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Question: If all of the world´s cultural heritage (sports,

music, fashion, architecture, literature, painting, etc..)

was contained in a time capsule, what would you

include to demonstrate the legacy of your country?

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Schein's Iceberg Model

Artifacts

Tangible manifestations of culture

Values

Ethical statements of rightness

Assumed Values

Unconscious and taken for granted

Approach

I have chosen to address this question in the following way:

I have focused on the cultural heritage of Denmark

The modern nation state is characterised by its attempt to create a uniform

culture. The model of the nation state implies that its population constitutes a

nation, united by a common descent, a common language and a shared

culture

The question asks for examples related to sports, music, fashion, architecture,

literature and painting. I classify these examples as artifacts of a nation-state

The question also asks for the cultural heritage, which focuses on the values

and assumed values of a culture

In analysing the cultural heritage I use Schein’s theory (graphic representation

opposite) about organisational culture. I argue that a nation state can be

viewed as an organisation with a shared culture

I analyse assumed values of the Danish culture by using Hofstede’s work on

cultural dimensions theory

Artifacts

I focus on three types of artifacts: creative artifacts, verbal

artifacts and physical artifacts

Creative artifacts are literature, paintings, music etc.

Verbal artifacts are myths, legends and beliefs

Physical artifacts are architecture, buildings and tangible objects

Values

I focus on the values that characterises the structure of the Danish society

Assumed Values

I focus on the characteristics of the Danish people

I include data on Spain and China to put the results in perspective

1

2

3

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Creative artifacts

Physical

artifacts

Verbal

artifacts

Litterature

Hans Christian Andersen’s

Fairytales

Soren Kirkegaard

Philosopher

Design

Arne Jacobsen

Furniture designer

Poul Kjærholm

Furniture designer

Music

Carl Nielsen

Composer

13 Michelin-starred restaurants, including

possibly the best restaurant in the World

Food

The Little

Mermaid

Nordic mythology Danish folklore

Nordic alphabet Nordic mythology

National costumes

Danish folktales contain mythical figures such

as elves, trolls and goblins, as well as figures

borrowed from Nordic mythology

Folktales

Architecture

Aqua

Pop-music

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Sources: (1) The International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, (2) http://www.transparency.org/cpi2014/results, (3) http://unsdsn.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/WorldHappinessReport2013_online.pdf, (4) World

Bank 2014 report

Democracy1 – a high level of involvement

Values

Happiness3

Transparency2 Equality – gini coefficient4

87.7

01020

30

40

50

60

708090

100

Voter turn-out (%)

Transparency index

Denmark - Rank 1/175

Factors measured

1. GPD

2. Social support

3. Healthy life expectancy at birth

4. Freedom to make life choices

5. Generosity; and

6. Perception of corruption

Countries Rank

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Gini coefficient

Denmark - Rank 1/156

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Definitions

Power distance: “The extent to which the less powerful members of institutions

and organisations within a country expect and accept that power is distributed

unequally.”

Individualism: “The degree of interdependence a society maintains among its

members”

Masculinity: “The fundamental issue here is what motivates people, wanting to be

the best (masculine) or liking what you do (feminine).”

Uncertainty avoidance: “The extent to which the members of a culture feel

threatened by ambiguous or unknown situations and have created beliefs and

institutions that try to avoid these”

Pragmatism: “This dimension describes how every society has to maintain some

links with its own past while dealing with the challenges of the present and

future, and societies prioritise these two existential goals differently “

Indulgence: “The extent to which people try to control their desires and impulses”

Assumed

Values

Power distance: Danes do not lead, they coach and employee

autonomy is required. In fact, Denmark ranks highest amongst the

EU27 countries in terms of employee autonomy. With a very

egalitarian mindset the Danes believe in independency, equal rights,

accessible superiors and that management facilitates and empowers.

Individualism: Denmark, with a score of 74 is an Individualistic society.

This means there is a high preference for a loosely-knit social framework

in which individuals are expected to take care of themselves and their

immediate families only. It is relatively easy to start doing business with

the Danes. Small talk is kept at a minimum and you do not need to

create relationships first.

Masculinity: Denmark scores 16 on this dimension and is therefore

considered a feminine society. In feminine countries it is important to

keep the life/work balance and you make sure that all are included. An

effective manager is supportive to his/her people, and decision making is

achieved through involvement.

Uncertainty avoidance: Danes do not need a lot of structure and

predictability in their work life. Plans can change overnight, new things

pop up and the Danes are fine with it. It is a natural part of their work life.

Pragmatism: The Danish culture is normative. People in such societies

have a strong concern with establishing the absolute Truth; they are

normative in their thinking.

Indulgence: Denmark is an indulgent country, which means that Danes

generally exhibit a willingness to realise their impulses and desires

Based on research by Hofstede