Sweden

Luis, Hannah, Katherine, Mira,

Ruijie

Where is Sweden?
One of the three
fingers of
Scandinavia
Larger than California
Thousand of islands
line the coast
Many rivers & lakes
Mountainous
Half the country is
forested

What is a Stuga?

What is a Stuga?
A summer or weekend home
A small wooden house or cottage
Traditionally painted reddish-brown with white trim
Modest facilities, plain & simple furniture
Only necessities in the house
No fence or No trespassing signs
Typically cannot see another from your stuga

Why go to a Stuga?
Ideal vacation spot in June or July
Allows Swedes to escape to
nature
Swedes like to spend time alone
Only take small necessities
Radio, books, etc.

Society in Sweden
Population is 9.9 million. At least 91% of the people are ethnic
Swedes
20000 Sami live in Sweden today
Four out of every five couples are unwed
Transforming from agriculturally based
society to industrialized society

Weather and Nature in Sweden

Lowest temperature: -53 C; highest temperature: 38 C
56 days of daylight in the summer
32 days of pure darkness in the winter
97% of Sweden is uninhabited
The northern lights

Life in Sweden
The standard of living is high, slums do not exist and crime rate is
low
The literacy rate is 99%
Swedish have an average of 5 weeks of vacation each year
A progressive income tax rate

HOFSTEDE

Swedens Hofstede Report

https://geert-hofstede.com/sweden.ht
ml

Low Power Distance

Swedish companies tend to have a flat and team-oriented structure with few management
levels.

Swedish organizations tend to be:

Informal
Pragmatic
Open

*moderate power
distance index (PDI)

Individualism

Respecting of privacy
Being self-reliant
Enjoying challenges

Femininity
Low masculinity (MAS) ranking
Very open, nurturing and egalitarian
society
Valuation of the quality of life
rather than quantity of
possessions and achievements.
In feminine cultures, people value
relationships.

Strong Uncertainty Avoidance

In Sweden, as in most egalitarian cultures:
The uncertainty avoidance index (UAI) is moderate
In order to avoid uncertainty, there are rules, laws, policies, and
regulations to cover almost any problematic situations or
circumstances that could arise.

Cultures with low uncertainty avoidance:

Acceptance of risk and change
Preference of implicit or flexible rules and guidelines

Short-term Orientation

Swedish
Economy

Economy - Stability through Reform

Banking financial crisis in 1990s -> Housing bubble
Credit crunch
Widespread bank insolvency
Low growth and high inflation
Devaluation of Swedish Krona
Government spending out of control
High unemployment rate

Economy - Stability through Reform

Government expenditure in 1996 - surplus goal
Open and liberal approach to trade. Export orientated

The Swedish Fiscal Policy Council in 2007 - public

finances
High investments on health care, education and research

Business Culture
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YX7h8qNu7g

Business culture
Relaxed atmosphere
First-name basis
Casual attire at work
Lagom -> doing exactly what is needed and doing it
well
Shorter chain of command

Dos and Don'ts

Dos:
Know the language. However, English is commonly spoken
Know the Swedish tax law
Be on time. Stick to the agenda and finish on time
Plan ahead
Work hard. Understand the red tape

Dos and Don'ts

Donts
Use force. Swedes are no so receptive with new
thoughts/plans
Boast or brag. They are humble
Show disrespect. Watch and listen before acting

World Shaping Swedish Companies

Sweden has the most digitally connected economy and a
forward thinking culture that fosters innovation
-Wired Magazine

IKEA
Vision - To create a better everyday life for the many people
Founded in 1943
325 stores, 38 countries
Democratic design process
Accessible, affordable, simple and functional furniture
Traditional Swedish company culture

H&M
Started in 1947
Founder Erling Persson was inspired by the US production of
womens clothes
Hennes and Mauritz
Known for trendy yet affordable clothing
Minimalist, chic style

Spotify
Mission - Give people access to all the music they want all
the time in a completely legal and accessible way
Founded in 2006
Free music streaming
75 million users, 30 million paid subscribers
An easier, simpler way to listen to music

Skype
Video chat and voice call service founded in 2003
Created to give everyone access to video chatting and long
distance calls
Allows face to face communication for families or conference calls
for companies

Volvo
Mission - To make peoples lives better and simpler while
reducing the number of car accidents
Founded in 1927 by a sales manager
and an engineer
Saw a need for a car safe enough and
strong enough for the cold weather and
Swedish roads
Main focus is always safety
Known for quality, safety and being
environmentally friendly