Workplace culture

Cooperation at Danish workplaces

Danes are highly group-oriented and 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. Rather, people discuss in order to achieve consensus and to see matters from all possible perspectives.

Asking ones colleagues for advice is not seen as a sign of weakness. The ability to cooperate is regarded highly, and people help each other across status and professional categories.

Management culture

Danish workplaces are typically characterized by an absence of the highly hierarchical structure found in many other countries. The line of command between the manager and the employees is short, and in principle everyone – regardless of education, position or social status – is regarded as equal. It is thus only natural to find the CEO of a company spending the lunchtime with the staff and standing in the same queue in the canteen.

And according Heidi Ås, a business developer with IDA with a focus on international members, the flat hierarchy in Danish workplaces is a major cultural difference for many expats compared to what they are used to:

‘Many countries have a much greater hierarchy than we experience in Denmark, so as an expat from one of these countries, you might often not speak up in a meeting or to a manager if you have questions, disagreements, or ideas. In Denmark, we have a very direct form of communication, which some expats find almost rude. And even if we ask expats to “just speak up,” they won’t simply do this because it requires adaptation and courage. It is our task to approach the issue more culturally intelligently by changing some structures so that non-Danes can also participate,’ says Heidi Ås. 

The manager also listens to his or her staff and is willing to take advice because the staff is seen as specialists in their own fields. The high degree of individual responsibility and trust is deeply valued by employees - often higher than, for instance, salary and employment security.

Informal workplaces and business style

At work, many Danish professionals keep an ironic distance to themselves and remain modest in social interaction at the office. You will rarely hear someone promote themselves or their own skills. On the contrary, people tend to underplay their own role and qualifications.

Work discussions are often carried out in a rather direct fashion, but it is possible to have fun together immediately afterwards. Criticism is regarded as something that has to do with one’s work and not as a personal attack.

Compared to other countries, Danish workplaces often have an informal tone among colleagues. Many Danes voice their opinion in many situations, including sharing which political party they vote for or what they think of a certain public figure.

Social life at Danish workplaces

Social life at work is usually concentrated around the lunch break.

Many Danes give high priority to family life, leisure activities and friends and thus 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 summer.