Business practices in

Norway

Master:
Specialization:Economics and international
affairs
Content
01 The Norwegian Language

02 Norwegian Society & Culture

03 Business Etiquette & Protocol in Norway

Business culture in Norway

04
The Norwegian Language
The Norwegian Language

 Over 99% of the 4.3m population of Norway speak the official language,
Norwegian. Norwegian has 2 written forms, "Bokmal" (Book Norwegian) and
"Nynorsk" (New Norwegian) and they enjoy the same legal recognition,
although "Bokmal" is increasingly more common.

 Minority languages include Finnish, spoken by 0.2% of the population, mainly in

the northern region of Finnmark, as well as "Sami", a language closely related to
Finnish, spoken by 0.9% of the Norwegian population.
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.

 Business women 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.
Egalitarianism

 Norwegians view themselves as egalitarian people whose culture is

based on democratic principles of respect and interdependence.

 They like people for themselves and not for what they do for a living
their professional accomplishments or how much money they earn.

 They have simple tastes and are not prone to ostentation or excessive
showiness.

 They pride themselves on being honest and sincere in their personal

relationships.
Business Etiquette & Protocol in Norway
Cultural attributes

If you were to think about the most important cultural attributes that you
will see operating in business in Norway, they would be:

 Informal style
 Individual interests
 Transactional relationships
 Direct communication
Building Relationships & Communication
Etiquette in Norway

• Norwegians are direct communicators.

• They have no difficulty telling their colleagues that they disagree with
something that has been said.
• 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 culture in Norway

• Norwegian business culture is very egalitarian and informal.

• Although Norwegians often use first names, it is still better to wait until one’s Norwegian
counterpart suggest switching to them. Norwegians also often introduce themselves only with
their surnames.
• Norwegians often have casual lunch meetings at office, where also business negotiations are
usually always held. During the lunches it is OK to discuss about business matters. However, it
should be remembered that Norwegians tend to keep their business and private lives separated.
• Also in Norwegian culture, punctuality is very much appreciated. It is often good to arrive for
example for appointments at least 5 minutes earlier.
• Once written agreement is made, it is considered final.
• Norwegians typically speak very directly. They are often blunt and honest about their ideas and
feelings.
• Also Norwegian body language is very slight.
Business culture in Norway

• In Norwegian business culture one can achieve promotion in his/her career on the basis of
his/her work performance. This makes it possible that also young people can be in leading
positions of companies.

• Norwegians appreciate being modest, and are often irritated by someone boasting about his/her
success or financial achievements.

• Good small talk subjects are for example travelling, sports and hobbies. Criticizing for example
Norwegian things, organizations etc. should be avoided.

• Business dress etiquette is often formal but casual.

Thank you