The fika break is a Swedish near holy opportunity to stay tuned in on what is really going on.
Text & Photo © CM Cordeiro 2013
It was 2004.
We were sitting in the canteen of the main administrative building. The canteen was located on the higher floors, with high ceilings and large windows that overlooked three other buildings with chimneys billowing smoke.
At the table where we sat, the aroma of a hot cup of Zoéga coffee wafted through the air.
Coming back to Sweden
The story at hand was how reintegration into the Swedish organisation – coming back to Sweden to work, after having been abroad for a few years – constitutes just as much of a culture and organisation shock for many, as those who go to foreign countries to work.
Little attention paid to reintegration
While most organisations take care of practicalities, even giving their top managers / employees cultural orientation to the new culture they would soon be experiencing as part of their overseas posting to a foreign subsidiary, the aspect of re-acculturation when coming back to Sweden thereafter, is little paid attention to. Most would take for granted that employees would delight in coming back to Sweden and just being relieved doing so, reintegrating right back to where they were.
- – It’s difficult to be back in Sweden for me. I started in Germany, that was during the late 1980s, then from Germany, I was moved to Poland, and then from Poland, I was moved to Latin America. From Latin America they decided it was Japan and now I am back here in Sweden. I have been working for this company for more than twenty years now. And my wife didn’t want to come back to Sweden. She really liked Latin America. Japan, not so much but she would have preferred staying in Japan than coming back here. I come back here, you think my colleagues would be happy to see me? No, you are like an outcast. In fact, some even tell you, it is not good that you have been abroad working, because you forget the Swedish culture and what it’s like to work here. You are in your own world, and frankly, I feel useless. The company should have a re-orientation programme for people like me, to reintroduce ourselves to the home company.
– You feel, useless? But, you have directorship, or at least, that is your job title.
– Yes that is my job title but what you do and what you feel, that is different from the title given to you in the company. The title could be because I have been here for very many years, so in a way, they are obliged to give me this position. Or course, it is also merited, I have a lot of experience. But you can say, I feel a little lost at the moment.
Continue reading “With ears to the ground”

















