Cultural guidelines: Welcome to Finland

Finland is a country located in the far north of the world. This is a relatively small country of about five million people, spread out across the landscape that is filled with forests and lakes. “The Land of a Thousand Lakes” holds many natural wonders and sights for anyone visiting. From the big city scenes of Helsinki to the icy wilderness wonders of Lapland, Finland provides a captivating and memorable experience for anyone visiting or living here.

People from other places may often mention the peculiar Finnish character or personality when the topic of Finland is brought up. Quiet and shy, maybe a bit odd too, with wife-carrying championships and mobile phone throwing contests as sports. What makes us like this? Let’s take a look…

Geert Hofstede, a well-known researcher and academic who has examined the concept of culture in academic ways, came up with a system of looking at world cultures using a six-factor model. According to Hofstede, the country of Finland is relatively egalitarian, demonstrating that equality and being equal in society is considered valuable here. Finland is not only equal but also values individuality, where the goals and ambitions of individual people are considered rather than broader society.

According to Edward Hall, another cultural researcher, Finland is a low context culture, meaning that communicating with others tends to be direct and words are taken seriously. This contrasts with some other cultures where aspects like body language and communication that is indirect are more common.

Looking at different cultures can be really interesting as well as frustrating, due to the myriad of differences and ways of living in each of them. Finland is therefore a unique place that is well worth experiencing.