Minimizing hierarchies, retaining fashion Sweden is also helped by the fact that its managers embraced new-economy style management practices decades ago. In Swedish businesses, the emphasis has long been on consensus and negotiation. Hierarchies are minimal. We're very conscious of results, but not who did it. At the same time, Swedes have also remained healthily skeptical of the latest management fashions.
Swedes are generally very suspicious of ready-made ideas or solutions.
The most striking element in Swedish management, however, is its international perspective. When it comes to producing global companies, Scandinavia is remarkably successful the only worthwhile European comparisons are with Switzerland and, perhaps, the Netherlands. Sweden's companies transcend boundaries in ways few others can manage. Internationalization is in the Swedish genes. And management transfers to foreign subsidiaries have long been regarded as important learning opportunities for people on the way up rather than demotions.