Business Entertaining in Finland

Business meals are usually held over lunch and it is not considered to be bad manners to discuss business related issues over the meal. Despite the Finnish reputation for hard drinking, it is unusual for alcohol to be taken with lunch.

However dinner is a different matter and, if invited for dinner you can expect alcohol to be served. Finns tend to drink beer and vodka but wine has become ever more popular. Over dinner, conversation tends to steer clear of business topics and concentrate more on other issues. Sport and Finland itself are common topics for discussion.

No section on business entertaining in Finland would be complete without a mention of the Finnish sauna and its role in Finnish life. The sauna is a venerated Finnish tradition. (Business discussions may even be held in a sauna). Business lunch or dinner may be preceded or followed by a sauna. All Finns sauna naked and, although you do not have to sauna naked, it is considered strange not to. Finns insist on punctuality for social occasions.

As a rule, service is included in restaurant bills. Many people add an extra gratuity but this is at your discretion. (10% -15% is a reasonable figure.)

Author

This country-specific business culture profile was written by Keith Warburton who is the founder of the cultural awareness training consultancy Global Business Culture.  Global Business culture is a leading training provider in the fields of cross-cultural communication and global virtual team working.  We provide training to global corporations in live classroom-based formats, through webinars and also through our cultural awareness digital learning hub, Global Business Compass.

This World Business Culture profile is designed as an introduction to business culture in Australia only and a more detailed understanding needs a more in-depth exploration which we can provide through our training and consultancy services.

Author

This country-specific business culture profile was written by Keith Warburton who is the founder of the cultural awareness training consultancy Global Business Culture. 

Global Business culture is a leading training provider in the fields of cross-cultural communication and global virtual team working.  We provide training to global corporations in live classroom-based formats, through webinars and also through our cultural awareness digital learning hub, Global Business Compass.

This World Business Culture profile is designed as an introduction to business culture in Finland only and a more detailed understanding needs a more in-depth exploration which we can provide through our training and consultancy services.