| Overview
& cultural perspective |
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Denmark is the smallest of
the Scandinavian countries with the oldest monarchy
in Europe and shares a border with Germany in
the south. The new Elbas electric cable on the
East Danish/German border has been a major step
towards an integration of electricity markets
in the Nordic countries/Germany. Denmark's economy
includes modern agriculture and high-tech industry,
holding 26th place in the worlds' economies. Natural
resources include petroleum, natural gas, fish,
salt, limestone, stone, gravel and sand.
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| The
majority of Danes are members of the Lutheran Evangelical
Church (Protestant) and only 1% are Catholics. Compared
to their Nordic neighbours, Danes are more communicative.
Hygge (meaning 'a cozy atmosphere for everyone')
is one of their important cultural values |
| Denmark is a true egalitarian
society, clearly reflected in their language using
gender-neutral words. Important Danish values include
acknowledging equality and women's right, egalitarianism
and social welfare. |
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| Context & cultural awareness |
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Danes are attentive listeners
and absorb information efficiently, easily noticed
by sharp questions asked during discussion. They
work readily in teams and rely on examining facts
and data, getting to know everybody's opinion
and then acting as quickly as possible.
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| Danish people are efficient
with time and appreciate punctuality in business
but are not workaholic and their free time means
a lot to them. They do though take time to negotiate
any obstacle in business meetingsm maintaining flexibility
in order to find appropriate solutions. Their result-oriented
approach to any task makes them give special attention
to competence and qualification of individuals.
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| Remember, playing low-key and
showing modesty combined with an understanding of
Danish sense of humour and easy going style of business
could prove very useful in international business
settings. They strongly resent any sense of superiority
or showing off the amount of wealth one has accumulated.
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| Effective cross-cultural communication |
Over 98% of Danes speak Danish
and German but English is readily spoken.
Initial greetings can be quite formal with a quick
firm handshake but usually a more relax setting
will soon follow. Danish humour, similar to Anglo-Saxon
is highly valued and frequently used in discussions. |
| Although
they adopt a direct style of communication, confrontational
arguments are avoided as it is considered unfriendly
and rude. |
| In business settings,
the dress code is relatively formal - a tie for
men and suits for both men and women. |
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