Over the two weeks of our visit to Scandinavia, we heard people from differently sized companies in various industries speak about what the “Scandinavian” culture did for their companies’ success. They spoke of how the size of the country and the tax structure encouraged early international expansion. We learned how a more homogenous culture could […]
Humble Volvo
Posted on June 18, 2013 Written by
Whilst in Gothenburg we had the pleasure of spending a day at the Volvo Car Corporation Headquarters. Not only did we hear from Volvo Cars’ VP of Human Resources, Björn Sällström, but we managed to take a lovely factory tour with our guide, Jonas, and spend an hour test driving some of their different models […]
Scandinavia- Human Capital Summary
Posted on June 18, 2013 Written by
Emily and I set out on our adventure to Scandinavia with the intention of analyzing the manner in which Scandinavian businesses utilize human capital, the hiring and retention practices of companies, and the potential differences that could exist between the United States and Scandinavia. Throughout our company visits, one thing that really stuck out to […]
Survival through Adaptation
Posted on June 18, 2013 Written by
Our last visits in Gothenburg and Copenhagen took us to a start up incubator named Chalmers Innovation along with two established banks with Nordea Bank and Denmark National Bank. Traditionally, the biggest companies in Sweden are owned by a few major owners which has persisted over many years of time. This idea contrasts with those […]
Embracing Green Building
Posted on June 18, 2013 Written by
Following our departure from Gotland, we were thinking about our visit to the Bungenäs limestone quarry and how the architect’s design concept for the land fit with the Swede’s minimalism and all around concern for the environment. To begin with, here is a little background on the island. Unlike the rest of Sweden, Gotland is […]
A Common Thread
Posted on June 13, 2013 Written by
On our second day of visiting companies, Mark and I came across a very interesting company called Eveo that deals with assisting home care to the elderly and disabled. Catering mostly to Sweden’s large immigrant population of approximately one million, (many of whom do not speak the native language), the company is entirely funded by […]
Challenging the Core Business Model
Posted on June 13, 2013 Written by
Scandinavian companies, as our team has come to realize recently, tend to stick out in regards to their longevity and ability to change quickly with macroeconomic trends. This characteristic can be seen as a major difference between the American business structure, where companies may come and go in a quicker lifecycle or be slower in […]
Positive Changes at Volvo Cars
Posted on June 11, 2013 Written by
Today we had the opportunity to visit the worldwide headquarters of Volvo right outside the city of Göteborg in Sweden. The day was full of a range of activities, from hearing the VP of Human Resources Björn Sällström give a company overview to learning about the measures Volvo takes to ensure optimal safety in all […]
The Future of Safety: The Story of Volvo
Posted on June 11, 2013 Written by
On Monday June 10, we were incredibly fortunate to visit Volvo Cars where we learned the history of Volvo and their current business outlook with the VP of human resources. Afterwards, we were given an in-depth walking tour of the safety features of Volvo cars and how their future plans would lead to their grand […]
