The Case Against Global Culture

Security is both easier and harder in Europeand that's OK.

By Paul Raines

July 01, 2006 — CSO —

Whenever I’m on the phone with my friends back in the States, the inevitable question comes up: “What’s it like working in Europe?” It’s a good question that deserves a good answer.

The primary difference is that in Europe the workers have more rights than in America. For example, American workers often have contracts that state the employer can terminate the employee at any time without having to show cause. In Europe, this would not be possible because of strong labor laws that protect the rights of workers and give them the right of appeal to labor arbitration boards. In addition, unions play a positive role helping protect workers who are involved in disputes with management.

This can be problematic when implementing security. Any security policy must first be vetted through workers’ councils or unions. Any actions taken against employees for security violations must be based on ironclad evidence in order to withstand protest by either the local worker council or the labor arbitration board.

A second major difference in the workplace is that Europeans pay greater attention to detail than do Americans. In the IT work environment, this translates to an increased emphasis on documentation and international standards. An American, of course, would nod and say, good stuff that; however, if any of it interferes with getting something to market quickly, they say “screw it.”

In Europe ISO 17799 is the security bible, and virtually all companies profess to following the standard. Granted, they are usually not certified because the certification regime is still relatively new and is extremely rigorous. The implementation of any new security policies or security products must be vetted through seemingly endless discussions with all who are affected. Such discussions also happen in America, but the coordination process in Europe seems much more detailed.

A third difference is that Europeans and Americans have very different work ethics. It’s become cliché to say that Americans live to work, whereas Europeans work to live. That obscures the fact that among European nations there are very different attitudes toward work. But work in Europe does tend to occur at a more relaxed pace. At my organization in the Netherlands, every morning I have a 30-minute coffee or tea break with my colleagues, where we seldom discuss work. Lunches are officially 60 minutes long, but in practice they typically last 90 minutes. Business meetings are often held over coffee or tea. Because of these customs, I have spent more time with my colleagues in the seven months I’ve been at this job than I did during five years at my previous job. These informal meetings do wonders in helping to advance work. Cooperating with someone on a work issue is much easier if you know and understand that person.