CULTURAL AWARENESS PROGRAMME

SUBMITTED BY Giridharnath.R 121202049

History of Norway
The Norsemen, also known as Vikings, ravaged the coasts of northwest Europe from the 8th to the 11th century and were ruled by local chieftains. Olaf II Haraldsson became the first effective king of all Norway in 1015 and began converting the Norwegians to Christianity. After 1442, Norway was ruled by Danish kings until 1814, when it was united with Sweden although retaining a degree of independence and receiving a new constitution, in an uneasy partnership. In 1905, the Norwegian parliament arranged a peaceful separation and invited a Danish prince to the Norwegian throneKing Haakon VII.

Population
The population of Norway in 2013 was estimated by the United Nations at 5,063,709 (growth rate: 0.3%);which placed it as number 114 in population among the 193 nations of the world. In that year approximately 15% of the population was over 65 years of age, with another 20% of the population under 15 years of age.

Over view
Population : 5,063,709(July 2013 est.) Median age : total: 38.7 years male: 37.9 years female: 39.6 years (2013est.) Population growth rate : 0.363% (2013 est.) Birth rate : 11.27 births/1,000 population (2013 est.) Death rate : 9.37 deaths/1,000 population (2013 est.) Net migration rate : 1.72 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2013 est.)

Geographical conditions of Norway

 Location: Northern Europe, bordering the North Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Sweden Geographic coordinates: 62 00 N, 10 00 E Map references: Europe Area: total: 324,220 sq. km land: 307,860 sq. km water: 16,360 sq. km Area - comparative: slightly larger than New Mexico Land boundaries: total: 2,542 km border countries: Finland 727 km, Sweden 1,619 km, Russia 196 km Coastline: 25,148 km (includes mainland 2,650 km, as well as long fjords, numerous small islands, and minor indentations 22,498 km; length of island coastlines 58,133 km) Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm

 Climate: temperate along coast, modified by North Atlantic Current; colder interior with increased precipitation and colder summers; rainy year-round on west coast Terrain: glaciated; mostly high plateaus and rugged mountains broken by fertile valleys; small, scattered plains; coastline deeply indented by fjords; arctic tundra in north Elevation extremes: lowest point: Norwegian Sea 0 m highest point: Galdhopiggen 2,469 m Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, titanium, pyrites, nickel, fish, timber, hydropower Land use: arable land: 2.87% permanent crops: 0% other: 97.13% (2001) Irrigated land: 1,270 sq. km (1998 est.) Natural hazards: rockslides, avalanches

Norwegian Society & Culture

The Family
Many families consist mainly of the nuclear family. Marriage is not a prerequisite to starting a family. Many couples live together without legalizing the arrangement with marriage. Therefore, it is best not to make presumptions about people's marital status.

Women Women are highly respected in business and generally receive equal pay and have access to senior positions. Norwegian women expect to be treated with respect in the office. Businesswomen are direct and can be skilled negotiators. Women may take up to one year's maternity leave at 80% pay or 10 months at 100% pay. If a woman decides to stay home with pre-school children she receives a monthly stipend from the government.

Jante Law
The poet Aksel Sandemose put Jante Law into words and they convey an important element of Norwegian culture: humility. Janet's Law teaches people to be modest and not 'think big'. It is demonstrated in most people's refusal to criticize others. Norwegians try to see all people as being on equal footing. They do not flaunt their wealth or financial achievements and look askance at those who do

The tenets of Jante Law are:

You shall not think you are special. You shall not believe you are smarter than others. You shall not believe you are wiser than others. You shall not behave as if you are better than others. You shall not believe that you know more than others. You shall not believe that you can fix things better than others. You shall not laugh at others. You shall not believe that others care about you. You shall not believe that you can teach others anything.

Etiquette & Customs in Norway

Meeting and Greeting

Greetings are casual, with a firm handshake, direct eye contact, and a smile. Norwegians are egalitarian and casual; they often introduce themselves with their first name only. In some circumstances people may use the honorific title "Herr" (Mr.) or "Fru" (Mrs.) and their surname. You can wait to be invited before moving to first names although most people will start with this. Shake hands and say good-bye individually when arriving or departing. Shake hands with people on a first come first served basis.

Gift Giving Etiquette

If invited to a Norwegian's home, bring flowers, chocolates, pastries, wine, or imported spirits to the hostess. Flowers may be sent the morning of a dinner party so they may be displayed that evening. Do not give carnations, lilies or white flowers as they are used at funerals. Do not give wreaths, even at Christmas. Do not give even numbers of flowers. A houseplant is well received in the winter months. A bouquet of freshly picked wildflowers is always appreciated. Gifts are opened when received.

Dining Etiquette
Invitations are generally given verbally. Norwegians are punctual in both business and social situations. Confirm the dress code with your hosts. Offer to help the hostess with the preparation or clearing up after a meal is served. Do not discuss business. Norwegians separate their business and personal lives. Reciprocate any invitation. Table manners are more formal than one might expect of a culture that is informal and egalitarian. Hold the fork in the left hand and the knife in the right while eating. Do not begin eating until the hostess starts. Most food, including sandwiches, is eaten with utensils. When you have finished eating, place your knife and fork across your plate with the prongs facing down and the handles facing to the right. The male guest of honour, generally seated to the left of the hostess, thanks the hostess on behalf of the other guests with the phrase "takk for maten" (thanks for the meal).

Climatic conditions of Norway

Norway shares the same latitude as Alaska, Greenland and Siberia, but compared to these areas Norway has a pleasant climate Summer: Late June to early August is when the weather is warmest and the days are long and bright. Temperatures in July and August can reach 25C - 30C. At the same time there is hardly any humidity in the air. Sea temperatures can reach 18C and higher, making swimming a popular pastime. The warmest and most stable weather usually occurs on the eastern side of the southern mountains, including the south coast between Mandal and Oslo.

Autumn In the autumn the landscape is painted in golden colours. The temperature drops slowly through September, making for good berry and mushroom picking weather. During autumn the land areas lose more heat than the sea, and eventually the coastal areas have the highest temperatures.

Winter In winter much of Norway is usually transformed into a snow-clad paradise. The lower inland areas, both in the southern and northern parts of Norway, can have very low mean temperatures in winter. By contrast, the coastal areas have comparatively mild winters. However, gales, rain and clouds can be frequent and heavy.

Spring May to mid-June is when the scenery in Norway is at its most spectacular, with trees and flowers waking to life, snow in the mountains and melt water swelling the waterfalls. There are several public holidays in May, and the Norwegians make full use of them to celebrate springtime after a long winter. Spring is the season when the temperature differences between the southern and northern part of the country are largest. This is also the time of year when daytime and nighttime temperatures differ the most.

Economy of Norway

Currency of Norway
The krone is the currency of Norway and its dependent territories. The plural form is kroner. It is subdivided into 100 re. The ISO 4217 code is NOK, although the common local abbreviation is kr. The name translates into English as "crown". The Norwegian krone was the thirteenth most traded currency in the world by value in April 2010, down three positions from 2007 EXCANGE RATE : The value of Norwegian kroner compared to other currencies varies considerably from one year to another, mainly based on changes in oil prices and interest rates. In 2002 the Norwegian krone grew to record high levels against the United States dollar and the Euro. On 2 January 2002, 100 NOK were worth 11.14 USD (1 USD = 8.98 NOK). In July 2002, the krone hit a high at 100 NOK = 13.7 USD (1 USD = 7.36 NOK). In addition to the high level of interest, which increased further on 4 July 2002, to 7 per cent, the price of oil was high. At the time Norway was the world's third largest oil exporter.

Economic conditions of Norway

Norways economic freedom score is 70.9, making its economy the 32nd freest in the 2014 Index. Its score has increased by 0.4 point since last year, with improvements in investment freedom, the management of government spending, and monetary freedom partially offset by declines in freedom from corruption and business freedom. Norway is ranked 16th out of 43 countries in the Europe region, and its overall score is well above the world and regional averages. Norway was first rated in the 1996 Index and since then has advanced its economic freedom score by 5.5 points. Improved scores for half of the 10 economic freedoms, led by notable gains in the area of market openness measured through trade freedom, investment freedom, and financial freedom, have enabled Norway to prosper despite declines in fiscal freedom, labor freedom, and monetary freedom. Norways economy, recording its highest score ever in the 2014 Index, is now considered mostly free.

 Norway remains one of the worlds least corrupt countries. Well-established anti-corruption measures reinforce a cultural emphasis on government integrity. Transparency is a key institutional asset. The judiciary is independent, and the court system, headed by the Supreme Court, operates fairly at the local and national levels. Private property rights are securely protected, and commercial contracts are reliably enforced.

Language of Norway
Norwegian, closely related to Danish and Swedish, is part of the Germanic language group. In addition to the letters of the English alphabet, it has the letters , and . Historically, Old Norse was displaced by a modified form of Danish for writing, but in the 19th century there arose a reaction against Danish usages. Many dialects are spoken. There are two language forms, Bokml and Nynorsk; the former (spoken by a large majority of Norwegians) is based on the written, town language, the latter on country dialects

 English is spoken widely in Norway, especially in the urban areas. The Lapps in northern Norway have retained their own language, which is of Finno-Ugric origin. There is also a small Finnish-speaking minority.

Religional system in Norway

The state church is the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Norway but all religious faiths have freedom to function. Citizens are generally considered to be members of the state church unless they specifically indicate other affiliations. As such, reports indicate that about 86% of the population are nominally affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church.

There are about 62,051 Muslims; 43,019 members of Pentecostal congregations; about 42,546 Roman Catholics; 21,303 members of the Evangelical Lutheran Free Church of Norway; 14,812 Jehovah's Witnesses; 12,918 Methodists; 10,385 Norwegian Baptist Union member. The Norwegian Humanist Association, an organisation for atheists and the nonreligious, claims about 70,363 adults as registered members and between 10,000 and 12,000 children as ass

Other groups include Orthodox Jews, the Greek Orthodox Church, the Anglican Church, and Hindus. ociate
members.

Business Etiquette & Protocol in Norway

Building Relationships & Communication

Norwegians are transactional and do not need long-standing personal relationships in order to conduct business. Nonetheless, they prefer to do business with those they trust, so it is important that you provide information about yourself and the company you represent prior to meeting your business colleagues. Relationships develop slowly and depend upon the other person being professional and meeting all agreed upon deadlines. Giving a well-researched presentation indicates that you are serious about conducting business. The basic business style is relatively informal.

 Norwegians respect confident, self-assured businesspeople. They are excellent time managers who do not require face-to-face contact in order to conduct business. If you are like-minded, the relationship will develop over time. Appearing overly friendly at the start of a relationship may be viewed as weakness. Maintaining eye contact while speaking is interpreted as sincerity. Their communication is straightforward and relies on facts. They are conservative and deliberate speakers who do not appreciate being rushed. They are scrupulous about honesty in communication, often to the point of pointing out the negatives in their own proposals in greater detail than the positives. Norwegians are not emotive speakers and their body language is subtle.

Business Meeting Etiquette

Appointments are necessary and should be made as far in advance as possible. Appointments may be made in writing or by telephone. If writing, address the letter to the head of the division, even if you do not know the person. Punctuality is imperative since it indicates trustworthiness. If you are delayed even 5 minutes, it is polite to telephone and explain the situation. Arriving late without prior notice can damage a potential relationship. It is often difficult to schedule meetings during July and August, which are popular vacation times; during the two weeks before and after Christmas; and during the week before and after Easter. Meetings are rather informal.

 Send an agenda before the meeting so that your Norwegian colleagues can be prepared. There is not much small talk. Norwegians prefer to get to the business discussion quickly. Presentations should be precise and concrete, and backed up with charts, figures and analysis. Avoid hype or exaggerated claims in your presentation. Leave time for Q&A at the end of a presentation. Norwegians do not interrupt and will save their questions until you have finished speaking.

Negotiating
Decisions are consensus driven. Expect decisions to take time as your colleagues must weigh all the alternatives. Present a firm, realistic, and competitive initial price and expect a minimum of bargaining. Price is often the most important deciding factor. Norwegians do not generally give discounts, even to good customers or for large orders. Norwegians are detail oriented. Maintain eye contact while speaking. Negotiations are frank. Avoid high-pressure sales tactics.