A detailed look at the Finnish culture through Hofstede's theory!

Introduction

First of all, besides a few great GIF's and images this blog post is based on Psychologist Dr. Geert Hofstede's published cultural dimensions model at the end of the 1970s, based on a decade of research. It has become an internationally recognized standard for understanding cultural differences. In this post, we will take a thorough look at the Finnish culture through the lens of the Hofstede's theory as shown in the graph below. By understanding the scores shown in the graph we can get a good overview of the deep drivers of Finnish culture relative to other cultures and an understanding what the Finnish society is actually like!

Power Distance

So, in time the culture in Finland has developed to the point where people are used to being independent, the people have equal rights and opportunities, and those rights are protected and respected, management facilitates and empowers employees. Power is mostly decentralized in society, thus leadership style could be described as supportive and delegating. Employees expect to be consulted when needed. Communication is mostly direct and participative. In Finland respect is gained through hard work, modesty and humility. Conflicts in workplaces are expected to be solved diplomatically. Showing power and authority is not admirable and is viewed as disrespectful.

Individualism

Finland is a rather Individualistic society. This means there is a high preference for a loose social framework in which individuals are expected to take care of themselves and their families only. In Finland offense often causes guilt and a loss of self-esteem, the employer/employee relationship is a contract based on mutual advantage, hiring and promotion decisions are mostly if not always based on merit only.

Masculinity

Finland scores low on the masculinity scale, thus Finland is considered a rather feminine. In Feminine countries the focus is on “working in order to live”, people value equality, solidarity and quality in their working lives. Conflicts are resolved by compromise and negotiation. Incentives such as free time and flexibility are favored. Focus is on well-being, status is not shown. In Finland an effective manager is a supportive one, and decision making is achieved through involvement. The society is built in equal footing for both men and women.

Uncertainty Avoidance

It should be mentioned that Finland has a high preference for avoiding uncertainty. Finland has a rather well rooted codes of belief and behavior to what is acceptable behavior in society. However I still consider Finland to be very tolerant to new ideas as I'm pretty sure Finland would not be considered one of the most innovative countries in the world if this was not the case. In Finland I see that there is a small emotional need for rules (however most rules and laws are rational). I can also see that to some people time is money, people have an inner urge to be busy and work hard, precision and punctuality are the norm, innovation may be resisted in some areas and security is an important element in individual motivation.

Long Term Orientation

Finland can be described as a short-term oriented society, as can most of the other western societies. There is a desire to avoid delays and people usually prefer immediate gratification over being patient, generally speaking we want things now rather than later. There is also a relatively small propensity to save for the future. There exists a sense of respect for traditions and history. I would say that overall Finland is almost in the middle of this score, with a bit more emphasis on short-term.

Indulgence

Lastly I would say that Finland is a rather indulgent country when compared to others. People in societies classified by a high score in Indulgence generally exhibit a willingness to realize their impulses and desires with regard to enjoying life and having fun. They possess a positive attitude and have a tendency towards optimism. In Finland people can express themselves as they want, have fun and spend money on whatever they desire. People don’t judge each other, but certain things are expected. To Finnish people enjoyable life is more important than money and material value.

So, that is Hofstede's theory when it comes to Finland. For those who had the endurance to get this far I salute you and I hope you learned something new or at the very least I hope that the text was thought provoking! Thanks for reading!