Organizational culture in Iceland: Welcoming the uncertainty

Abstract

Icelandic organizational culture is considered to be very young compared to other European countries. Iceland went from being a relatively poor agricultural to an advanced, sophisticated economy within only a 100 years. It is believed that organizational culture reflects the fundamental values of the national culture. This chapter provides a brief summary of organizational culture in Iceland as a portrait of leadership context, including its key cultural values—such as equality, high work ethic, positive attitude, and varied degree of uncertainty in the face of major societal changes, e.g., the financial crisis of 2008.