About this ebook
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, so 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. They may also jump over several levels of hierarchy to tell the top boss how they think the organization could operate more efficiently.
One of the major differences between Danish business culture and US business culture is that Danes don’t need the kind of positive reinforcement that is common in the US. 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 book will give you important insights into Danish business culture and Danish business etiquette and help you improve your interaction with your colleagues and counterparts in Denmark.
About the author
Kay Xander Mellish is a keynote speaker, writer, podcaster, and cultural coach based in Copenhagen, Denmark.
A native of Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, Kay studied journalism and art history at New York University. She worked for several US Fortune 500 companies including units of Disney and News Corp., before moving to Denmark, where she was employed by Carlsberg and Danske Bank.
This is Kay’s fifth book, and a companion volume to her previous book, Working with Americans: Tips for Danes.
Kay’s first book, How to Live in Denmark: An entertaining guide for newcomers and their Danish friends, was based on her long-running podcast and is for sale at Denmark’s National Museum, the Danish Parliament at Christiansborg Palace, and Hamlet’s Castle in Helsingør. It is also available in Arabic and Chinese.
Her second book, Top 35 Mistakes Danes Make in English, was a Saxo.com bestseller.
Kay’s third book How to Work in Denmark: Tips on Succeeding at Work and Understanding Your Danish Boss has been ordered in bulk by several large Danish companies for distribution to their newly-arrived international specialists.
You can bulk order copies of those books or this book (including special versions with your corporate logo) or book Kay for a virtual presentation or an in-person presentation in Denmark or the US at www.kxmgroup.dk.
