Chapter 1: About Denmark

As a Nordic country, Denmark is culturally similar to Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Iceland. However, there are differences between the countries, some of which will be discussed in this book. Denmark is a small nation with a population of about 5.7 million people. The culture is known for low inequality and a flat hierarchy at the workplace. Danes do not lead; they coach. Therefore, they expect and require autonomy. Denmark is the country with the highest employee autonomy in the EU. The egalitarian mindset is historically derived from Protestantism, which focuses on independence and equal rights in society. Management is expected to facilitate and empower the employees, which happens through decentralization and trust in their team members' experiences. The flat hierarchy and strong focus on independence also result in direct and informal communication, e.g., working on a first-name basis. Employees also expect to be consulted before significant changes happen at their workplace; this often goes through the local Union representative (Hofstede Insights, 2017).

The independence in the workplace reflects a highly individualistic society with a loosely-knit social framework. People are expected to take care of themselves and their immediate families only. The high level of independence also makes it relatively easy to start a business and start doing business with the Danes. Danish businessmen/-women generally want to get to the point of business sooner rather than later. Hence, keep small talk to a minimum – this is

especially true when the relationship is still new. Small talk is an accepted and encouraged way to establish connections (Hofstede Insights, 2017).

Danish society and workplaces value the work-life balance and include everyone in significant decisions and social activities. This can be seen in the extensive welfare system and strong unions that ensure fair wages and benefits to most employees in Denmark. Around 70-80 percent of the workforce is unionized, making Unions strong in the political landscape. Managers strive to ensure consensus and equality, solidarity and quality in the work-lives of the employees. Typically, conflicts get resolved through compromise and negotiation. Danes can discuss for a long time to reach a consensus or compromise (Hofstede Insights, 2017).

Danes are very flexible in their work-life, partly due to their security from the welfare state, known as the flexicurity-model, and a good work-life balance. Plans can change, and new things can pop up without it being an issue for the Danes. From a young age, Danes are encouraged to be curious and ready for change. This curiosity, combined with Danes' individualistic nature, drives innovation, design, and a tendency to seek lifelong education. This also means that Danes will tell you if they are in doubt or do not know something, which means that there is something to be learned and explored (Hofstede Insight, 2017).

In juxtaposition to the flexibility and curiosity in Danes' work-life - the Danes have a somewhat normative perspective on their culture. The cultural focus on traditions and norms comes from the homogenous population and of 9 60

the move towards nationalism, understood as an inwardlooking national pride, after the loss of Slesvig-Holstein in 1864. This loss ended a long period during which Denmark lost approximately 30% of its territory. 1864 marked a change from outward orientation and active participation internationally to a more inward orientation focusing on what unites and makes Denmark Danish. Globalization has loosened this up a bit, although there are still strides of national pride. Not generally in a negative way but in the sense of pride to be Danish, characterized by a tendency to look inwards and think favorably about Denmark and Danish solutions (Hofstede Insight, 2017). This manifests itself in very practical ways when it comes to diplomacy. When Danish businesses want to set up business in another country, they do not seek information at the respective countries' Embassy in Denmark; they seek help from the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. A combination of the two approaches might be ideal, and that is something to work towards.

Finally, Danes like to enjoy life and value the importance of having fun, which gets manifested by the term 'hygge,' which does not have a direct translation but is a combination of 'cozy,' 'togetherness,' and 'relaxed enjoyment.' Danes are generally very positive and optimistic in both their work life and private life. So, while it might be challenging to get into the inner circles and connect with Danes due to their introverted character, you will experience endless warmth and openness and a desire to help others once you are there.