The document provides an overview of Nordic culture and working styles in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Iceland. Some key points include: - The Nordic countries share a common history but each has distinct cultural traits and approaches to work. - Core Nordic values include democracy, freedom of speech, trust, honesty, and equality. - The culture emphasizes work-life balance, flexibility, trust-based management, and equality. Parental leave is encouraged. - Approaches to scheduling and dress codes are more informal compared to other regions. Consensus and cooperation are priorities.

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Opening the northern front
K n o w i n g w h a t t o E x p e c t ,
w h a t i s e x p e c t e d o f y o u

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Антон Витязь
Enterprise Solutions Consultant
Group Leader @ Infopulse Ukraine
• 18 лет в IT
• Developer -> System Analyst -> Business Analyst -> Consultant
• Java, C/AL, X++, C#, Typescript, React
• Navision, Axapta, SharePoint, Dynamics
• Web, Mobile
• Проекты в разных странах - Украина, Бруней, Исландия,
Норвегия, Швеция, Швейцария, Венгрия, Чехия
• Спикер ИТ конференций – BACON, Thinkstage, DAKIRY

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Where we are?
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Nordic
C o m m o n C u l t u r e a n d H i s t o r y
Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Iceland

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Norway
C o u n t r y o v e r v i e w
Flat hierarchy
Simplicity
Softly hate Sweden
Almost no Alcohol
Mountains

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Sweden
C o u n t r y o v e r v i e w
• Stockholm beautiful
• More formal regarding documentation
• More friendly and open
• Almost no Alcohol
• “Socialism”
• Empire

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Denmark
C o u n t r y o v e r v i e w
Design is #1
Huge
Actionable management

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Iceland
C o u n t r y o v e r v i e w
• Very small, before sex check is-lendingabok.is
• Phonebook with Names, Addresses and Profession (15 Jedi Masters and 52
Masters and 52 princess, 9 sorcerers)
• Independence (1944) and promises
• Optimism, positive attiture, humor
• “Þetta reddast” - “it will all work out okay”. No matter how big the problem, a
solution will always present itself.

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Why matter?
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Key Values
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1
2
3
Democracy
Everybody participate, everybody vote, voting
should reach maximum consensus
Freedom of speech
Everybody could say what they think, know or do
not know
Trust & Honesty
You gain absolute trust. Any lie could devolve this
trust to zero. And you could NEVER restore this
level of Trust.

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4
5
6
Janteloven
Equal, You are not better
Cooperation
Working for common good, respect paying taxes
Live Balance
Very specific time schedule, keep time to live.
Generally health approach. Walking alone, hiking,
fishing.

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Nordic Culture
Applied
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1.You're not to think you are anything special.
2.You're not to think you are as good as we are.
3.You're not to think you are smarter than we are.
4.You're not to imagine yourself better than we are.
5.You're not to think you know more than we do.
6.You're not to think you are more important
than we are.
7.You're not to think you are good at anything.
8.You're not to laugh at us.
9.You're not to think anyone cares about you.
10.You're not to think you can teach us anything.

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I am / We Are

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Равные условия и
социализация для людей с
разными типами умственных
особенностей.
Даже для программистов  И
особенно для топ менеджеров
и уважаемых консультантов.

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• Убираем за собой.
• Делаем сами.
• Работаем вместе.
• Работаем равно.
• Верим тем с кем работаем.
• Работа < Дети (16)

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• Начало работы в 8 утра
• После 15 очень мало людей в офисе
• Пятница? После обеда?
• Декретный отпуск по закону
• У детей в графике высший приоритет
• Детские каникулы –> Отпуска
• Июнь + неделя по краям
• Вышло солнце – могут уйти на пикник

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Keep physical and communication distance
BUT Participate in common work
Men and women shake hands as equal
Everyday tips
C u l t u r e a p p l i e d
Smiles means nothing

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Shame on minimizing taxes
Do not help on gender/age principle
Avoid formal dress code / no irons
Be aware of gaps
C u l t u r e a p p l i e d
Avoid conflicts / problems / negative

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Approach to work
Trust based
Almost no feedback
Feedback
Partnership / Less
hierarchy /
Egalitarian
Leader
Impact on decision
Consensus
Management Approach

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Do not treat them
like idiots
N o r w e g i a n
Detailed list of tasks with description VS challenge
Starting from the school they get challenges and like to solve tasks
with respect to the variances / ideation / research.
Reading between lines. Openly learning from mistakes.

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More ordered day
Start early and finish late
More formal
Iceland
Norway
Start at 8, almost nobody at office at 16
Friday go out early
Sunny day – free day
Time and Work
P U T Y O U R G R E A T S U B T I T L E H E R E
Generally all of them likes free time BUT there are different
approach to the work time and schedule.

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Parental leave
S u r p r i s e s u s
It could be MUST to have parental leave for man.
Very HIGH value of childcare.
Very developed childcare system

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Books
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Working with
Norwegians: The
insider's guide to the
Norwegian workplace
culture
N o r d i c C u l t u r e B o o k
by Karin Ellis / IMHO #1 Book to start with
https://www.amazon.com/Working-Norwegians-insiders-
Norwegian-workplace/dp/1974469557

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Country specific
books matters
B o o k s
Please do not treat Sweden and Norway culture equal.

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Contacts
Feel free to contact me with any questions you want to ask me 
Ukraine
+380-66-0043-073
Anton.Vityaz@gmail.com
Facebook: anton.vityaz
Skype: anton.vityaz