The Mental Bridge

The fixed connection across the sound of Øresund does more than just physically join Copenhagen and Malmö. The bridge also serves as a mental link between people living and working on either side of the water. Much attention has been focused on teaching and research carried out in the centres of higher education on both sides of Øresund. The physical bridge has proved a powerful catalyst, bringing about a development which is now well on its way to creating one of the most important regions in the EU.

As part of this integration, Øresund University (ØU) was inaugurated in 1997. ØU comprises 14 centres for higher education on both sides of the water; its aim is to create a large, interconnected student environment. In total, ØU includes 140,000 students and more than 12,000 researchers. Prior to the fixed connection across Øresund being established in 2000, around 50 Swedes were studying in Copenhagen. There are now 3,000 Swedish students in Copenhagen, and 500 Danes studying in the Scania region of Sweden.  

Campaign

At the start of 2004, the Øresund University with support from the EU will be launching a  campaign aimed at pupils in upper secondary school on both sides of Øresund. They will be taught about the language and culture of their respective neighbours, the ultimate purpose being to enhance education and research within the region.

“Areas such as medicine, IT, environment and food are particularly dominant in research within the Øresund region,” says Mr Bengt Streiffert, head of the secretariat at Øresund University.

“Cooperation across the sound has increased considerably during recent years. For a long time, Danish and Swedish researchers had their backs turned on each other. Now, they have turned towards each other instead and new opportunities have arisen. With research becoming forever more expensive, there is a need for a much broader foundation as the prerequisite for any new, potential developments. This allows for much more detailed work and helps to bolster specialisation, which is the breeding ground for new and valuable results.” 

The small difference 

A particular research project at the Copenhagen Institute for Futures Studies intends to reveal any differences between Danes and Swedes in the region.

“Scandinavians tend to share the perception that, on the whole, we are a homogeneous lot. But we are not. Distinctive national characteristics are stamped onto and into the individuals, and these are proving more permanent than previously thought. There are no major problems between the two countries, but it is a problem if you fail to note that there is a difference in mentalities,” says Director of the Institute Uffe Palludan, who works on this project alongside research assistant Henrik Persson.

Amongst its other achievements, the institute counts the establishment of a network of Scandinavian companies and the publishing of a report, “Flexicultural Management.”

The main conclusion is that each country has its own organisational logic, implying that Danish-style management in Sweden as well as Swedish-style management in Denmark are potential areas of disaster. By students the differences in mentality may be expressed as follows: Denmark is “read and be critical”, Sweden is “read and learn”. The Danes are impatient and tend to prompt discussion, while the Swedes prefer to delve into a matter more thoroughly. 

Consensus 

Uffe Palludan likes to stress that the differences are fairly small and he refers to very general conditions. Nevertheless, they have a bearing on the way that an organisation works:

“The Swedes want a considerable degree of consensus, and to reach this may take some time. Then again, it often takes less time to put a decision into effect once everybody is in agreement,

and you are free to carry on until the objective has been reached. The Danes tend to make quick decisions and get started right away. Details are rarely worked out before a decision is made, but there is a definite aim, and it is then left to each participant to work out how this may be reached. Also, the decision may easily be modified en route, but responsibilities are clearly defined with scope for experiment. This is more complicated in a Swedish organisation. They are likely to see the Danish way as rather hierarchical and may feel that something is being forced upon them. On the other hand, in Sweden you are more restricted in your freedom of action, with less scope for errors and experiments. There is more of a joint responsibility for everything – which again may mean that responsibility appears more blurred and unclear. This difference is of major importance for the individual, whether they feel that they have a significant influence on their daily activities,” Mr Palludan continues.

History and Religion 

Furthermore, Uffe Palludan has prepared detailed historic accounts of the origins of those differences. On the Danish side, they stem from one of the cornerstones of Danish history and culture, “Grundtvigianism”, named after the great Danish spiritual leader N.F.S. Grundtvig. This set of ideas stresses that man comes before religion, i.e. organisation.

“In similar ways, Swedish mentality traces its origin to the many independent religious communities, the temperance movement, and the so-called “home of the people”. For the Swedes, what is most important in all of this is care, safety and security. Typical Danes, on the contrary, may perceive this approach as too stifling, and too much like guardianship.

“In Sweden, for instance, it is considered perfectly normal to be a member of a temperance lodge, even though you are not an alcoholic.

The temperance movement is actually a movement for popular culture and refinement, dedicated to public education in a wider sense,” says Uffe Palludan.

Historian Sidsel Eriksen at Copenhagen University explains the difference with a humorous example: “Social Democrats in Sweden and in Denmark have always agreed on fighting against the wealth of the major breweries.

In Sweden, this fight has been fought through the temperance movement. In Denmark, it was once done by establishing a competing brewery, “Stjernen” (The Star).” 

Swedish sick leave 

Henrik Persson thinks that the organisation of work is one significant factor in the great differences between the levels of sick leave in Denmark as opposed to Sweden where this is dramatically on the increase.

“In Denmark as well as in Sweden, illness through physical reasons has decreased. The Danes smoke and drink more than the Swedes, and life expectancy is shorter in Denmark. Yet sick leave is significantly increasing in Sweden. This is particularly due to psychosocial circumstances, and the same things apply no matter which group (gender/age) you choose to study.

“In Denmark, however, increasing numbers of people are of the opinion that they have obtained greater personal flexibility in their daily work responsibilities. In Sweden, people tend to remain in their positions for longer, even if they fail to thrive, and there are very few replacements in the labour market.

“This is a great problem in an age where society becomes ever more individualistic, where the demands for flexibility increase and individuals want to be able to express themselves and assume responsibility,” Henrik Persson says.

Tax agreement 

Denmark and Sweden have recently reached an agreement on the payment of income tax for workers commuting between the two countries. It is generally accepted that this agreement will facilitate commuting and integration across Øresund. At the same time, an Øresund Centre of

Counterbalancing has been established, for the purpose of removing any obstacles that may impede integration between the two countries.

Finally, the councils of Copenhagen and Malmö have prepared a joint plan of action for the period up to 2005. This aims to establish systematic cooperation in a wide range of specific areas, e.g. education and labour markets, with joint policies for business and employment including shared job centres and work experience.

This action plan further includes joint welfare and care systems, as well as town planning and environmental, cultural and financial activities. It forms the basis for an extensive information policy, and senior civil servants in both countries will be expected to work more systematically across Øresund.