wtfeWays They Frame Engineering
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The NetherlandsvsBrazil

オランダとブラジルNLBR

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

Swap: see the Netherlands from Brazil

Culture Map: eight scales

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

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

Where you will notice the difference8 scales

  1. Evaluating

    Brazil gives negative feedback more indirectly than the Netherlands (4 steps)

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

  2. Leading

    Brazil keeps more distance between boss and team than the Netherlands (4 steps)

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

  3. Trusting

    Brazil builds trust through personal relationships more than the Netherlands (4 steps)

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

  4. Scheduling

    Brazil treats plans as more flexible than the Netherlands (4 steps)

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

  5. Deciding

    Brazil leaves decisions to the person in charge more than the Netherlands (3 steps)

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

  6. Disagreeing

    Brazil avoids open disagreement more than the Netherlands (3 steps)

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

  7. Communicating

    Brazil leaves more to be read between the lines than the Netherlands (2 steps)

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

  8. Persuading

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

    The Netherlands +1, Brazil 0, 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 the Netherlands and Brazil. They describe national averages, not either country's character.

  1. Individualism

    Brazil scores 64 points lower than the Netherlands (36 against 100)

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

  2. Long-term orientation

    Brazil scores 39 points lower than the Netherlands (28 against 67)

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

  3. Motivation towards achievement and success

    Brazil scores 35 points higher than the Netherlands (49 against 14)

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

  4. Power distance

    Brazil scores 31 points higher than the Netherlands (69 against 38)

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

  5. Uncertainty avoidance

    Brazil scores 23 points higher than the Netherlands (76 against 53)

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

  6. Indulgence

    Brazil scores 9 points lower than the Netherlands (59 against 68)

    The Netherlands 68, Brazil 59, 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 the Netherlands and Brazil, side by side on wide screens. Each keeps its own confidence label and citations.

Design & quality

Netherlands2 claims

Brazil2 claims

Failure & risk

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

Brazil1 claim

Feedback & code review

Netherlands2 claims

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

Hierarchy & decisions

Netherlands3 claims

Brazil2 claims

Communication & docs

Netherlands2 claims

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

Work & careers

Netherlands2 claims

Brazil4 claims

Open source & community

Netherlands2 claims

Brazil3 claims