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When it comes to culture, Scandinavia is unquestionably the world’s darling. Cooperative, egalitarian and practical—never showy, acquisitive or excessive—culture in the three Scandinavian countries: Sweden, Norway and Denmark (as well as in their Nordic cousins Finland and Iceland) does seem to have achieved a perfect balance of personal comfort, economic strength and societal welfare.
This utopia appears to extend into the workplace as well—where you might find interns and senior leaders sitting at the same table hashing out ideas, and where IKEA founder Ingvar Kamprad is famous for taking the bus and eating meatballs and lingonberry jam in his own canteen.
It might seem, at first glance, like such an equality- and values-driven culture would be very good at recognition and reward. Yet in one recent study of Danes, the biggest factor driving work unhappiness was found to be “a lack of praise and recognition.”
The truth is, a little more thoughtful analysis and observation is required to really understand the complex role of recognition in Scandinavian culture. Some may wonder what role reward and recognition could possibly play in a work culture that is already so intrinsically motivated? They may wonder how growing moves toward meritocracy can comfortably exist in a collectivist society? They may wonder how a culture so self-effacing is uniquely evolving to embrace appreciation and reward.
More than elsewhere in the world, Scandinavian leaders are cautious about simply importing what they perceive as self-aggrandizing “American-style” recognition programs. Such misunderstandings or mismatches can cause ill-considered recognition programs to misfire or fail in Nordic workplaces. But Scandinavian workers need recognition as much—if not more—than their colleagues in other regions. And when recognition and gratitude are conducted in a thoughtful and truly Scandinavian way, they have the potential to both protect the special cultures of Nordic business and help employees thrive.
In a recent MBA study of Nordic IT workers at Sesca, Sony Ericsson, and Conagri, researchers found that a majority of the respondents would appreciate feedback from their employers. They write: “individualized rewards and recognitions motivate an employee more than general ones. Receiving a personal feedback for a well done work from the manager or a colleague, maintains the employee in a positive thinking way about their job and make them give an extra mile to achieve the organization’s goals.” Personal feedback and recognition not only fit into the Nordic culture, but there is a strong need for them.