Working in Denmark

Podcasts: Expats in Denmark

Beer, a population of pigs five times the size of the human population and the famous and notoriously untranslatable danish word hygge are some of the things often used to characterize Denmark and Danish culture.

This episode is for expats living and working in denmark about Danish culture, business culture and global mindsets. Listen in for actionable insights and moving anecdotes about the quirks and hard-to-explain aspects of Danish culture.

With

  • David O. King: Director and Senior Programme Leader of Forecasting at Maersk Line
  • Brian L. Due: ph.d. and assistant professor at the University of Copenhagen. He is associated with the Centre of Interaction Research and Communication Design
  • Signe Ørom: ph.d. in Culture and Language, cultural trainer and owner of the consultancy, ConnectingCultures

Shownotes

For a brief overview of how and why intercultural differences matter in business contexts, see the article ‘How cultural differences impact international business in 2017’ by Hult News.

[01:08] Around 5000 pig farms in Denmark produce approx. 28 million pigs annually. Denmark has a human population of 5,76 millions. Read more about the Danish meat industry.

[01:23] ‘The Danish Way’, an advertisement for beer.: 

[04:30] Maersk is a Danish shipping company with 88.000 employees and offices in 130 countries: 

[06:43] David O. King talks about the reasonings behind why people are let inside social circles from an american perspective. The issue is reflected in the study ‘Expat Insider 2016: Three years of Insights’ which examines the degree of ease, with which people can settle in different countries. Out of the 65 countries surveyed, Denmark ranked 65th - primarily due to foreigner’s perceived difficulties in finding friends.

[09:04] Denmark comes out on top in terms of a healthy work-life balance. For this, and several other interesting social and economic metrics, visit OECD’s Better Life Index.

[18:33] The study ‘Danish Leadership Style in a Global Context’ examines Danish management styles (and its advantages and disadvantages).