Danish working culture is characterised by open and informal dialogue between employees and management.
Danish working culture is characterised by open and informal
dialogue between employees and management. Teamwork plays an
important role in many workplaces, and mutual respect is a key
term. Manners between colleagues are informal and relaxed, and a
sense of humour plays an important role in everyday life.
Social life at work is concentrated around the lunch break. Many
Danes prioritize family life very highly and go straight home after
work. However, many workplaces have a tradition of meeting with
colleagues on Fridays after work to have a beer. The social climax
of the year is typically the Christmas lunch in December, and many
workplaces also have a party or another social event during the
summer.
Danish workplaces are characterised by an absense of the highly
hierarchical structure found in many other countries. The line of
command between the boss and the employees is short, and in
principle everyone – regardless of education, position or social
status – is regarded as equal.
Responsibility and influence are valued highly – higher than for
example salary and employment security.
The informal tone is reflected in the daily dress code. Suits
are usually not necessary, except at formal meetings.
Danes are group-oriented. It is normal to discuss subjects in
order to reach an agreement. It is not common – as it is in the US
and the UK – to resolve matters by vote. In Denmark, people discuss
in order to achieve consensus and to see matters from all possible
perspectives.
Asking one’s collegues for advice is not seen as a sign of
weakness. The ability to co-operate is highly regarded, and people
help each other regardless of status and professional
categories.
Today, all large companies operate on a global market. This is
reflected in their communication, from their annual reports to
day-to-day communication in the workplace.
Most large companies have English as their official corporate
language. This means that printed information material for
employees, clients, partners and shareholders is written in
English, sometimes supplemented with a version in Danish or another
of the company’s key languages.
In most companies, the general principle governing internal
day-to-day communication is that each specific situation determines
which language should be used.
Emails are often written in English to make it possible to
involve colleagues or partners in other countries. In many sectors,
the professional terminology is in English, thus making English the
natural choice for everyday written communication.
Read more at
workindenmark.dk
