Benchmark of six European offices

What is the difference between a German, Spanish, French, Italian, English, and Dutch executive? Although all European, their workspaces are far from alike. An in-depth analysis.

A Spaniard would be just as unsettled by discover during the day, the nearly empty offices of a Dutch company, where it would be surprising to be able to easily shake hands with the CEO. The book “Office Code,” published in early December by Steelcase, a leader in office workspace solutions, analyzes the work environments specific to six European countries: Great Britain, the Netherlands, Germany, France, Spain, and Italy.

“Today, multinationals must remain attentive to the local customs and norms within their various overseas subsidiaries,” asserts Catherine Gall, co-author of the book with Beatriz Arantes, “otherwise, they risk a cultural collision.” From Microsoft Office and iPhones to BlackBerry and social media, “Even though we all use the same tools, most of which originate from the Anglo-Saxon world, it doesn’t mean that every employee wants to eat a McDonald’s for lunch,” Catherine Gall emphasizes. The following images, accompanied by the researcher’s commentary, provide the proof.