Sweden

I​ ​chose​ ​my​ ​country​ ​of​ ​interest​ ​-​ ​Sweden,​ ​because​ ​I​ ​am​ ​currently​ ​studying​ ​in​ ​one​ ​of​ ​the​ ​Nordic
countries​ ​,​ ​and​ ​in​ ​future​ ​I​ ​want​ ​to​ ​be​ ​contributor​ ​to​ ​the​ ​Nordic​ ​workforce.​ ​If​ ​you​ ​don’t​ ​distinguish
the​ ​cultural​ ​aspect​ ​of​ ​Nordic​ ​countries​ ​with​ ​minute​ ​details,​ ​you​ ​will​ ​some​ ​what​ ​find​ ​a​ ​closeness
among​ ​their​ ​culture,workplace​ ​culture​ ​and​ ​lifestyle.

Sweden​ ​is​ ​a​ ​Scandinavian​ ​as​ ​well​ ​as​ ​Nordic​ ​country,​ ​located​ ​between​ ​Finland​ ​and​ ​Norway,
sharing​ ​its​ ​borders​ ​in​ ​one​ ​side​ ​with​ ​Norway​ ​ ​and​ ​in​ ​the​ ​other​ ​side​ ​partly​ ​with​ ​Finland​ ​and​ ​Gulf​ ​of
Bothnia​ ​and​ ​Baltic​ ​Sea.​ ​Stockholm​ ​is​ ​the​ ​capital​ ​of​ ​Sweden,​ ​and​ ​it​ ​is​ ​the​ ​most​ ​populous​ ​city​ ​in
Nordic​ ​countries.Population​ ​of​ ​Stockholm​ ​itself​ ​is​ ​942,370​ ​and​ ​population​ ​of​ ​Sweden​ ​is
9,723,809.[1][2]

Working​ ​Culture:
Swedes​ ​are​ ​known​ ​to​ ​be​ ​friendly​ ​and​ ​are​ ​open​ ​to​ ​discussion,but​ ​the​ ​discussions​ ​are​ ​direct​ ​and
to​ ​the​ ​point.Swedes​ ​are​ ​good​ ​listeners​ ​and​ ​expects​ ​the​ ​person​ ​they​ ​are​ ​interacting​ ​to​ ​be​ ​good
listeners​ ​too.They​ ​also​ ​don’t​ ​expect​ ​someone​ ​to​ ​interrupt​ ​while​ ​speaking,rather​ ​wait​ ​for​ ​their
turn​ ​to​ ​speak.​ ​They​ ​usually​ ​call​ ​people​ ​by​ ​their​ ​first​ ​names​ ​regardless​ ​of​ ​their​ ​status.If​ ​you​ ​are
English​ ​speaker,​ ​your​ ​Swedish​ ​colleagues​ ​will​ ​stick​ ​to​ ​English,​ ​but​ ​if​ ​someone​ ​knows​ ​some
words​ ​in​ ​Swedish​ ​and​ ​try​ ​to​ ​apply​ ​them​ ​or​ ​speak​ ​them​ ​in​ ​the​ ​work​ ​life​ ​it​ ​will​ ​be​ ​welcomed​ ​by​ ​the
Swedes​ ​and​ ​will​ ​considered​ ​as​ ​nice​ ​gesture​ ​to​ ​break​ ​the​ ​ice​ ​and​ ​start​ ​conversation.​ ​Well​ ​when
speak​ ​about​ ​gesture,​ ​it​ ​automatically​ ​comes​ ​to​ ​mind,​ ​Swedes​ ​try​ ​to​ ​limit​ ​themselves​ ​into​ ​verbal
conversation,​ ​and​ ​do​ ​not​ ​rely​ ​on​ ​nonverbal​ ​conversation.​ ​Rather​ ​they​ ​keep​ ​distance​ ​between
them​ ​while​ ​talking​ ​and​ ​give​ ​enough​ ​personal​ ​space.​ ​Verbal​ ​discussions​ ​are​ ​taken​ ​seriously​ ​and
Swedes​ ​expects​ ​others​ ​to​ ​acknowledge​ ​it​ ​as​ ​well.Swedes​ ​while​ ​negotiation​ ​goes​ ​over​ ​long​ ​and
lengthy​ ​discussion​ ​process,​ ​since​ ​they​ ​are​ ​follower​ ​of​ ​democratic.Display​ ​of​ ​hierarchical​ ​power
is​ ​not​ ​accepted.[4]

Etiquette:

Like​ ​in​ ​Finland​ ​and​ ​Denmark,​ ​also​ ​in​ ​Sweden​ ​-​ ​punctuality​ ​is​ ​important​ ​while​ ​doing​ ​business​ ​as
well​ ​as​ ​social​ ​engagements.Being​ ​late​ ​for​ ​some​ ​appointment​ ​or​ ​at​ ​work​ ​is​ ​looked​ ​down​ ​upon.[5]
If​ ​invited​ ​in​ ​a​ ​Swede​ ​home​ ​it​ ​is​ ​an​ ​etiquette​ ​to​ ​carry​ ​some​ ​sweets/chocolates​ ​or​ ​bouquet​ ​(other
than​ ​chrysanthemum​ ​or​ ​white​ ​lilies​ ​which​ ​are​ ​used​ ​in​ ​funerals​ ​).Business​ ​wear​ ​in​ ​Sweden​ ​is
conservative​ ​so​ ​for​ ​men​ ​it​ ​is​ ​advised​ ​to​ ​wear​ ​-​ ​good​ ​quality​ ​suits​ ​with​ ​good​ ​tie​ ​and​ ​shirt,​ ​for
women-​ ​conservative​ ​business​ ​dress​ ​or​ ​suit.[1]
In​ ​Sweden​ ​there​ ​are​ ​four​ ​distinct​ ​seasons​ ​-​ ​in​ ​summer​ ​weather​ ​can​ ​hot​ ​and​ ​humid,​ ​but​ ​it​ ​also
has​ ​long​ ​dark​ ​winters.So​ ​proper​ ​winter​ ​clothing​ ​like​ ​snow​ ​boots,gloves,jackets​ ​or​ ​coats​ ​are
important​ ​part​ ​of​ ​the​ ​dressing.[5]
Religion:

Stockholm​ ​is​ ​a​ ​multicultural​ ​and​ ​cosmopolitan​ ​city​ ​over​ ​past​ ​20​ ​years.Swedes​ ​are​ ​open​ ​to
multiculturalism​ ​and​ ​they​ ​are​ ​tolerant​ ​to​ ​foreigners.[3]​ ​Sweden​ ​mainly​ ​comprises​ ​of​ ​Swedes,
Finnish​ ​and​ ​some​ ​Saami​ ​people​ ​residing​ ​in​ ​north​ ​of​ ​Sweden.​ ​They​ ​form​ ​the​ ​indigenous
population​ ​of​ ​the​ ​country.Other​ ​than​ ​than​ ​there​ ​are​ ​foreign​ ​immigrant​ ​from
Denmark,Turkey,Finland,Norway​ ​and​ ​Greece.[1]

Swedish​ ​church​ ​professes​ ​Lutheran​ ​branch​ ​of​ ​Christianity,75%​ ​of​ ​the​ ​Swedes​ ​are​ ​member​ ​of
the​ ​church​ ​and​ ​2%​ ​of​ ​them​ ​regularly​ ​attend​ ​church​ ​services.​ ​Other​ ​religions​ ​in​ ​Sweden​ ​are
Roman​ ​Catholic,​ ​Orthodox,​ ​Baptist,​ ​Muslim,​ ​Jewish,​ ​and​ ​Buddhist.[1]

History:

Sweden​ ​has​ ​a​ ​long​ ​past.History​ ​of​ ​Sweden​ ​starts​ ​from​ ​prehistoric​ ​age,​ ​petroglyphs​ ​at​ ​Tanum
are​ ​the​ ​documents​ ​of​ ​Scandinavian​ ​bronze​ ​age.Followed​ ​by​ ​the​ ​viking​ ​age,probably​ ​conversion
of​ ​Norse​ ​paganism​ ​to​ ​Christianity​ ​was​ ​one​ ​of​ ​the​ ​complex​ ​and​ ​violent​ ​times​ ​in​ ​the​ ​Northern
Europe.During​ ​early​ ​middle​ ​ages​ ​Sweden​ ​expanded​ ​its​ ​control​ ​over​ ​Norrland​ ​and
Finland.Sweden​ ​remained​ ​neutral​ ​in​ ​both​ ​the​ ​world​ ​wars,​ ​also​ ​stayed​ ​neutral​ ​during​ ​the​ ​cold
wars.​ ​Sweden​ ​never​ ​joined​ ​NATO.[6]

​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​Fig1:​ ​Sweden(1660)​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​Fig2:​ ​Sweden(Today)

Bibliography:
[1]​ ​http://www.commisceo-global.com/country-guides/sweden-guide
[2]​ ​Wikipedia,​ ​Sweden​ ​https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stockholm
[3]​ ​http://businessculture.org/northern-europe/sweden/
[4]​ ​http://businessculture.org/northern-europe/sweden/business-communication/
[5]​ ​http://businessculture.org/northern-europe/sweden/business-etiquette/
[6]​ ​Wikipedia,History​ ​of​ ​Sweden​ ​https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Sweden
 Sweden
● Video on Swedish Culture :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OSLXjsqmX
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● History of Sweden: Any idea ?
Religion : What do you think?
Workplace : Feel free to add..
● Equal people - No hierarchy in work life
● Gender equality
● Good expression for parental leave
Business Etiquette : How is it in your country ?
● Punctual
● Strong handshake
● Formal dressing wear