When entering the Nordic market, you probably aren鈥檛 looking simply to offer a product or service, but also to set up offices or shops, or even to send representatives to meet agents, partners and customers.
As a multinational translation and localisation company, Sandberg fully understands that localisation is more than just words: it鈥檚 cultural interaction. In this article, four of our Nordic translators (a Dane, a Finn, a Norwegian and a Swede), who all have experience of working both within their own countries and elsewhere, discuss some of the cultural differences that they鈥檝e encountered.
We鈥檝e condensed these experiences into three valuable rules of thumb to make your interactions with your Scandinavian business partners and clients as straightforward as possible.
1st rule of thumb: politeness (or lack thereof)
Scandinavians generally aren鈥檛 rude; they can just seem rude. Finnish translator Antti, who has over a decade鈥檚 experience of living in Britain and Ireland, can testify to this:
鈥淏rits are a lot more roundabout and polite when they want something from you. This can be misunderstood by a Finn, to the point of not really being sure if the Brit in question actually wants you to do something or not. Are they just asking a question or are they asking me to do something? Finns, on the other hand, tend to get straight to the point, which can be seen as blunt or even rude, although this is by no means the intention.鈥
Antti also points out that after moving back to Finland, he鈥檚 noticed something he never thought about before.
鈥淭he British and Irish will always, always hold the door open for you if they see you coming in behind them. In Finland, however, people will let the door close right in your face, apparently completely oblivious to the fact that there鈥檚 a person coming in the same door right after them.鈥
Norwegian translator William says that in Norway people do hold doors, but don鈥檛 necessarily expect to be thanked for it.聽鈥淲hoever is in the position to hold the door will do so. And it鈥檚 sort of taken for granted that the other person appreciates this, so they don鈥檛 need to express gratitude. Again, the silence is not rudeness, just a quiet, shared understanding 鈥 sometimes expressed with a quick nod.鈥
Danish translator Amila agrees and points out another thing:聽鈥淭here鈥檚 no one-word equivalent for 鈥榩lease鈥 in Danish. You have to use constructions such as kunne du 鈥榗ould you鈥, kan jeg f氓 dig til at鈥 鈥榗ould I get you to鈥︹, m氓 jeg bede om 鈥榗ould I ask for鈥 and so on. That鈥檚 really weird compared to English where 鈥榩lease鈥 is a major component in all sorts of communication.鈥
鈥淲ell, there is of course vennligst (literally 鈥榝riendliest鈥),鈥 William points out, 鈥渂ut in Norway it鈥檚 often seen as a bit passive-aggressive 鈥 as if you鈥檙e being overly polite to make a point that the other person isn鈥檛.鈥
Amila laughs. 鈥淭rue. We do also have venligst in Danish, but it鈥檚 regarded as quite formal so no one really says it. You may see it in some written communication, such as from the authorities.鈥
Swedish translator Lena adds that she finds it strange how the British very often insist on using honorifics, such as Mr, Mrs and Miss. They鈥檙e almost never used in Scandinavia, even in formal communications.
鈥淭hank goodness for Ms,鈥 she laughs. 鈥淚 can鈥檛 promise that I鈥檒l be able to resist the temptation to state my title as Captain or Lord 鈥榖y mistake鈥 in one or two future forms.鈥
William agrees. 鈥淭he use of Herr (for Mr) or Fru (for Mrs) would be regarded as extremely archaic. There鈥檚 also no equivalent to Sir and Madam. In most formal communication, rather than Kj忙re herr Smith 鈥楧ear Mr Smith鈥, it would simply say Til John Smith 鈥楾o John Smith鈥. In less formal communication, Hei, John 鈥楬i John鈥 is fine. To a Norwegian, it would matter a lot more that the letter or email came on time, 聽than whether or not it used a certain greeting.鈥
鈥淥ne more thing,鈥 Antti says with a resigned smile, 鈥渨e Finns also make the mistake of confusing politeness coming from a Brit as an indication that they like us. You can imagine how awkward this can be for the Brit in question.鈥
? First rule of thumb: Scandinavians don鈥檛 use language as their primary way of conveying goodwill in the same way that English speakers do. They鈥檙e polite but in their own way: formal courtesies matter less, but the underlying intent of kindness, consideration and respect matters a lot.
2nd rule of thumb: the law of Jante (no bragging please, we鈥檙e Nordic)
The 10 fictional commandments known collectively as or the 鈥淟aw of Jante鈥 appeared in a novel by the Danish-Norwegian author Aksel Sandemose to express the enforced conformity of a small-town environment. But there are undercurrents in these precepts that resonate with every Scandinavian, and not always in a negative way.
Where the fourth commandment of the Jante Law says, 鈥榊ou must not think yourself better than us鈥, the flip-side is 鈥榃e don鈥檛 think we are better than you.鈥 This is perhaps the broader Jante culture: seeing one another as having equal worth, regardless of position, success or wealth. It also corresponds to the relatively flat organisational structure that Scandinavian businesses and organisations have.
Lena says that it was quite a culture shock when she first started working in Britain as a waitress.
鈥淭here were more managers in this one tiny caf茅 than I could count. It was strange to me that there was a manager for the fridges, for example, and yet another one for the tills, etc.鈥
鈥淚t鈥檚 my experience as well that the British take a more hierarchical approach and that titles matter a lot more than they do in Norway,鈥 William adds.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 true,鈥 Lena says. 鈥淎 friend of mine moved back to Sweden and found that, whilst in Britain the hierarchy was very obvious, at her present job in Sweden everyone except for department managers has the same title and the level of responsibility is reflected in the salary.鈥
鈥淭he work culture in Denmark is also not very formal,鈥 Amila remarks. 鈥淲e use first names and there isn鈥檛 a strict dress code at work, and this is something that starts as early as school. I never wore a school uniform and we called our teachers by their first names.鈥
鈥淥h yes,鈥 our Swedish translator confirms, 鈥渋n Sweden as well it almost goes without saying that there is no dress code or at least fairly informal clothing 鈥 unless a uniform is required, naturally.鈥
But Amila also points out an aspect of the Jante Law that can be a pitfall for a non-Scandinavian:
鈥淭here鈥檚 a bit of an assumption in Denmark that the way things are done there is the best way. Friends of mine, some of whom are from bigger countries and used to very diverse input, told me that there wasn鈥檛 much interest in how they used to do things elsewhere, even simple things like work methods. Qualifications from abroad are not always trusted and it鈥檚 not unusual for people to have to take exams to get a Danish certificate to prove their skills.鈥
She adds a word of caution: 鈥淭read lightly at first if you鈥檙e suggesting changes or improvements in Denmark, otherwise it could cause offence.鈥
鈥淥h yes,鈥 William nods. 鈥淭here鈥檚 almost a degree of chauvinism in that we Scandis do like to think we鈥檝e got things just right and we prefer it if foreigners acknowledge this, at least before they start criticising,鈥 he laughs.
?听 Second rule of thumb: Jante culture means a preference for flat structures, low levels of formality and equality of worth but also a certain suspicion towards what can be seen as showing off or thinking one knows better. Generally, you can expect a Nordic person to be more knowledgeable and capable than they say they are.
3rd rule of thumb: the workplace (keyword: balance)
For anyone planning to work in the Nordics or with people from the region, it鈥檚 worth noting that in addition to being flatter and less formal, Nordic workplaces also tend to be organised differently. Quite literally.
鈥淚 think one difference is that most people in Denmark are unionised,鈥 Amila points out, 鈥渁lthough the number is falling. This probably affects how people view work and behave at work. Unions have a natural role in our perception of work and I get the sense that people are (or were, when I still lived in Denmark) less open to unreasonable demands, like being available to their employer on the phone at all times, than you read about in some countries.鈥
鈥淭his is true in Norway as well,鈥 William says. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 actually have a general minimum salary set by law in Norway, however, because the national labour union and the national employers鈥 union have negotiated it, a minimum level has been agreed and is respected. Some industries have had minimum salaries set fairly recently so as to stop cheap un-unionised labour from abroad competing with Norwegian workers. This is the actual reasoning given by the ,鈥 William chuckles.
Lena points out that whilst unionisation is strong and widespread in Sweden as well, 鈥淭here鈥檚 this parallel job market in Sweden 鈥 as everywhere 鈥 of unsafe employment, such as agency work, temporary jobs and hourly work, where many of the things that Sweden often prides itself on (collective agreements ensuring certain standards for workers, unemployment pay, statutory stick pay, etc.) don鈥檛 apply.鈥
On the other hand, it鈥檚 also Lena鈥檚 impression that there鈥檚 quite a big focus on sustainability and health and wellbeing in Swedish businesses.
鈥淭here are loads of initiatives regarding mental and physical health 鈥 vulnerability has increasingly started to be seen as a natural part of the leadership style among managers and CEOs.鈥
鈥淭here鈥檚 an ambition to place health before achievement, financial support is often offered to employees for physical activities and time is set aside during work hours to exercise or meetings are held whilst going for a walk (鈥榳alk and talk鈥). In addition, generous time for 鈥榝ika鈥 [the Swedish word for a short break 鈥 often involving coffee and cinnamon buns], socialising and going out for fresh air are all seen as important.鈥
鈥淵es,鈥 Amila interjects, 鈥渋n Denmark too, the work-life balance is very important and prioritised.鈥
Our Norwegian translator chuckles. 鈥淚 do remember working for an employer in London who expected me to be ready to respond at any hour, day or night, whereas an employer I had back in Norway apologised profusely for once calling me on my day off to deal with a client situation. The expectations can be a little different, although of course it depends on the individual company culture as well,鈥 William remarks.
鈥淥ne thing I did find easier when I was looking for a job in the UK,鈥 our Swedish translator points out, 鈥渨as that the salary was mentioned in almost every job ad. I found this transparency surprising given that salary is almost never mentioned in Swedish job ads.鈥
鈥淵es, although in Britain one does not discuss how much money one makes,鈥 William laughs.
鈥淭rue,鈥 the Swedish translator replies, 鈥淚 find that talking about money and salary seems a lot more awkward in Britain than in Sweden. Perhaps because when it comes to state-governed organisations, information about salary and taxation are required by law to be published for everyone to see.鈥
William nods in recognition. 鈥淚n Norway, all taxable income and taxes paid are made public by the tax authorities so everyone can see how much you earn, what your assets are and how much tax you paid. Many people from other countries would find that a massive intrusion of their privacy and even some Norwegians think that. But it certainly means that any attempt at keeping your income a secret is in vain and some feel it contributes to openness, helping to reduce corruption.鈥
Our Swedish translator nods, 鈥淕enerally I would say that trust is important for Swedes in the workplace: trust and transparency as well as managers having an advisory and supportive role rather than authoritarian. Controlling measures are considered a bit old school, whereas trust is the modern way.鈥
? Third rule of thumb: Scandinavians have a high unionisation rate and they value their work-life balance 鈥 don鈥檛 take it for granted that they鈥檒l answer your phone call at 6pm or at the weekend. Management and business transparency is expected. Yet the workplace is seen as a place for cooperation, not conflict, and Nordic countries have some of the in Europe.
And finally, if you want to impress a Dane, learn how to correctly pronounce . Although Nordic people like to show off how good they are at English, they tend to be very impressed with any foreigner who has gone to the effort of learning a phrase or two in their respective languages. Lykke til! (Good luck).
