Is there pressure in Sweden to make its business climate more American-like?
It wouldn’t be popular in Sweden to characterize it that way. But Sweden is a member of the EU, and there are basically no borders regarding competition. Labor can move freely; it’s easy to trade goods. That alone forces countries to be more competitive. The EU block is also competing with China. Europe is the oldest of Western economies. People look for more leisure time and support from the government. The U.S. is less so, but China is a lot less so. Q: In 20 years will the U.S. business environment be more like Europe’s or vice versa? A: With prosperity comes more responsibility towards your people and the world in general. U.S. business is evolving, taking more responsibility for its impact on the environment, even ahead of government regulation. The U.S. will evolve toward a better safety net. The future is that there will be no letup in the demands of shareholders for financial performance. There will also be no letup in the demands of society that businesses behave responsibly.
