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As an American who lived in Scandinavia for a few years and spent a fair amount of time in Sweden, I will say that Jantelagen: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La
by kxyvr 10y ago
As an American who lived in Scandinavia for a few years and spent a fair amount of time in Sweden, I will say that Jantelagen:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_of_Jante https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_of_Jante
takes some getting used to and has an affect on the business environment. At this point, I do believe that someone can be just as effective in business in Scandinavia as other places like the U.S., but my first two years were difficult until I understood how to navigate these social norms. Mostly, this is to say that, even beyond immigration and paperwork, I don't think it's exactly simple for someone outside to move to Sweden to take advantage of these opportunities. I think opportunity is there, but it takes some adapting to things like Jante's Law.
- cesarbs 10y agoCan you elaborate on the getting used to Jantelagen?
- kxyvr 10y agoThere's a lot that goes into it and I can't claim that everything I believe can be strictly related to Jantelagen. That said, I believe that it takes longer to introduce and have accepted new ideas in a Scandinavian workplace. Further, I believe that how new ideas are introduced tends to be more indirect than in an American workplace. This runs ostensibly contrary to the idea that Sweden is innovative. From my American point of view, if they're so innovative, then why won't they listen to a good idea? Now, the reality is much more subtle. It's absolutely possible to introduce new ideas in these workplaces and have them valued, but I do find the process takes longer. Certain activities like eating together for lunch, having afternoon coffee together, or small talk before a meeting tend to go a long way in helping this, much farther than in an American workplace. I also find that there's a difference in directness that's hard to explain. When I say that the process for introducing ideas is more indirect, I don't mean that everyone there wants flowery language. However, I do end up speaking differently with my Scandinavian clients. Anyway, these are just my opinions, so I don't want to make this appear as absolute. For me, it took about two years of living there before I felt comfortable navigating the environment and, certainly, I'm still not perfect.
- gazarullz 10y agoI am currently in your same situation, and I have to agree that this change in behaviour was needed in order to integrate with the scandinavian mindset.