How does a country with a population of 5.2 million living on an area 70% forests manage to produce the world's largest maker of cellular handsets, the world's most popular orange scissors, the most literate 15-year-olds, the least corrupt government, the highest economic growth rate and 9% unemployment, all at the same time? Welcome to Finland, a country of contradictions! Modern traditionalists, high-tech nature worshippers, rule-obeying innovators...welcome to Cultural Detective Finland and get to know the Finns!

Cultural Detective Finland contains the following stories and critical incidents:

• That's Company Policy:

  The account director of a Finnish shipyard's sales office in Mexico loses her job for violating company policy by accepting a relative's help to produce a better report.

• Competitive Bidding:

  A Finnish company conducts a bidding competition for a computer system and encounters unexpected behaviour from a French bidder.

• Honesty and Face:

  A Chinese-Finnish telecom joint venture dissolves in a conflict over interpretation of a contract.

• How to Impress Investors:

  The vice president for corporate information for a Finnish pharmaceutical corporation in Helsinki disagrees with this Australian director of investor relations on how to woo foreign investors.

• Local Know-how vs. Outside Experts:

  The Finnish subsidiary of a Dutch multinational refuses to cooperate with expert help from the home office.

• Loser or Winner?:

  At a Midsummer track meet in Finland, a US American visitor and a Finnish runner are baffled at each other's behaviour.

Cultural Detective Finland was authored by Tuula Piispanen-Krabbe, Anders P. Hovemyr and Dianne Hofner Saphiere.