German brewer Karlsberg (not to be confused with Danish Carlsberg), is convinced that it can get more women to drink beer. In countries such as the UK and Spain, roughly equal percentages of men and women drink beer (around 40%). Surprisingly, this isn’t the case in Germany, where women view beer as unhealthy, fattening, or unsophisticated.
Archive for July, 2006
Why are Danish companies better places to work?
July 3, 2006
Why are Danish companies better places to work?
Financial times recently published a special supplement on Europe’s best places to work. Despite the fact that Denmark has less than two per cent of the workforce in Europe, six out of about 25 companies featured in the supplement are Danish. Danish companies are highlighted for two main reasons:
There is a different relationship between employees and management. In many companies, employees are co-owners and they consider themselves as partners in the business rather than employees.
The workplace is open and communication is direct and informal. Danish supermarket group Irma is praised for its direct and straightforward communication, which includes a weblog where CEO Alfred Josefsen shares his thoughts on the business with all staff.
Values play a more important role, often more improtant than pure profit. Middelfart Sparekasse – a regional savings bank – defines itself primarily as a positive force in local society rather than a profit making enterprise. By doing the right things in the local community, they actually end up making a lot of money! I personally experienced the same in the hearing aid business: The more we put people and patients first, the more money did we end up making.
Although these points do not correspond exactly to the criteria for success as outlined in “The Second cycle”, they however encompass most of them: Meaning, partnership, collaborative organization and value-based leadership.
So maybe there is a reason why Danish companies are better places to work?
Europas bedste arbejdspladser.
Europas bedste arbejdspladser.
Financial Times bragte fornylig et till�g om Europas bedste arbejdspladser. Det er interessant for alle der �nsker at bek�mpe bureaukrati – ikke mindst danske virksomheder. Selvom Danmark kun udg�r et par procent af Europa, er der hele 6 danske virksomheder der f�r s�rlig omtale i Financial Times (ud af ca. 25 ialt):
Middelfart Sparekasse kommer ind p� en samlet syvendeplads i Europa. Ikke m�rkeligt hvis man kender sparekassen. Her st�r mening over profit, her er klare v�rdier og her er medarbejdere og ledelse partnere og ikke modparter.
Novo Nordisk og Novozymes er blandt de bedste i bioteknologi og farmaka gruppen.
Irma er bedst til intern kommunikation. Her ved medarbejderne hvad der foreg�r og direkt�ren, Alfred Josefsen, er en mester i kommunikation.
Unimerco har v�ret blandt de bedste arbejdspladser i Europa i alle fire �r, hvor analysen er lavet. Ikke s� s�rt: Medarbejderne ejer virksomheden og alle tager fat n�r der er behov for det. Arbejdspladsen er en “landsby under tag” med maskiner og administrative medarbejdere ind imellem hinanden.
Boehringer Ingelheim (farmaka) er ogs� i eliten p� flere punkter.
Det er ogs� interessant hvad der synes at g�re arbejdspladserne bedre: At arbejdet har mening, at medarbejderne bliver respekteret og inddrages i beslutninger og forandringer, at arbejdspladsen er inspirerende og at ledelsen er synlig og trov�rdig.
Financial Times argumenterer ogs� for at de gode arbejdspladser skaber mere v�rdi: Hvis man i 2001 havde investeret 100� i de 23 b�rsnoterede virksomheder der dengang stod p� listen over de 100 bedste arbejdspladser, ville investeringen v�re vokset til 166�.
Havde man i stedet investeret pengene i et gennemsnit af andre b�rsnoterede virksomheder ville bel�bet kun v�re 125� (FTSE indekset).