Can a capitalist system champion generous public welfare? Can a wealthy society embrace the principle of equality? Can collectivism thrive where individualism rules? Why, certainly. The Nordic countries, for example, appear to have found a way. According to recent research, this ability to reconcile potentially conflicting concepts is central to their economic success.
The study, funded by the Research Council of Norway (RCN) and presented on 24 February, enabled 10 Nordic researchers from diverse scientific backgrounds to assess the Nordic model as an alternative form of capitalism, prosperity and welfare.
The emphasis on varied viewpoints was no coincidence. 'It is crucial that researchers with an eye for an interdisciplinary approach bring their perspectives to the debate,' says Anne Kjersti Fahlvik, Executive Director of the RCN's Division for Innovation. The project was led by Professor Atle Midttun at BI (Bedriftsøkonomisk Institut) Norwegian School of Management and Research Professor Nina Witoszek of the University of Oslo.
So what shapes the Nordic social model? 'In a country like Norway,' says Carlos Joly, visiting professor at ESC (École Supérieure de Commerce) Toulouse (France) and former director of a large Norwegian financial company, 'there is a general view that society should be based on equitable distribution."
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