1. Jens Lage Hansen
BRAZILIAN – DANISH
RESEARCH AGENDAS
AS SEEN FROM A PRACTITIONERS (AND STRATEGIC
MANAGEMENT TEACHERS) PERSPECTIVE
RESEARCH SEMINAR ON
BRAZILIAN–DANISH BUSINESS COLLABORATION
CBS JUNE 6th 2012
16 - 6 - 2012 JensLageHansen@mail.dk

2. Jens Lage Hansen
My background
• Danish and Brazilian passports
• Lived in Brazil, Argentina, Spain, U.S. Virgin Islands and Denmark
• MSc in Electrical Engeneering (DTU) and Bcom (CBS)
• International career with marketing, general management and board
responsibilities in Novo Nordisk, Novozymes, Foss, Danisco and
Grundfos
• Regional CEO South America at Grundfos and member of Group
Executive Council 1998 – 2001
• Managing owner of strategic management consulting firm Lazac Ltda.
and IFU representative in Brazil 2001 - 2004
• Adjunct associate professor at CBS, teaching strategic management
and organization since 2005
• Interested follower of political – economic affairs in Brazil
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3. Jens Lage Hansen
One setting worth looking at
Danish Multinationals with subsidiaries in Brazil
• Global strategy, competitive strategy and Brazilian strategy
• Objectives and results
• Entry mode and experiences
• Cooperating with headquarters –The relationship seen from Brazil
• Managing a Brazilian subsidiary in a global context – The
relationship seen from Denmark
• Bridging mutual ignorance and business imcompabilities
• Handling of differences in business ethics and practices in Brazil
and Denmark
• What could boost Danish FDI in Brazil and extend cooperation?
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4. Jens Lage Hansen
How do they compete?
Competitive strategies of Brazilian and Danish MNC’s
• Red or Blue Ocean?
– Kim and Mauborgne 2005. Blue Ocean Strategy
• Generic strategies?
– Porter 1980
– Cost or differentiation?
– Broad or focus?
• Core competences?
– Prahalad and Hamel 2001. The Core Competence of the Corporation. HBR May – June
• Functional strategies?
– Sales and Marketing
– Logistics and Production
– Procurement
– Research and development
– IT
– HRM
• Where could Brazilian and Danish business cooperate and learn?
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5. Jens Lage Hansen
And now the global perspective
Global strategies of Brazilian and Danish MNC’s
• Global strategy Yip and Hult 2012. Total Global Strategy 3d ed
– Markets and shares
– Products and services
– Location of value-adding activities of value chain
• Sales
• R&D
• Production
• IT
• HRM
• Facility management
– Marketing
– Competitive moves .
• Implementation (Globalization path)
• Barriers to globalization
• What could be learnt and where are the cooperation opportunities?
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6. Jens Lage Hansen
What are the differences?
Managing in Brazil and in Denmark
• Leadership styles (GLOBE)
– Latin America (most important)
• Charismatic / Value based leadership
• Team-oriented leadership
• Self-protective leadership
– Nordic Europe (most important)
• Charismatic / Value based leadership
• Participative leadership
– What are the consequences for Danish managers in Brazilian
organizations and Brazilian managers in Danish organizations?
• What is effective management in Brazil and in Denmark?
• Where can we learn from each other?
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7. Jens Lage Hansen
Why do they act like that?
The influence of culture
• Cultural differences between Brazil and Denmark (Hofstede)
Dimensions BR DK
– Power distance High Low
– Uncertainty avoidance High Low
– Individualism Low High
– Masculinity Medium Low
• Interacting cultural spheres of influence
– National
– Industry
– Professional
– Functional
– Company
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8. Jens Lage Hansen
Why do they act like that?
The influence of culture (cont.)
• How does national culture influence Brazilian and Danish
organizations?
– Interacting cultural spheres
– Strategizing
– Organizational structure
– Management systems
– HRM
– Company culture
• And what can we learn that could improve Brazilian – Danish
business colaboration?
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9. Jens Lage Hansen
Where else can we look?
Brazilian – Danish learning opportunities
• Moving Brazilian world beating agrobusiness up the value chain
– Danish upgrading of agrobusiness, from land to table
– Lazac Ltda. experiences
• Danish Know-How
• Danish Meat Research institut and Brazilian Foods (Sadia and Perdigao)
• Environmental challenges in Brazil
– Danish cleantech industry
– The Tripple Bottom Line in Danish MNC’s and the effect on business and
sustainability (financial, social and environmental performance)
– Implementing The Tripple Bottom Line
• Challenges to the banking sector in Denmark
– World class information technology in Brazilian banks
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10. Jens Lage Hansen
Where else can we look?
Brazilian – Danish learning opportunities (cont.)
• The constant training and upgrading of the Danish Labour
force
• Brazilian experiences with supporting specific industries
• Entrepreneurship in Brazil and in Denmark
• Starting a company in Brazil and in Denmark
• Doing business in Brazil
• Brazilian and Danish SME’s reluctance to go beyond near
markets
• Development of new production technologies in Denmark to
counter the high cost of labor
• The Danish biotech sector
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11. Jens Lage Hansen
SO – SHOOTING IN ALL DIRECTIONS,
BUT I HOPE IT GAVE YOU SOME IDEAS!
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Brazil Denmark 3 – 1
Friendly in Hamburg 26.5.12