Breaking out of the expatriate bubble in Denmark: insights from the challenge of making connections with local Danes

What is it about?

Many expatriates face difficulties in building social ties with host country nationals (HCNs) in Denmark. Such supportive ties can help effective adjustment to the host country. We identify three main cultural elements as crucial for explaining the difficulty expatriates face in connecting with Danes, namely homogeneity, the value placed on equality, and the public-private divide. The homogeneity and inward-looking mentality make it more difficult for outsiders to break into the social circle. Outsiders have to earn trust. We discuss context-specific strategies for making new social connections in Denmark, and how organizations can support their expatriates.

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