Business Customs and Culture of Denmark

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Business Customs and Culture of Denmark

• Prepared By Corinne
• Prepared For Susan Kline,
• Business Communication Instructor

2

State Arms of Denmark
The Royal Coat of Arms

• The Government of Denmark
• Denmark has a Parliamentary Monarchy
• In 2007 Queen Margrethe II is the head of state.
• Executive power is exercised on behalf of the
  Monarch by a Prime Minister and Cabinet Members.
• The Cabinet and Prime Minister answer to the 179
  member Parliament, which is called the Folketing
• (The Official Website of Denmark, Statistics of
  Denmark, the Welfare State, 5-1-07, Page 1,
  Paragraph 1 http//denmark.dk/portal/page?_pageid
  374,520325_dadportal_schemaPORTAL )

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The Danish Flag is called the Dannebrog.
The Dannebrog is the oldest state flag in the
world still in use.
The Dannebrog has its own myth. It is believed
to have fallen out of the sky causing a victory
for the Danish army in the 12th or13th century.
Dannebrog falling from the sky. Painted by
Christian August Lorentzen, in 1809.
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The Country of Denmark

• Jutland, on the peninsula of Germany
• The Island of Zealand
• The Island of Funen
• The Island of Vendsyssel-Thy
• The Island of Lolland
• The Island of Bornholm
• 100 minor islands known as the Danish Archipelago

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Denmarks Business Environment

• 35 of Denmarks exports are farm products.
• Denmark has more than 100 commercial ports.
• The Danes control more than 40,000 square miles
  of sea territory in the Baltic and North Seas
  known as the Danish Straits.
• In the 1970s industrial products rose to 80 of
  Denmarks workforce.
• The Danes are highly unionized 75 of the labor
  force are members of a trade union.
• Denmark is on the central European standard time
  zone.

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Jante LawIt is symbolic of the Danish cultural
code to frown upon considering yourself better
than others. The national perspective emphasizes
fairness and equality for all.

• The ten rules of the Jante Law are
• Don't think that you are special.
• Don't think that you are of the same standing as
  us.
• Don't think that you are smarter than us.
• Don't fancy yourself as being better than us.
• Don't think that you know more than us.
• Don't think that you are more important than us.
• Don't think that you are good at anything.
• Don't laugh at us.
• Don't think that anyone cares about you.
• Don't think that you can teach us anything.

• The Jante Law is believed to have influenced the
  current social structure of Danish Society and
  should be considered when dealing with the Danes
  in Business.
• (Wikipedia, Denmark- Jante Lae, 5-3-07, Page 1,
  Paragraph 1) http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jante_la
  w

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Holidays celebrated in Denmark

• January
• Epiphany/Twelfth night
• February
• Valentines Day
• March
• Shrovetide
• April
• April Fools Day
• Easter
• Walpurgis Night
• Great Prayer Day
• May
• Mothers Day
• International workers campaign

• Denmarks Liberation
• June
• Pentecost
• Constitution Day
• Valdemars Day
• St. Johns Eve
• November
• All Saints Day
• Martinmas Eve
• December
• Lucia Day
• Christmas Eve
• Christmas
• New Year

Danish citizens consider July and August as
vacation months and most individuals take 5 week
vacations during this time of the year.
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References

• Internet References
• (Wikipedia, Denmark, 5-3-07, page 1 paragraph 2,
  http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denmark)
• (The Official Website of Denmark, Statistics of
  Denmark, the Welfare State, 5-1-07, Page 1,
  Paragraph 1 http//denmark.dk/portal/page?_pageid
  374,520325_dadportal_schemaPORTAL )
• (Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Public Services,
  Etwil, Preben, 5-3-07, page 3, paragraph 8
  http// denmark.d/portal/page?_pageid374,520412_
  dadportalschemaPORTAL)
• (Wikipedia, History of Denmark, 5-3-07, page 1,
  paragraph 5) http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denmark
• (S., Emma, Associated Content, Denmark Customs
  and Protocol, 5-1-07, Page 3, Paragraph 4)
  http//a.tribalfusion.com/h.click/atdmt.com/MRT/go
  /trblfh2e100000119mrt/direct
• (Wikipedia, Denmark- Jante Lae, 5-3-07, Page 1,
  Paragraph 1) http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jante_la
  w
• Book References
• (Connery, Donald S., The Scandinavians, First
  Printing, New York Simon and Shuster, 1966) .
• (Simpson, Jacqueline, Everyday Life in the Viking
  Age, First Printing, 1966, B. T. Batsford LTD,
  G.P. Putnams Sons, 1967).