Page 156 - Cultures and Organizations

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He, She, and (S)he

s a young Dutch engineer, Geert once applied for a junior man-
Aagement job with an American engineering company that had

recently settled in Flanders, the Dutch-speaking part of Belgium. He

felt well qualified, with a degree from the leading technical university
of the country, good grades, a record of active participation in student

associations, and three years’ experience as an engineer with a well-

known (although somewhat sleepy) Dutch company. He had written a
short letter to the company indicating his interest and providing some

salient personal data. He was invited for an interview, and after a long

train ride he sat facing the American plant manager. Geert behaved
politely and modestly, as he knew an applicant should, and waited for the

other man to ask the usual questions that would enable him to fi nd out
how qualified Geert was. To his surprise, the plant manager touched on

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