Turkije Instituut
Cultural differences in
doing business in Turkey
and the Netherlands
In the ING publication “Kansrijk Turkije” (January
2009) on chances and pitfalls in doing business in
Turkey, a survey among 220 Dutch business people
showed that differences in culture and in language
were identified as the main impediments for doing
business with Turkey. Setting up a business network
was perceived as the foremost obstacle and here
again ‘cultural differences’ play an important role.
How many of these obstacles are real and how many
of them stem from a lack of knowledge on how
business is being conducted in Turkey?
This publication aims at pointing out the differences
and similarities in business cultures between
the Netherlands and Turkey and their impact on
communications between Dutch and Turks in the
context of doing business. Since this publication
serves to facilitate Dutch professionals, the focus is
primarily on the Turkish business culture.
Tradition and Change
Turkey is a country in transition. This transition is the result
of a general trend towards globalization and the adaptation
of EU-norms as part of the process of the accession
negotiations between Turkey and the European Union.
Turkish firms are working more and more with foreign
partners, which resulted in a sharp rise in the number
of expatriates working in Turkish companies. The rise
of Foreign Direct Investment (including the takeover of
Turkish firms by foreign companies) made possible by the
intensified privatization and market liberalization process
since the beginning of this century reinforced these trends.
In addition, most of the middle managers and employees
in the private sector in Turkey are highly educated people
(a growing percentage of them having received their
education abroad) who have adopted or are comfortable
with western way of thinking and life styles.
These developments, however, are not taking place at the
same pace throughout the country at large. In general the
west (Marmara Region: Istanbul, Izmir, Bursa) and the
coastal regions are more advanced in this respect than e.g.
the south-eastern province of Diyarbakır. The majority of
Dutch business firms are located in the western part of the
Marmara Region (notably Istanbul, 53%).
It should also be understood that much of the changes
that have occurred over the past 10 years are not yet fully
reflected in more traditional family-led enterprises, state-
owned enterprises and most of the administrative bodies.
Dutch companies in Turkey by region
4% 2%
6%
■ Istanbul
8% ■ Ankara
■ Aydin
■ Antalya
53%
17% ■ Marmara region
■ Izmir
3%
■ Mersin
7% ■ Rest
Source: Meltem Ücer (2009)
Cultural differences in business
Throughout history merchants and business people have
been fascinated by the difference in business styles
between countries. With the rise of global business after
World War II, research in this field became very popular.
Researches, notably the Dutch sociologist Geert Hofstede,
have developed several so-called dimensions along
Cultural dimensions

POWER DISTANCE
The Netherlands (the distribution of power, acceptance of inequality) Turkey
38 low high 66

INDIVIDUALISM
(versus collectivism: strong group loyability and caring)
80 low high 37

MASCULINITY
(assertive competitive versus feminity: modest and caring)
14 low high 45

UNCERTAINITY AVOIDANCE
(strictly defined rules, homogennous culture versus acceptance of unstructured situations)
53 low high 85

Source: Hofstede 1980

The high Dutch score on individualism (80) is only surpassed in the UK (89), Australia (90) and the US (91). The relatively low 37 on the Turkisch
side is comparable to the Arab world (38) Japan (42) but still much higher than China (20). Again, these figures date back from 1980, but are
generally still suppported by later research.

which culturally defined values and orientations can be
identified. These tools enable researchers to label a culture
as ‘masculine versus feminine’, ‘individualistic versus
collectivistic’, ‘minimal power distance versus maximum
power distance’ etc. From the position of a particular
national culture on the scale of these dimensions, general
patterns of behavior can be distilled. Most of these patterns
can be explained by different cultural and historical
experiences.
How our historical and cultural heritage influences
our business culture
National history and culture are the determining forces in
shaping the values that will be dealt with in this publication.
In the case of Turkey and the Netherlands the differences
can be summarized as follows
TURKEY: a strong centralized power structure (symbols:
Sultan and the Ankara centered Republican bureaucracy)

In explaining business styles, whether in negotiating
situations or otherwise, four main categories or dimensions
are of relevance. These and the respective score of the
Netherlands and Turkey are shown here:
From these broad categories and the combination they
result in (power distance combined with masculinity
and uncertainty avoidance e.g.) a whole set of behavioral
patterns can be distinguished. In negotiating situations
this leads up to significant differences in attitudes between
Dutch and Turks.
THE NETHERLANDS: low hierarchy- autonomous power
notions (symbol: district water board (organization of water
control through dyke and polder maintenance).
In both countries religion has played a strong role
in defining national/cultural values. Here significant
differences under­pin the already historically and
geographically shaped values. Countries where Islam is
the dominant religion score higher on masculinity, whereas
countries with a strong protestant denomination score low
in uncertainty avoidance and have in general less affinity
with ­h ierarchy. Although the Netherlands is numerically

Cultural differences in doing business in Turkey and the Netherlands December 2009 2
a mixture of C­ atholicism and Protestantism, Calvinism, a
particular strict version of Protestantism, is seen historically
as the most influential denomination when it comes to
shaping Dutch national values. Moreover, the wealthier
a country is, the more individualism tends to develop as
a main characteristic. Coupled with the very individual/
Protestant stance towards collective actions, the Netherlands
scores high in this respect. In contrast the Turkish society
is historically being formed by tribal traditions and by
Ottoman history and figures high in acceptance that other
factors than the individual’s own doing shape one’s fate
(kısmet/ kader/inshallah). Collectivism therefore is an
important trait in the Turkish mindset. The high score of
Turkey on the ‘power distance’ dimension, also explains the
‘top down’ character of decision making. Turks will want to
communicate directly with the highest position (director) of
the opponent’s side. They expect you to do the same.
Personal relations and status
Another difference between the Dutch and Turkish business
cultures is the role of personal relations. Many companies
are used to be characterized by a collective, family-style
culture. Knowledge is often implicit and less formalized, less
standardized. In most companies the patron/boss is very
much seen as a father like figure with in-depth knowledge of
the personal circumstances of his staff.
Status depends not so much on performance but on age and
seniority. It is less linked to a certain position, but is seen
as personal. When a person leaves a firm, the contacts he/
she has build up are not automatically transferred to his/her
successor.
In contrast, respect and status in the Netherlands are very
much based on performance. Younger employees can,
because of their specific competences, enjoy a higher
status in certain fields, than more senior, elder colleagues.
When a person changes jobs, the external relations will
expect to receive the same treatment by his/her successors.
Confidence building will not have to be started from
scratch. Contact is between the companies involved and not
primarily between persons. This is significantly different
in Turkish firms. Any change in personnel will entail a new
process of relation/confidence building.
New Managers, New Styles
As explained before the business culture in Turkey is
changing rapidly. Exceptions are to be found in the govern-
ment bureaucracy and family-led enterprises, especially
outside of Istanbul. The outcomes of this study underline the
assumed changes, which are summarized below.
Cultural differences in doing business in Turkey and the Netherlands December 2009 3
Time awareness
In general, Turkey is ranked among countries were time is
perceived as polychronic and where time pressure is low.
Deadlines are less dominant, people prefer to undertake
more tasks at the same time, the distinction between private
life and work is diffuse. The study’s results show that these
culturally defined characteristics are changing rapidly.
This can be explained as follows. Because of the transition
in Turkey and with the impact of economic crisis, market
conditions in various sectors are getting more competitive.
This has a negative impact on the dominance of the social
side of doing business. Efficiency is getting more important.
Desire for working with contracts is a generally increasing
phenomenon: the verbal agreements between parties loose
their traditional high status. This could be an evidence for
the lessening of personal trust and an increase in so called
system trust, expressed by the more frequent insistence on
contracts.
State-owned firms are still more bureaucratic and do not
often care for deadlines. Newly established firms with more
global minded managers, however, have adapted western
values for deadlines. This leads to a greater degree of time
efficiency: in the private sector employees face a huge
work load. This is also related to the high unemployment
rates in Turkey and the competition on the labour market.
Fear of losing one’s job is dominating older, more socially
oriented habits on the work floor. In terms of time efficiency
the Turkish respondents had an even higher score than
the Dutch respondents, with the highest score to be found
among the Turkish-Dutch respondents.
Losing face, risk avoidance and leadership
In almost every book on business culture in Turkey,
references to the issue of loosing face, or better on how
important it is to avoid this, can be found in abundance. This
is explained by the high score on uncertainty avoidance,
on collectivism and the relatively high score on masculinity.
The findings of the study support this conventional wisdom.
Turkish respondents are much more sensitive to criticism
and much less inclined than the Dutch participants to accept
compromise in negotiating situations. At the same time, the
perceived cultural difference that Dutch are more direct in
their communications was refuted. Both groups scored high
on direct communications styles.
Risk avoidance
The traditional high score in risk avoidance on the Turkish
side was no longer dominant in the findings of this study.
The percentage of Turks expressing their willingness to take
risks in certain (negotiating) situations (67,5%) exceeded
that of the Dutch (48,6%). This can partly be explained by the
fact that Turkish business people have become accustomed
over the past few decades to uncertain, unstable economic
conditions and have adapted their business styles
accordingly. Also the opening bids in negotiation tend to be
much higher among Turkish negotiators than among their
Dutch peers. The study showed that the gap between first
demand and target price is 33,9% for Turkish respondents
and 23% for Dutch.
Another contrast to earlier findings arose from the
inquiry into the matter of leadership. Traditionally Turkish
leadership is perceived as top down, relying on one leader,
with a strong hierarchy in decision making. The outcome
of this study showed however that Turks have developed a
preference for consensus, with the traditionally consensus
oriented Dutch being divided between consensus and one-
leader preference. An explanation could be that Turkey is
a vertically collectivistic culture, meaning that emphasis is
placed on equality and participation within the collective.
Conclusions
No culture can be labeled as static. The study shows that
Turkish and Dutch cultures are no exception to this rule.
It should be noted however that a substantial part of the
respondents have a professional background in Turkish-
Dutch companies. Also the majority is highly educated
and internationally oriented. A certain degree of influence
from Turkish culture on Dutch culturally defined modes of
operation and vice versa therefore can be presupposed.
Dutch manager:
“Because of our good relationship with the XX-
Group, we were able to start the negotiations.
Without such a basis, it would have been much
more difficult to approach them. In general, I would
say that in Turkey contacts that do not necessarily
lead to direct results or a contract, still can be most
useful for future business”
But even outside the Turkish-Dutch context, Dutch people
are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of the
personal element in doing business, moving away from
the somewhat stern concept of a strong division between
business and private life. Turks on the other hand have
incorporated elements of a lifestyle that was hitherto labeled
as ‘western’, but which is in fact becoming more and more
international.
Cultural differences in doing business in Turkey and the Netherlands December 2009 4
Leadership notions
Dutch Turkish
6,5% 3,2% 11,4%
22,9%
5,7%
29%
29%
32,2% 60%
■ One leader
■ Probably one leader
■ Neutral
■ Probably consensus
■ Consensus
Source: Meltem Ücer (2009)
Still, remains of more traditional approaches and values can
be traced in even the most urban, cosmopolitan circles. It
is therefore useful for anyone doing ‘business’ in Turkey to
keep in mind the following observations:
Trust
Trust in general and more specifically personal trust, is
one of the main characteristics in doing business in Turkey.
Personal trust still dominates system trust in Turkey. Turks
still put more trust in people then contracts, bureaucratic
procedures, international regulations etc. Building a strong
(personal) network therefore is one of the most fundamental
preconditions for being successful in Turkey. Investing
time in personal relations is the key to it. Always accept
invitations to visit people at home. Don’t expect to have the
‘evening free’ after your business is concluded and try to be
as hospitable as possible in return whenever the occasion
arises. Most of the decisions will be taken in an informal
atmosphere and not necessarily during work hours. Try to
be forthcoming if people inquire after your private life.
High hierarchy/power
High hierarchy/power distance and connected with this
saving face is still important and loss of it will result in depre-
ciation of status and will therefore have to be avoided at all
costs. Employees will go through great lengths to protect
their superior and will refrain from contradicting or correct-
ing him/or her in public. The reverse also applies, reproach-
es to staff members can best be made in a private session, to
do this in a public meeting could have grave consequences.
Don’t expect your negotiating partners, business relations
or staff members to come up with critical information on the
company, its established procedures, business relations
or strategy plans. Most of the negative information people
will want to share with you will be communicated to you
indirectly.
Be also sure to be very respectful towards the more and
most senior representatives of a firm or an organization.
Never try to undermine somebody’s authority, this will only
produce a reverse effect.
Risk aversion
Risk aversion is very much related to this and still more
common in the public sector than it is in the private sector.
Decision making can be slow and will not easily be
delegated to employees with a low hierarchical status. Thus,
always bring your presentation with you on paper as well.
The person(s) to whom you are talking may not be the one
who is going to take the decision. To prevent loss of time,
Formality
Formality plays an important role in doing business in
Turkey. Like in most other countries, academic and other
titles meet with great respect and should therefore be used,
especially in the initial phase of your contacts. The dress
code is also somewhat more formal. Exchange of business
cards is very common. Often people might ask for more
than one card and this will in most cases turn out to be very
useful in building up a network. Contrary to the custom in
most western European countries, using jokes to create
an informal atmosphere is a relative new phenomenon
in Turkish business contacts. Be careful in applying this
technique and wait till you know more about your partners.
Formality versus informality
Dutch Turkish
3,2% 6,5% 5,7%
6,5%
14,3%

try to make an appointment as high up as possible within

20%
the h­ ierarchy and make sure that you get an organizational
chart of the organization you are dealing with in advance. 29%

37,1%
54,8%

Turkish manager: 22,9%

“Turks can show their emotions openly and will do

so, otherwise a person will be seen as unreliable and ■ Informal
passive in Turkey” ■ Probably informal
■ Neutral
■ Probably formal
■ Formal
Emotions
Emotions are not necessarily seen as a negative element Source: Meltem Ücer (2009)
by many Turks. To the contrary: an absence of display of
emotions will be seen as a lack of commitment or even as
a lack of personal integrity. The emphasis Dutch people
generally put on statistics will often not be enough to
persuade your Turkish business partners. The story, the
motives behind strategic decisions are considered to be
just as important. Willingness to do business with you
will depend on their trust in you (see above) and in the
conviction that they could develop a long lasting relationship
not only with your company but also on a personal level. The
strict division Dutch are used to when it comes to private life
and work environment does not exist in Turkey. Managers
are expected to be fully aware of any strain an employee
might have in his/her private life and are expected to take
that into account.

Cultural differences in doing business in Turkey and the Netherlands December 2009 5
Finally
After having read the above, one might arrive at the
conclusion that doing business in Turkey is an adventurous
undertaking. That can sometimes indeed be the case,
but more ­often than not a very pleasant and rewarding
adventure, which will not only bring professional
satisfaction (rapid return of investment, sustained profits
and unprecedented growth) but also personal reward in
terms of warm and personal relationships and long term
commitments and visual and other experiences without
precedent. The immense growth of the number of Dutch
firms in Turkey (239 new companies in 2007 alone,
mounting up to 1428 in total in 2008) and the rise in trade
volume (from 2,992 billion in 2000 to 5,49 billion in 2008) are
the best indicators for the excellent opportunities that Dutch-
Turkish commercial relations have to offer.

Lily Sprangers and Meltem Ücer

December 2009

Cultural differences in doing business in Turkey and the Netherlands December 2009 6
Turkey Institute
The Turkije Instituut (Turkey Institute) was founded in 2007
in The Hague and aims to increase knowledge of Turkey
among a broad Dutch audience. The Turkije Instituut is an
independent NGO and is funded by Dutch multinationals
and the municipality of The Hague.
We inform our audience on political, economic and social
developments related to Turkey, by organizing arrays
of activities, among which are debates and conferences.
Furthermore, we encourage suggestions for cooperation
with third parties and promote exchange between the
Netherlands and Turkey as much as possible.
The Turkije Instituut has contributed to a multitude of events
and activities in 2008 and 2009, which include around 60
lectures and conferences, a website www.turkije-instituut.nl
and an internship project with our corporate sponsors and
several Dutch–Turkish companies in Istanbul.
ING Bank Turkey
Following the acquisition of Oyak Bank in 2007, ING’s
capabilities also extend to coverage in Turkey. In 2008
Oyak rebranded to ING Bank. ING has now 365 branches
throughout Turkey, with 5900 employees and a market share
of approximately 3%, ING Bank Turkey offers a full range
of banking services, but has a particular focus on retail
banking. The bank has 1.3 million active retail customers
and 13,500 small and medium enterprise customers.
With a customer-focused approach, ING Bank Turkey
provides products and services for mid-corporate as well as
for corporate clients. Clients of ING in the Netherlands and
Belgium also have full access to these products and services
and receive assistance from local relationship managers, in
the same way as they are used to in their home countries.
ING’s Turkish clients looking to move abroad have full
access to the international network. The European Business
Desk Turkey is at your disposal to making your international
expansion a great success.

The basis for this publication is provided by an academic

research conducted by Meltem Ücer (MA) from the
University of Twente. Together with Professor A. Kadir
Varoğlu from Başkent University a survey was developed
and hence conducted among 133 Dutch, Turkish-Dutch and
Turkish business people. Additional in-depth interviews
with senior ‘negotiators’ and a comprehensive literature
study completed her findings. The ensuing study: “Dutch-
Turkish Business Cooperation” enabled Meltem Ücer to
complete her Master study of International Management
at the University of Twente (December 7, 2009).1 In this
brochure, the findings of the academic study have been
combined with more general and acquired knowledge
on cultural differences between Turks and Dutch. We are
highly indebted not only to Professor Kadir Varoğlu and his
assistant Mehmet Çakar, but also to Dr Ursula Brinkmann
from Intercultural Business Improvement (the Netherlands)
and naturally to the T­ urkish, Dutch, and Turkish-Dutch
participants who shared their e ­ xperiences in both the
survey and the in-depth interviews.

1 The comprehensive study can be found on: www.turkije-instituut.

nl/Turkije/NL-TR/cultural differences.

Cultural differences in doing business in Turkey and the Netherlands December 2009 7
For further information:

Turkije Instituut ING

Lily Sprangers & Loes Klappe-Linsen
Meltem Ücer General Manager
info@turkije-instituut.nl Trade Affairs
www.turkije-instituut.nl loes.klappe-linsen@ing.nl
+31 70 312 20 91 www.ing.com
+31 6 304 95 751

ING
Huseyin Celik
Manager European
Business Desk Istanbul
huseyin.celik@ingbank.com.tr
www. ingbank.com.tr
+90 212 335 12 90

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