wtfeWays They Frame Engineering
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The NordicsvsBrazil

北欧とブラジルNORDBR

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

Swap: see the Nordics from Brazil

Culture Map: eight scales

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

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

Where you will notice the difference8 scales

  1. Leading

    Brazil keeps more distance between boss and team than the Nordics (4 steps)

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

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

  2. Trusting

    Brazil builds trust through personal relationships more than the Nordics (4 steps)

    NORD by country: DK −2

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

  3. Scheduling

    Brazil treats plans as more flexible than the Nordics (4 steps)

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

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

  4. Deciding

    Brazil leaves decisions to the person in charge more than the Nordics (3 steps)

    NORD by country: DK −2, SE −2

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

  5. Communicating

    Brazil leaves more to be read between the lines than the Nordics (2 steps)

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

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

  6. Evaluating

    Brazil gives negative feedback more indirectly than the Nordics (2 steps)

    NORD by country: DK −1, FI −1

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

  7. Disagreeing

    Brazil avoids open disagreement more than the Nordics (2 steps)

    NORD by country: DK −1, SE +1

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

  8. Persuading

    Brazil wants the theory before the conclusion more than the Nordics (1 step)

    NORD by country: DK +1, NO +1

    The Nordics +1, Brazil 0, 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 the Nordics and Brazil. 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

    Brazil scores 47 points lower than the Nordics (36 against 83)

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

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

  2. Power distance

    Brazil scores 41 points higher than the Nordics (69 against 28)

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

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

  3. Uncertainty avoidance

    Brazil scores 36 points higher than the Nordics (76 against 40)

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

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

  4. Motivation towards achievement and success

    Brazil scores 35 points higher than the Nordics (49 against 14)

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

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

  5. Long-term orientation

    Brazil scores 29 points lower than the Nordics (28 against 57)

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

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

  6. Indulgence

    Brazil scores 6 points lower than the Nordics (59 against 65)

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

    The Nordics 65, Brazil 59, 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 the Nordics and Brazil, side by side on wide screens. Each keeps its own confidence label and citations.

Design & quality

The Nordics3 claims

Brazil2 claims

Failure & risk

The Nordics3 claims

Brazil1 claim

Feedback & code review

The Nordics4 claims

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

Hierarchy & decisions

The Nordics5 claims

Brazil2 claims

Communication & docs

The Nordics3 claims

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

Work & careers

The Nordics4 claims

Brazil4 claims

Open source & community

The Nordics5 claims

Brazil3 claims