wtfeWays They Frame Engineering
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Brazilvsthe Nordics

ブラジルと北欧BRNORD

Seen from Brazil: each line below describes the Nordics relative to Brazil.

Swap: see Brazil from the Nordics

Culture Map: eight scales

Erin Meyer's eight scales, sorted by how far apart Brazil and the Nordics sit, largest gap first.

Filled dot: Brazil, where you are looking fromHollow ring: the Nordics

Where you will notice the difference8 scales

  1. Leading

    The Nordics keep less distance between boss and team than Brazil (4 steps)

    NORD by country: DK −3, SE −3, FI −2

    Brazil +1, the Nordics −3, on a line from −3 (Egalitarian) to +3 (Hierarchical).

  2. Trusting

    The Nordics build trust through reliable work more than Brazil (4 steps)

    NORD by country: DK −2

    Brazil +2, the Nordics −2, on a line from −3 (Task-based) to +3 (Relationship-based).

  3. Scheduling

    The Nordics stick to fixed plans and deadlines more than Brazil (4 steps)

    NORD by country: DK −2, SE −2, NO −2

    Brazil +2, the Nordics −2, on a line from −3 (Linear time) to +3 (Flexible time).

  4. Deciding

    The Nordics decide by group agreement more than Brazil (3 steps)

    NORD by country: DK −2, SE −2

    Brazil +1, the Nordics −2, on a line from −3 (Consensual) to +3 (Top-down).

  5. Communicating

    The Nordics spell things out more explicitly than Brazil (2 steps)

    NORD by country: DK −2, SE −1, FI −1

    Brazil 0, the Nordics −2, on a line from −3 (Low-context) to +3 (High-context).

  6. Evaluating

    The Nordics give negative feedback more directly than Brazil (2 steps)

    NORD by country: DK −1, FI −1

    Brazil +1, the Nordics −1, on a line from −3 (Direct negative feedback) to +3 (Indirect negative feedback).

  7. Disagreeing

    The Nordics are more willing to disagree openly than Brazil (2 steps)

    NORD by country: DK −1, SE +1

    Brazil +1, the Nordics −1, on a line from −3 (Confrontational) to +3 (Avoids confrontation).

  8. Persuading

    The Nordics want examples and the conclusion before the theory more than Brazil (1 step)

    NORD by country: DK +1, NO +1

    Brazil 0, the Nordics +1, on a line from −3 (Principles-first) to +3 (Applications-first).

Positions are read by eye from Erin Meyer's published charts and rounded to seven steps. A step means “further towards that pole”, not a measured distance. How the positions were read

Hofstede: six dimensions

Scores from 0 to 100, sorted by the gap between Brazil and the Nordics. They describe national averages, not either country's character.

The Nordics are not one country: each score is the average of four national scores (Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Norway).

  1. Individualism

    The Nordics score 47 points higher than Brazil (83 against 36)

    The Nordics: average of Sweden 87, Finland 75, Denmark 89, Norway 81

    Brazil 36, the Nordics 83, on a line from 0 (Collectivist) to 100 (Individualist).

  2. Power distance

    The Nordics score 41 points lower than Brazil (28 against 69)

    The Nordics: average of Sweden 31, Finland 33, Denmark 18, Norway 31

    Brazil 69, the Nordics 28, on a line from 0 (Low power distance) to 100 (High power distance).

  3. Uncertainty avoidance

    The Nordics score 36 points lower than Brazil (40 against 76)

    The Nordics: average of Sweden 29, Finland 59, Denmark 23, Norway 50

    Brazil 76, the Nordics 40, on a line from 0 (Tolerant of ambiguity) to 100 (Avoids ambiguity).

  4. Motivation towards achievement and success

    The Nordics score 35 points lower than Brazil (14 against 49)

    The Nordics: average of Sweden 5, Finland 26, Denmark 16, Norway 8

    Brazil 49, the Nordics 14, on a line from 0 (Consensus-oriented) to 100 (Decisive).

  5. Long-term orientation

    The Nordics score 29 points higher than Brazil (57 against 28)

    The Nordics: average of Sweden 52, Finland 63, Denmark 59, Norway 55

    Brazil 28, the Nordics 57, on a line from 0 (Short-term) to 100 (Long-term).

  6. Indulgence

    The Nordics score 6 points higher than Brazil (65 against 59)

    The Nordics: average of Sweden 78, Finland 57, Denmark 70, Norway 55

    Brazil 59, the Nordics 65, on a line from 0 (Restrained) to 100 (Indulgent).

Country averages. About 80% of variation in values is between people inside a country (Taras et al. 2016).Source: The Culture Factor — Country comparison tool (2026).About the Hofstede dimensions

What the sources say, theme by theme

Entries for Brazil and the Nordics, side by side on wide screens. Each keeps its own confidence label and citations.

Design & quality

Brazil2 claims

The Nordics3 claims

Failure & risk

Brazil1 claim

The Nordics3 claims

Feedback & code review

Brazil3 claims

  • The training company Talaera, citing Meyer, writes that negative feedback tends to be wrapped in warmth and delivered in private, and that public criticism easily damages relationships. The behavioral descriptions rest mainly on the authors' own observations.

    Thin1 source2026br-feedback-1

  • In an HR magazine interview, Erin Meyer names Latin America as one of the "really indirect" parts of the world for negative feedback.

    Attested1 source2014Datedbr-feedback-2

  • Talaera says that instead of a plain "no," phrases such as "we can try" or "I'll do my best" can signal concern or refusal.

    Thin1 source2026br-feedback-3

The Nordics4 claims

Hierarchy & decisions

Brazil2 claims

The Nordics5 claims

Communication & docs

Brazil2 claims

  • A summary of Meyer's Culture Map places Brazil on the side where trust is built through personal relationships, close to China and Saudi Arabia. Small talk at the start of a meeting is described as part of the work.

    Thin1 sourcebr-communication-1

  • Talaera says written English tends to be on the formal side and asynchronous replies tend to be long and warm, and it recommends video calls over audio-only calls.

    Thin1 source2026br-communication-2

The Nordics3 claims

Work & careers

Brazil4 claims

The Nordics4 claims

Open source & community

Brazil3 claims

The Nordics5 claims