- creating an Øresund organisation
DaimlerChrysler relocated its headquarters to the Øresund Region wishing to gather the activities geographically and still be present in both Denmark and Sweden. A location in the Øresund Region presented the opportunity to reap the benefits of both Danish and Swedish employees. The strategy was to utilise the opportunities of being present in and servicing both countries.
DaimlerChrysler has created a unique organisation to service the Danish and Swedish markets. This is done from two locations in the Øresund Region, Copenhagen and Malmö. Despite the locations in two different countries, the company has created a single company culture: An Øresund culture. This is done by blending nationalities at both sides– primarily Danes and Swedes.
In Copenhagen 40 % of the employees are Swedish and in Malmö 50 % are Danish. The administrative functions, including agencies for the different brands, logistics, PR, marketing, etc. are located on the Danish side. On the Swedish side DaimlerChrysler has located training, technical operations and servicing functions. Employees are hired on the basis of qualifications and not where they live.
Employing both Danes and Swedes creates an intercultural environment. The Danish and Swedish languages are very similar, but it can be difficult to understand each other at first.
However, after getting used to the differences it is not seen as an obstacle to good cooperation. In fact the two languages are often used interchangeably. The employees have named this mix of languages ”Scandinavian Calypso”, states Lena Selander, Public Relations.
The combination of the different cultures challenges managers and employees to better communicate with each other. To demystify some of the preconceptions of the different cultures, work groups and departments are composed of both Danes and Swedes.
Living on one side of the Sound while working on the other is not without problems. ”This demands more adminstration from both the company and the employee, but so far it has been worth spending the effort”, Lena Selander states. The different legislation in the two countries does create situations where Danes and Swedes are treated differently. However, the company has developed a common human ressource policy, which strives to smooth the differences.
DaimlerChrysler in the Øresund Region are creating a distinct Øresund company culture. This is done to fully exploit the potential of an Øresund Region location. The case of DaimlerChrysler in the Øresund Region shows that it is possible to develop a strong, centralised organisation to service a greater regional area.
Read more about DaimlerChrysler’s location in the Øresund Region.
