swedish business culture

The London School Of English, Nordic region, How to do business successfully in Sweden. Without proper preparation and planning you may experience ‘culture shock’ that may have a negative influence on the outcome of business dealings. Want to discover more? After secondary school, students can apply to universities and university colleges where it is possible to study both academic and more professional and vocational degrees. An interesting factor from an international perspective is that college and university education are also funded by the government and therefore are practically free for the students. Five minority languages are Finnish, Meänkieli, Sami, Romani and Yiddish but English is by far the leading foreign language. Taking holidays, including at least three consecutive weeks in the summertime, is viewed as maintaining a healthy work/life balance and showing commitment to your job by ensuring that you return to work well rested and fully revitalised for the rest of the year. Kieron is Managing Director of The London School Of English, Nordic region, which offers customised language, communication and intercultural training for professionals as well as translation services. There are almost 200 native tongues among the Swedish population. A healthy work/life balance is considered very important in Sweden. This includes when it’s snowing, sleeting or any other form of inclement weather which you might need to factor into your journey time. The Swedish problem does not end here; Swedes that are temporarily employed find it very challenging to move on to permanent employment. Our website uses cookies. Far from being appreciated, working overtime on a regular basis is considered by many to signal lack of competence or organisational skills. In the northern parts, for example Kiruna, the corresponding temperatures are 13°C in July and a freezing -16°C in January. The most important export goods are electrical and telecom equipment, machinery, crude oil, passenger cars, paper, pharmaceuticals, foodstuffs, textile products, footwear, iron and steel. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. The Swedish nation also has experience of emigration. Make sure you show up on time for meetings. Fika breaks are your opportunity to socialise with your colleagues and to catch up informally on office news. Formal salutations such as Mr or Ms are not used in written communication either. The largest immigrant groups are from Finland, Serbia and Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Iran, Norway, Denmark, and Poland. Whilst attendance is not officially compulsory, lack of participation is noted. You can expect to be scheduled for information meetings, planning meetings, organisational meetings, follow-up meetings before ever getting to decision making meetings. Swedish business life abounds with meetings. Sweden’s official language is Swedish, which is a Germanic language related to Danish and Norwegian. Sweden is located in Northern Europe on the Scandinavian Peninsula bordering Norway and Finland. Standard fika consists of coffee and something sweet, typically cinnamon buns. Nordic business culture: What is important to know when negotiating with Swedes. This World Business Culture profile is designed as an introduction to business culture in Sweden only and a more detailed understanding needs a more in-depth exploration which we can provide through our training and … Swedish business culture is characterised by business communication, business etiquette, business meeting etiquette, internship and student placements, cost of living, work-life-balance and social media guide. In terms of income, the wealth distribution in Sweden is one of the world’s most equal ones. Racist or sexist jokes are not tolerated. Apart from weekends, holidays and sick leave days, Swedes go to work. This is due to its proximity to the Gulf Stream and Norway’s mountains. By using our website and agreeing to this policy, you consent to our use of cookies. Understanding the intricacies of Swedish business culture can help you to integrate more smoothly and build more effectively relationships with your colleagues and partners. Global Business culture is a leading training provider in the fields of cross-cultural communication and global virtual team working. Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), http://www.sweden.se/eng/Home/Quick-facts/, A Job in Dublin : 5 Reasons to Work in Ireland, Top 6 areas with job vacancies in Germany in 2020. Sweden is known for its strong pedigree in R&D programmes, where the private and public sectors often work together towards ambitious goals. Check out 4 tips to develop a business in Swenden ➜. Share your European work/study experiences. Our mission is to help clients work cross-border more effectively in an increasingly complex global environment. Appropriate clothes would be a dark suit and tie for men, and a business suit or skirt and blouse for women. Coffee breaks or “fika” are an integral part of Swedish business culture. Swedish meeting culture. Today about one fifth of Sweden’s population are immigrants or have at least one foreign-born parent. In many ways, Swedes prefer to listen to others as opposed to ensuring that their own voice is heard. Not only do Swedish work practices and customs offer many clear benefits to employees, this work model has also formed the basis for numerous successful global companies such as IKEA, Electrolux and H&M. Every country has its own culture and unique way of doing things and Sweden is no exception. They usually take place at least once a day. Kieron has lived and worked in Stockholm for over 30 years. After that, there follows nine-years of compulsory schooling which is in turn followed by the voluntary upper secondary school which almost everyone attends. When it comes to time zones, Sweden is in the Central European Time zone, which means that the time in Sweden in the summer is GMT+2 and in the winter GMT+1. Sweden has become a multicultural and cosmopolitan nation over the last few decades. Swedes tend to keep their work and private lives separate. The major economic resources are from fisheries, wood, high-grade ore mining, hydroelectric power, and also a strong tourism industry. Coffee breaks or “fika” are an integral part of Swedish business culture. ‘Business Culture Essentials’ online course, In-depth courses on key international destinations, Comprehensive guides on doing business in 40+ countries, © Keith Warburton 2020, All rights reserved You will not win any brownie points for working while your colleagues hang out and drink coffee. With this in mind, we have covered the areas which are key to a better understanding of the cultural mindset underpinning business dealings in Sweden and which are, quite often, extremely different from the approach and thought processes associated with business in other parts of the world. So how do these trend-setting Scandinavians like to conduct business, and, is breaking the ice with Swedes really that difficult? One of the foundations of Sweden’s welfare system is free access to education for everyone. The business culture of Sweden 3 November 2018 Sweden is a big country in northwestern Europe with only 10 million inhabitants, 85% of them living in the big cities of Stockholm, Göteborg, Malmö, Uppsala, and Linköping. Just as in Finland, the number of temporary workers in Sweden is very high. Although Sweden represents a generally open culture, there do exist some issues that are best avoided, particularly at the beginning of a relationship. This World Business Culture profile is designed as an introduction to business culture in Sweden only and a more detailed understanding needs a more in-depth exploration which we can provide through our training and consultancy services. Subjects discussed are usually restricted to safe and neutral topics such as the weather or quantifiable facts rather than opinions. Website by Pivotal Marketing, According to the general rule, a Russian company which pays …, Portugal: a country full of energy that welcomes both citizens …, Since 2016, the Mexican government has been working in the …. Standard fika consists of coffee and something sweet, typically cinnamon buns. Topics like family, income and personal background should be avoided. Swedes like to plan ahead, which makes planning skills an essential requirement. The other Nordic countries Denmark and Norway however, have higher levels. Sweden has one of the world’s highest life expectancies and one of the lowest birth rates. The marks of rank or status are disliked. There were heated discussions? Categories: Country knowledge, Working internationally, © 2020 The London School of English and Foreign Languages Ltd Workforce mobility in Sweden is comparable to that of Finland. Therefore this briefing note is broken into short, bite-sized sections on the following topics: This country-specific business culture profile was written by Keith Warburton who is the founder of the cultural awareness training consultancy Global Business Culture. However, as Sweden’s extreme length is over 1500 kilometers, there is a relatively drastic difference in the climate and the amount of daylight between the northern and southern parts of the country. An abnormal amount of meetings. How to approach the Swedish market, if you haven't done business there before? However, for business appointments you should dress more conservatively. An incredible number of decisions were taken? If a discussion appears to be turning into an argument, do not be offended if a Swede abruptly changes the subject. It is understandable that as an active business person you can only invest a limited amount of time into the exploration of cultural differences. There are no prizes to be won for not taking your full annual leave entitlement either (a minimum of 25 days). You might be wondering how to keep conversation flowing or at least going at fika breaks. There is no elasticity in the concept of “on-time” in Sweden. Watch this video animation to find out some interesting facts: Swedish business culture is characterised by business communication, business etiquette, business meeting etiquette, internship and student placements, cost of living, work-life-balance and social media guide. Sometimes it is only a few hours after landing in a new country that you find yourself in a meeting room talking business. We provide training to global corporations in live classroom-based formats, through webinars and also through our cultural awareness digital learning hub, Global Business Compass. The total population of Sweden is about 9.5 million, one fifth of whom are immigrants or have at least one foreign-born parent. One of the key characteristics of Swedish culture is that Swedes are egalitarian in nature, humble and find boasting absolutely unacceptable. Working in Sweden – Swedish Business Culture – (Photo Credit: Simon Paulin/imagebank.sweden.se) Learn the benefits (and drawbacks) of working in Sweden or for a Swedish company. The meeting went on for ages? Because much of Swedish working life is spent in meetings and time is well  planned out, having lots of free or unscheduled time can be viewed as suspicious when you are asked about your availability. Sweden’s climate is not as extreme as one might think considering the country’s northern location. A general greeting of “Hej!”  or “Hej (first name)” is used instead.

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