docs

Brazil2 claims

  • A summary of Meyer's Culture Map places Brazil on the side where trust is built through personal relationships, close to China and Saudi Arabia. Small talk at the start of a meeting is described as part of the work.

    Thin1 sourcebr-communication-1

  • Talaera says written English tends to be on the formal side and asynchronous replies tend to be long and warm, and it recommends video calls over audio-only calls.

    Thin1 source2026br-communication-2

Netherlands2 claims

Work & careers

Brazil4 claims

Netherlands2 claims

Open source & community

Brazil3 claims

Netherlands2 claims