Anoeshka Krijnen, Kyle McArthur, Linnea Groot, Xander Meijering and Wendy Dassen.Assignment Intercultural Design. Assignor: Vera Winthagen

Eindhoven, 04-04-2013

Advice report Stadsfeestzaal Antwerp

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Table of contents

Introduction........................................................3

Power Distance..................................................4

Masculinity...........................................................5

Uncertainty Avoidence ..................................6

History Stadsfeestzaal Antwerp...................7

Albert Heijn.........................................................10

Kruidvat................................................................14

C&A.......................................................................15

At the street.......................................................16

Advice re-design Stadsfeestzaal.................17

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Introduction

This report is about the differences between Dutch and Belgian values and habits. We went to Antwerp to visit stores which are present in both the Netherlands and in Belgium. Think of stores like Kruidvat, C&A and the Albert Heijn. During our visit we took into account the knowledge that we gained by reading the book “Cultures and Organi-zations” by Geert Hofstede (1991).

There are three parameters that Hofstede mentions in which the Dutch and the Belgian differ; Power Distance, Masculinity and Uncertainty Avoidance. We extended this knowledge and the things we noticed during or observa-tion in Antwerp, towards an advice for re-designing the Stadsfeestzaal.

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Power Distance

A Power Distance index is made to measure the degree of inequality in society. Large power distance countries value respect, inequality, dependence and a boss who is auto-cratic. Small power distance countries prefer a consultative style of decision making and value interdependence and equality.

In large power distance countries students stand up when the teacher enters the room and only speak up when in-vited to. The educational process is personalized and the quality of one’s learning is dependent on the excellence of one’s teacher. In small power distance situations teachers are supposed to treat the student as basic equals and ex-pect to be treated the same way. The educational process is student-centered and students are expected to find their own intellectual paths. Therefore, the quality of learning is to some extent determined by the excellence and input of the students.

Hofstede tells us in his book that Belgium scores higher on Power Distance than the Netherlands. Belgium scores 65 points while the Netherlands scores 38. This means that in Belgium inequalities are accepted. Hierarchy is needed where the superiors may have privileges and are often in-accessible. You can see this in the way subordinates behave towards managers, it is more formal and on family name basis. The way information is controlled is even associated with power, therefore unequally distributed.

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Masculinity

The level of masculinity or femininity within a country, indi-cates to what extent people value masculine and feminine qualities. Masculine qualities are competiveness, assertive-ness, ambition and wealth. While the more feminine quali-ties are modest behavior, nurturing and solidarity.

In masculine countries there is also a clear division of men’s and women’s roles. For instance men with more business focus jobs and women being a nurse. Or the father who has a fulltime job while the mother does the household and takes care of the children. In feminine countries there is more an overlap between these roles. So in feminine coun-tries men and women are likely to do the same kinds of jobs and they are both involved in for instance the house-hold and taking care of the kids.

Within this dimension of Hofstede Belgium scores high-er on masculinity than the Netherlands. Belgium scores 54 and the Netherlands score 14. There are differences in for instance in wearing uniforms. In Belgium women wear more often skirts, while in the Netherlands the uniforms are the same for men and women.

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Uncertainty Avoidence

Why do Belgium women rather stay in the hospital to have labor instead of staying home like we do? Well, that has to do with the facts that Belgium has one of the highest uncertainty avoidance scores (94) of the UAI index. What a Belgium doesn’t know he does not simply eat is the saying. He is afraid of the unknown and strangers. He saves more money, uses antibiotics and delivers children in the hospital because they see laboring a child at home as a big risk. The Netherlands having the score of 53 are way more certain than Belgian people are. That is why there are a lot of child labors at home where there is also a postpartum period in which the mother can rest. These postpartum period days are not given in Belgium because they think giving labor is a medical thing.

In countries with strong uncertainty avoidance people come across as busy, fidgety, emotional, aggressive and active. In countries with weak uncertainty avoidance peo-ple five the impression of being quiet, easy-going, indo-lent, controlled and lazy. Uncertainty avoiding cultures shun ambiguous situations. People in uncertainty avoiding cultures look for a structure in their organizations which makes events clearly and predictable. This also gives a fun-dament to why Belgian people give labor in the hospital. Uncertainty avoidance can therefore be defined as the ex-tent to which the members of a culture feel threatened by uncertain or unknown situations.

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In 1908 the Stadsfeestzaal was inaugurated. This building was created to facilitate Antwerp with a gallery to host feasts and exhibitions. Over the past years it has served as a place to host fairs, exhibitions, proms and even a visit from Sinterklaas.

In 1983, after years of being intensively used as a place to host fairs, exhibitions, proms and even having a visit from Sinterklaas, the Stadsfeestzaal got the status of a listed building. But almost two decades later (2000) it was decides to have the Stadsfeestzaal serving Antwerp in an-other way. The Stadsfeestzaal was included in the Mercu-rius project and therefor to be renovated. The Mercurius project was established to improve the quality of Antwerp as a shopping city.

Unfortunatly a fire in 2000 demolished almost the whole Stadsfeestzaal. Therefor the renovation of the Stadsfeest-zaal was delayed quite some time due the fire. And in 2007 the renovation was completed. The Stadsfeestzaal would be a unique building to live, shop and to have the people of Antwerp spend there time.

History Stadsfeestzaal Antwerp

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History Stadsfeestzaal Antwerp

The meaning of the Stadfeestzaal after the renovation is to create connections within the shopping area of the Meir, Huidevetterstraat, Schuttershofstraat and the Hopland, to create more housing within the inner center of Antwerp and last but not least: to create a landmark in the city of Antwerp where all the citizens of Antwerp could be proud of.

The shopping mall construction company called Multi Mall Management renovated the Stadsfeestzaal. Their goal is to create large-scale multifunctional shopping malls to be in-novative, unique, and durable. Mostly from (to be) renovat-ed buildings. With the Stadsfeestzaal they tried to capture the historical details from the “old” Stadsfeestzaal and its ability to host events. And also to combine the different kinds of shops so it is suitable for every citizen of Antwerp. Therefor there are stores like Tommy Hilfiger and Laurent Perrier’s champagne bar but also the first store of Saturn in Belgium and the Delhaize and the Blokker.

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History Stadsfeestzaal Antwerp

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In the upcoming parts about several stores, we will show you differences between the stores in the Netherlands and in Belgium. You can use these differences to abstract them and implement them in the re-design of the Stadsfeestzaal.

-You’re made aware of the quality of a product, not of the lowest price. This is because of uncertainty avoidance where they rather have certainty of good products over low prices

-More explanation about everything, which is also uncer-tainty avoidance, so you will not buy a product you do not need.

-Smaller shop carts, less use, the shop carts were made of metal. This might have to do with the fact that the super-market was in the city.

-For a supermarket in the city it was big and spacious.

-Pretty small bread and fresh vegetable, fruit and meat sec-tion. This could be because in Belgium they go to quality or specialized shops for this.

-The entire lay-out was in straight lines, this gives a good overview of the shop open space, more approachable and gives certainty where to find what and who is where, so it has to do with uncertainty avoidance.

Albert Heijn

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Albert Heijn

-Security tags on alcohol, also a larger range of prices, up to €50,- and strong liquor for sale. Our most expensive wines are €20,- and no strong liquor, this could be because we do not have licenses to sell these products and the se-curity because it was in the city, but it has also to do with uncertainty avoidance as they prevent steeling like that.

-The website is less extended than ours, this is because we have more shops, but also more masculine. They only dis-play the necessary and fact information where we elabo-rate and decorate more.

-There are a lot of afternoon snacks, more than would have in a supermarket of that size, this is to do with more Bur-gundian lifestyle.

-We have the “allerhande” there they did not.

-The supermarket was located at the border of the cit-ycenter.

-Smaller fridge department, apparently they prefer fresh products which are of more quality, which has to do with uncertainty avoidance. You prepare it yourself, so you know it is good and fresh products from specialised shops are of better quality.

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Albert Heijn

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Albert Heijn

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-The products on the shelves were neatly displayed, which has to do with uncertainty avoidance but also masculinity with geometric shapes.

-The product departments were accompanied with a bur-gundian line that said what the product is for.

-A lot of signs telling a product is an action product, which is a sign of uncertainty avoidance, because they need to have it confirmed on every product that it really is on sale.

Kruidvat

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-Manager wore a three piece suit, which is a clear sign of power distance, the manager has a higher position than a regular employee which shows from his suit.

-A lot of walking space around the products.

-Everything was neatly hanged and displayed.

-Over the speakers it sounded “have fun shopping”.

C&A

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-The shop windows at the street are a bit more messy than in the Netherlands and a lot more sober than with us.

-In a restaurant was a sign which said that washing your hands was obliged. This has to do with uncertainty avoid-ance where we would assume you wash your hands and if not it is your own problem.

At the street

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First problem with the way the Stadsfeestzaal is designed is that the mall connects the main shopping street, the Meir, with another busy street, the Hopland on the other side of the mall. The problem this creates is that a lot of people in-side the shopping mall are not there because of the shops but to get from A to B faster. This large flow of people that is moving through the mall creates a hasted and rushed atmosphere. When you are inside the mall the atmosphere does not promote you to quietly take your time shopping. We feel that this rushed atmosphere that is created by the many people travelling through the mall every day makes shoppers feel rushed and this is one of the reasons shop-pers prefer to go to a different mall. Because of higher power distance in Belgium, shoppers will feel more obliged to follow this stream of people inside the mall. This results in shoppers going to other malls.

To lower the rushed feeling we advice to try and distribute the people that are using the mall as a walkthrough, this can be done by spreading the walkway, thus lowering the intensity of the people per unit of surface. By adding a few resting areas where shoppers can rest without having to buy a drink will lower the rushed feeling people get. The only place shoppers can rest at the moment is at the two bars at the centre of the mall. By adding some resting ar-eas shoppers can escape the inevitable rushed feeling by stepping out of the walkway and taking a seat without hav-ing to pay for it. We saw that this worked quite well in the Grand Bazar Shopping Mall.

Advice re-design Stadsfeestzaal

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The second problem in the Stadsfeestzaal is the way the mall is set up; when you enter the mall form the Meir it looks very impressive and chic. The old ballroom ceiling is painted with gold paint; in the centre there is an impres-sive, modern looking bar. On the left-hand side there is a chic champagne-bar situated on the first floor that over-looks the rest of the old ballroom that has been converted to a mall.

In such a setting you would expect expensive shops and brands, but that is not the case in the current situation. At the moment there are average to low priced shops situated around the impressive ballroom and the more expensive shops are located at the back near the Hopland entrance. The area around the Hopland entrance is a lot less impres-sive and chic than the main hall. We feel that one of the reasons people do not like shopping here is that the deco-ration around the normal shops looks intimidating for the average shopper going to these stores. People feel intimi-dated and out of place by the expensive look of the mall even though there are “normal” priced shops in there, the decoration does not match the clientele. This could be be-cause of the greater power distance in Belgium; the Dutch designers might not have taken this into consideration. The Dutch are less intimidated by status and appearances this is why the way the mall has been designed, considering the decoration, will have worked in the Netherlands but it does not in Belgium.

Advice re-design Stadsfeestzaal

Sitting places Grand Bazar

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Advice re-design Stadsfeestzaal

We advise to move the expensive stores, which are located near the Hopland entrance, into the old ballroom and to move the more affordable stores towards the Hopland en-trance to be situated in more mundane setting. This way the decoration will match the price range of the stores and shoppers will feel more at ease during their visit to the shops depending on which price range they are shopping in.

The final problem we identified concerning the design of the Stadsfeestzaal is that the overall view of the shops is terrible, when entering the mall from the Meir it is very unclear what shops are situated in the old ballroom. All the shops are built into the recesses in the walls of the ballroom, thus making it difficult to see which shop is in which recess when you are not straight in front of the shop. The shops also have quite small windows, so people can-not see on beforehand what the shop offers. This makes it more difficult for them to go inside (uncertainty avoid-ance). What is also a problem, is the large coffee bar in the middle of the ballroom, it obstructs the view of the shops on the other side of the space.

Bar StadsFeestzaal

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Advice re-design Stadsfeestzaal

Hall from the Hopland entrance

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Advice re-design Stadsfeestzaal

Both these properties result in a vague overview of the shops, this can scare potential shoppers because they do not know which shops are in the mall when they enter it. And when being inside it can be a puzzle trying to figure out which shops are where. The layout might have worked in the Netherlands but because of the higher uncertainty avoidance level in Belgium shoppers are more likely to be scared off because of the bad overview provided inside of the mall.

As design advice we would recommend to give the shops a signpost that can be read from every angle, not just when you are in front of the shop so identifying shops will be a lot easier. Also it might be wise to have a large layout of the mall with all the shops listed and their positions inside the mall on a map at both of the entrances and strategically placed in the mall so shoppers can find the wanted shops more efficiently.

Champagne bar