Saturday, May 3, 2014

Dutch Cultural and Economic Profile Outline

Cultural Profile
  1. Start with a description of your chosen product to be exported to the Netherlands
  2. Brief discussion of the country’s relevant history
  3. Geographical setting (location, climate, topography)
  4. Social institutions
    1. Family (the nuclear and extended family, family dynamics, parental roles, marriage rates, female & male roles, changing or static roles)
    2. Education (the role of education in society; quality and levels of development of primary, secondary and higher education; literacy rates)
    3. Political system (political structure and parties, stability of government, special taxes, role of local government)
    4. Legal system (organization of the judiciary; code, common, socialist or Islamic law; participation in patents, trademarks, and other conventions)
    5. Social organizations (group behavior, social classes, clubs and other organizations, race & ethnicity subcultures
    6. Business customs and practices
  1. Religion and aesthetics
    1. Religion and other belief systems (Orthodox doctrines and structures, relationship with the people, prominent religions, religion membership levels, powerful or influential cults)
    2. Aesthetics (visual arts, music, drama, dance, other performing arts, folklore and other relevant symbols)
  2. Living conditions
    1. Diet and nutrition (typical meals, malnutrition rates, foods available)
    2. Housing (types of housing available, prevalence of rent and own, prevalence of one family and multi-family dwellings)
    3. Clothing (national dress, types of clothing worn at work)
    4. Recreation, sports, and other leisure activities (types available and in demand, percentage of income spent on such activities)
    5. Social security
    6. Healthcare
  3. Language
    A. Official language(s)

    B. Spoken versus written language(s) 
    C. Dialects
  4. Negotiation Style
  1.  
    Economic Profile 
     I.  Population
    1. Total (growth rates, birthrates)
    2. Distribution of population (Age, Sex, Geographic areas [urban, suburban, and rural density and concentration], Migration rates and patterns, Ethnic groups)
    II. Economic statistics and activity
    1. Gross national product (Total and rate of growth)
    2. Personal income per capital
    3. Average family income
    4. Distribution of wealth (income classes, proportion of the population in each class, distortions)
    5. Minerals and resources
    6. Surface transportation (modes, availability, usage rates, ports)
    7. Communication systems (types, availability rates, usage rates)
    8. Working conditions (employer-employee relations, employee participation, salaries and benefits
    9. Principal industries (proportion of the GNP for each, ratio of private to publicly owned industries)
    10. Foreign investment (opportunities, which industries)
    11. International trade statistics (major exports dollar value and trends, major imports dollar value and trends, balance of payments surplus or deficit and recent trends, exchange rates 
    12. Trade restrictions (embargoes, quotas, import taxes, tariffs, licensing, customs duties)
    13. Extent of economic activity not included in cash income activities
    14. Labor force (size, unemployment rates)
    15. Inflation rates 
        III.   Developments in science and technology
    A. Current technology available (computers, machinery, tools, etc.)
    B. Percentage of GNP invested in research and development
    C. Technological skills of the labor force and general population
    1. Channels of distribution and channel middlemen available within the market.
    1. Retailers (number, typical size of retail outlets, methods of operation - cash/credit, scale of operation - large/small, role of chain stores, department stores and specialty shops)
    2. Wholesale middlemen (number and size, customary markup for various classes of goods, method of operation - cash/credit)
    3. Import/export agents
    4. Warehousing
    5. Penetration of urban and rural markets 
    V.   Media (media available within the country or market)
    1. Availability of media
    2. Costs (television, radio, print, internet, other [cinema, outdoor, etc.])
    3. Agency assistance


    Executive Summary
    • After completing all of the other sections, prepare a two-page summary of the major points and place it at the front of the report. The purpose of an executive summary is to give the reader a brief glance at the critical points of your report. Those aspects of the culture and economy a reader should know to do business in the country but would not be expected to know or would find different should be included in this summary.

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