Blog Post #7: Business Contexts

Some things that are worth noting about business practices in Finland is that
Finns are straight to the point business people. They don’t like to waste time with small
talk or unnecessary meetings. They would prefer to send an email to get a message out
rather than have a meeting. Additionally, Finns run on a strict schedule and don’t like
anything spontaneous when it comes to meetings. Dropping by someone's office
without an appointment is a big no-no. Finns take punctuality very seriously and you are
expected to be early to a meeting.
When meeting someone in a business setting it is important to shake their hand,
make strong eye contact, and introduce yourself with your first and last name. In
communication, Finns prioritize politeness, efficiency, and directness. They get right to
the point and don’t like to waste time talking about less important things. Using first
names before you are on a first name basis can also be considered rude. It is important
to address someone as Mr, Mrs, etc when you first meet them.
Gift giving isn’t a part of business practices in Finland unless you are invited to
someone's home. When you eat dinner at someone’s home it is important to bring some
sort of side dish, drink or gift for the host.
There are many communication problems that could occur if an American
businessperson was working in Finland. The first problem would be the directness that
Finns prefer to communicate with. An American might find that type of communication to
be rude. Americans also feel that it is polite to make small talk, which would be off-
putting to someone from Finland. Additionally, using first names with most people is
acceptable in American culture so an American businessperson may offend someone
by calling someone they just met by their first name. An American business person
might show up to a meeting on time or only a few minutes early which could be
offensive to a Finn. It is common practice to get to a meeting pretty early.
If I was a U.S. based manager who recently got a Finnish employee I would try
my best to respect the Finnish business practices as well as trying to integrate them into
American business practices. I would work to have them become more comfortable with
small talk and using less direct forms of communication. I would also educate my other
employees on cultural differences between America and Finland to ensure that
everyone is more aware of how to interact with people from other cultures. I would
explain to my other employees that our Finnish employee might prefer to be called Mr.
or Mrs. over their first name. Overall, I would approach this situation with respect,
patience, and have an open mind.

https://planetdepos.com/trending/content/business-etiquette-finland
https://www.protocolww.com/global-gift-giving-in-northern-europe/