Case Study - Sweden

What impression do you think the international sales manager made on the purchasing manager?
The international sales manager has set his mind that going to Sweden is just another usual
business trip or contract to be secured. Thus, there is no homework made by the international
sales manager on the business arrangement even though he just has little understanding and
knowledge about Swedish way of doing business. The international sales manager does not
understand or try to adapt to Swedish ways of doing business, so there is no arrangement or
appointment made with the Swedish firm before he arrived in Gothenburg. He also thought that
the purchasing manager make the business decision based on relationship and will make the
business decision alone, thus he had chosen a table with only two seats when the purchasing
manager agreed to meet him for 10 minutes in the café. He tries to take things slowly and to
spend time forging a good relationship and showing what he could do, but this situation did not
suit him at all because the purchasing manager came to the café along with four other people.
When the international sales manager has finally had the meeting setup with the purchasing sales
manager, he is expecting a quick decision made by the purchasing manager during the meeting.
He does not expect that he will have to make his presentation to no fewer than 12 people and
also does not expect the purchasing manager to lead the Swedish team to debate about the
business arrangement.
Other than that, the international sales manager also feels that the purchasing manager is rude,
direct and aggressive, unfriendly and no sense of humor. Reason being is the purchasing
manager initially rejected his dinner offer with a single word – “No”. The purchasing manager
also did not seem to be happy to talk when the international sales manager tried to steer the
conversation in the direction of the order. There were long periods of silence during the dinner,
and the purchasing manager often appeared disinterested and aloof. In addition, the international
sales manager also has difficulty to read the Swede’s body language. Due to the little
understanding of Swedish culture which put more emphasis on the written than the spoken word
and prefers to follow up things in writing, therefore the international sales manager was shocked
when the purchasing manager asked him to email him all the points that he had brought up
during the dinner.

How would you critique the quality of the communication between all parties in this case?
The communication between the international sales manager and the purchasing manager is bad,
not friendly, no relationship building, direct, seems rude and aggressive. The international sales
manager is unable to discover who he needs to speak to at the Swedish firm after he had arrived
in Gothenburg for few days. The purchasing manager did not seem to be happy to talk when the
international sales manager tried to steer the conversation in the direction of the order during the
dinner, and there were long periods of silence during the dinner due to the purchasing manager
often appeared disinterested and aloof.
The communication between the Dutchman and the purchasing manager is good, and the
business relationship is existed between this 2 parties. The Dutchman is able to help the
international sales manager to set up a meeting with the purchasing manager, after the
international sales manager tried to do so for a few days.
The communication between the international sales manager and the Dutchman is also good and
the relationship is also existed. The Dutchman is a regular Northern European representative for
the international sales manager’s company. Even though the Dutchman was a little frosty, due to
his business opportunity had been usurped by the international sales manager. Nonetheless, he
still meets up with the international sales manager, to give his advices on the Swedish way of
doing business and help to arrange the meeting.
The communication between the international sales manager and the purchasing manager’s team
is rude, cold and not friendly. The purchasing manager’s team does not even introduce
themselves when they meet with the international sales manager in the café. There seemed to be
no emotion and everything was carefully debated during the meeting.

Is Swedish culture high or low context? Explain.
Swedish culture is low context. People from low context are logical, linear, individualistic,
action oriented and direct. Solving problem means lining up the facts and evaluating one after
another, and decisions are based on the fact rather than intuition. Communicators are expected to
be straightforward, concise and efficient in telling what action is expected. They strive to use
precise words and intend them to be taken literally. They prefer explicit conversations where
words convey the bulk of if not the entire message. Groups with this preference prefer written
communication.
There are a few characteristics of low context which shown by the Swedish purchasing manager
and his team. The purchasing manager requests the international sales manager to email him all
the points that he had brought up during the dinner show that he is more emphasis on the written
than the spoken word. The purchasing manager rejected the dinner offer from the international
sales manager with a “No”, show his directness and conciseness. During the meeting with the
purchasing manager’s team, everyone in the team seems to have their own point of view and
nobody make a point without referring to facts, figures, and tables show that they’re logical and
linear. During the dinner with the international sales manager, the purchasing manager did not
seem to be happy to talk when the international sales manager tried to steer the conversation in
the direction of the order. There were also long periods of silence and the purchasing manager
often appeared disinterested and aloof. The purchasing manager also cancelled the debriefing
meeting with the international sales manager and never meets him again after the international
sales manager said that he never heard of the father of the modern Swedish sate. These show the
directness and individualistic characteristic of the Swedish.