Nordic Capitalism shows how democratic capitalism supports freedom, shared prosperity, and sustainability through a comparative analysis of Nordic and American capitalisms. Drawing on real-world examples and personal experience, Robert Gavin Strand distills ten core lessons from the Nordic context to advance a more just, dignified, and sustainable form of capitalism. He examines how Nordic nations consistently lead in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) rankings and societal well-being indicators, and how Nordic companies frequently top sustainability and stakeholder performance rankings. Challenging the assertion that there is 'no alternative' to American-style capitalism rooted in neoliberalism, he dispels the mischaracterization of Nordic societies as 'socialist.' Blending rigorous scholarship with compelling storytelling, this book speaks to scholars, business leaders, policymakers, students, and concerned citizens. The Nordic variety of capitalism serves as a North Star – offering practical guidance and hope for realizing sustainable capitalism. This title is also available as open access on Cambridge Core.

‘Chances are that the person picking up this book knows of only one variant of capitalism – shareholder capitalism which is practiced in the United States and most western countries. But in this book, Robert Gavin Strand shows us that there are other ways to structure our economy and presents Nordic capitalism as a model for what is possible to serve all of society and not just favor the small percentage of wealthy.'

Andrew J. Hoffman - Professor, Ross School of Business, University of Michigan and Author of ‘Business School and the Noble Purpose of the Market' (2025)