Since our last blog post, we have had two additional business visits at Saab and Linkoping University. On Tuesday, we got an early start to the day, and departed from Gothenberg to Linkoping. After a long bus ride, we arrived at the Saab Aerospace headquarters and had a great lunch. During our visit, we got to learn more about their business and products, explore the factory where the planes are made and assembled, and see a complete fighter jet up close. The assembly plant at Saab was very different than the factory at Volvo. The Volvo factory had far more employees in the plant working, and the work at Volvo seemed to be at a higher pace. It was also very interesting to see a test fighter jet up close, and learn more about the incredible technology on the plane that Saab is developing. At Saab, while there is still great work-life balance and similar benefits as described in the previous blog post, it is harder to have everyone take work off simultaneously. In this industry, the company must deal with a variety of different countries and politics and public affair, which makes it hard to put everything on pause. Many workers are highly specialized, so their efficiency depends on their presence. Additionally, they mentioned that they do not typically do the summer production shutdown in the same way, since they have strict timelines that they have to meet.
Linkoping University was also a great experience. At the university, we learned less about the work-life balance, but more about the university itself and the services they have to offer to students. We did learn that their school system was a lot more intense, with less study-life balance than what we’re used to. Their schedule is from August to January (with minimal winter breaks), and then from February to June. July is their only true free month, and most students work or have internships. It was surprising to learn that they had 40,000 students attending the school. Additionally, the programs they have to offer seem to be world-class programs that can compete with some of the best universities in the United States and worldwide. Additionally, the lectures, particularly about AI were very interesting. We also found it cool that students and teachers in Sweden own their own Intellectual Property, encouraging them to explore innovative ideas without worrying about the university owning their work.
There is a stark difference in the opinion of Sweden’s work-life balance and America’s. The Swedish system is meant to support their employees with healthy time off, and support during sickness and new life changes, whether happy or sad. By contrast, capitalism and the employee’s work capabilities is the sole focus in America, and most companies do not give incentives that significantly differ from the bare minimum they are required to. During the welcome dinner at the World of Volvo exhibit, we asked one of the Swedish guests, who got his undergraduate degree at Chapman, what his views were about the Swedish system, and if he prefers it to the American system. He explained how great it is to have access to things such as free healthcare, free childcare, free university, and other luxuries we do not have. He explained these benefits help even more so with a family, like him. He explained, however, that you do not get paid as much in Sweden as you would in the US. Additionally, the taxes are very high, he said that they can be over 55% of your salary. While he said that he also loved California and enjoyed its system, he prefers Sweden, given he has a family to provide for. However, he explained that while he is fine with making less money, if you want to make more money and get rich you should not be in Sweden and the US is better suited.
Outside of the business visits, we have also enjoyed exploring and learning about the local culture. From our observations of the locals around Sweden, most people seem extremely happy. People enjoy their life outside of work, sitting on the patio of coffee shops and restaurants, having a few drinks and spending time with their friends and families. We spoke with locals who worked in hard, lower-paying jobs and locals who worked in higher-paying, corporate jobs. Both types of people still seemed to carry a similar approach to life and a similar level of happiness, which is likely due to the government support of mandatory vacation, illness, and family time that gives them a proper work-life balance no matter the industry.
Next stop, Stockholm!
