Introduction

In the meeting between people, there will always be similarities and differences that affect how we understand each other. Some of what creates variation are cultural differences. Cultural differences affect how we see the world and the codes we use to send and receive messages. One image of the relationship between people and culture is the connection between the fish and the sea: the sea is essential for the fish to live, but the fish is oftentimes unaware that it surrounds them. The fish impacts the sea, just as the sea influences the fish. If the fish gets lost in uncharted waters, it may struggle. If the sea disappears, the fish will lie gasping on land and suddenly be aware that what earlier was taken for granted and felt like home is no longer around them. Similarly, humans suddenly become aware of the cultural framework surrounding them when taken from the familiar. Cultural codes are intertwined in everything we do; they arise and are constantly recreated in social interactions with others around us. At the same time, culture is what enables us to interact and creates identity, giving us common codes and rules that we use when we generate meaning.

Having a culturally diverse workplace can be a great strength for an organization. Earlier research has shown that organizations with a more culturally diverse workforce have greater revenue, net income, and CEO income. Such research should be of motivation for managers to create a culturally diverse workplace. With succeeding in the creation of a diverse workforce comes ensuing cultural belonging. Cultural belonging is important to all of us because it helps to give us an identity. Through socialization, we grow into society's culture and develop our personal identity. In a functional multicultural society, several different cultures happily coexist, and there can be several ethnic groups working synergistically. Diversity as a concept is about acceptance, respect, accessibility, equity, inclusion, and belonging. Everyone is unique; the challenge lies in recognizing these individual differences yet being able to effectively communicate across cultures.

It is evident that the perks of having a culturally diverse workplace are many and clear. A culturally diverse workplace empowers people to develop their personal talents and skills, while still being their authentic selves. With a workplace consisting of several cultures, there will be a wide range of ideas and expertise, enabling people to learn from a more diverse collection of colleagues. What's more, a culturally diverse workplace can also boost problem-solving capabilities and increase happiness, productivity, and workplace belonging. However, communication across cultures comes with its own set of challenges, especially in decoding messages and body language. Communication and culture are closely linked; it can even be said to be two sides of the same coin. Our research focus in this paper is to determine how cultural factors affect the way people communicate in the Nordic region (such as Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, and Iceland, etc.), and what aspects of the Scandinavian culture have affected their communication style?