Introduction

Culturon offers a wide spectrum of consulting services. Its added value is based on personal experience and on self-developed tools.  The consulting services are project or business oriented rather than education oriented. Knowledge transfer is an important part of all services however.

At the moment Culturon employs one consultant, Johannes Cornelis van Nieuwkerk, whose profile and curriculum can be found on this website. Next to him a network of external partners is available on

a project to project basis. 

Although the consulting services are universal and can in principle be offered anywhere, the current focus is foreign investments in the new EU member and candidate member states in former Central and Eastern Europe as well as foreign investments in the new EU candidate member states in the Balkan area.

Due to fast changing circumstances and a related need for quick adaptation, projects usually require more than a standard approach

to become successful in this region. The proper use of local cultural strength instead of imposed foreign cultural elements can substantially enhance the projects' rate of success here.

Culturon, having a solid international background in pioneering and in implementing innovations, is well equipped to guide projects and assist foreign investors in this region.

Four types or stages of involvement (independently or in combination with each other) are offered to customers. These four involvement types will be described into more detail.   

Analysis

The first level of consulting offered is analysis. Projects or potential projects can be analyzed from a business, a financial and a cultural perspective. Strengths, weaknesses or feasibility can this way be determined and reported to the foreign investors. Next to business 

and financial elements, the reporting contains a single-cultural, cross-cultural or intercultural communication analysis.

Concept and Strategy Development

The second level of consulting offered is concept and strategy development. It applies to new as well as to existing projects. Creative solutions or directions are generated and proposed on the basis of local cultural and business circumstances. This type of consulting generates a theoretical framework from which practical project approaches or implementations can be derived.

Implementation and Mediation

The third level of consulting offered is start-up management or short-term project implementation in co-operation with local project management teams. Culturon supervises the projects and makes sure that project objectives are realized.

In case communication conflicts arise or in case communication can be improved, Culturon offers cultural mediation or bridging between the foreign investor and the local project management team.  

Project Monitoring

The last but probably most important level of consulting offered is project monitoring. Culturon is in this case the sparring partner to both the local project management team and the foreign investor. Culturon assists both in finding solutions for any type of business obstacles encountered and bridges possible cultural communication gaps between them. At the same time Culturon performs a supervising role, representing the investor’s interest and independently reporting the state of progress of the project. 

Fee structure

Culturon works on a daily consulting fee basis. The fee level depends on the volume and complexity of the consulting required. Fees exclude travel and subsistence expenses, which are separately specified to the customer.