Working with Danes: Tips for Americans

If you’re an American who is about to do business in Denmark or with Danes, the Danish colleagues you will meet probably know a lot more about your country than you do about theirs. In fact, Americans often hear descriptions of Denmark that are not entirely correct. It is neither a socialist hellhole or a socialist paradise; instead, it’s a capitalist social welfare state, where voters have agreed to be taxed very highly in return for universal health care and tuition-free universities.


Having the social welfare state as a backup influences the way Danes act in the workplace. Subordinates aren’t as dependent on their bosses as they are in some other cultures, and lower-level employees won’t perform a task just because the boss says so. Instead, they expect to be allowed to influence the assignment based on their own expertise, and carry it out independently without a lot of micromanagement.


Danes also don’t need the kind of cheerleading or positive reinforcement common in American culture. From their point of view, someone doing a job correctly requires no applause; comments are only necessary when something goes wrong. This can make Danes seem grumpy and negative to their American colleagues. 


This little, easy-to-read book will help Americans understand their Danish colleagues better. It is a companion volume to the author’s previous book, “Working with Americans: Tips for Danes.”