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Norway - Culture Smart!: The Essential Guide to Customs & Culture PDF

169 Pages·2019·2.13 MB·English
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CULTURE SMART! NORWAY Linda March Revised and updated by Margo Meyer This book is available for special discounts for bulk purchases for sales promotions or premiums. Special editions, including personalized covers, excerpts of existing books, and corporate imprints, can be created in large quantities for special needs. For more information contact Kuperard publishers at the address below. ISBN 978 1 85733 883 6 British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A CIP catalogue entry for this book is available from the British Library First published in Great Britain by Kuperard, an imprint of Bravo Ltd 59 Hutton Grove, London N12 8DS Tel: +44 (0) 20 8446 2440 Fax: +44 (0) 20 8446 2441 www.culturesmart.co.uk Inquiries: [email protected] Series Editor Geoffrey Chesler Design Bobby Birchall Printed in India Cover image: Hamnøy fishing village in the Lofoten Islands, north of the Arctic Circle. © Shutterstock. Images on the following pages reproduced under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license: 56 © Frogn kommune. Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license: 59 © Ivar Husevåg Døskeland; 61 © Sigmund; 69 © Sol Invictus; 80 © Kurt:S; 89 © Ingvar Kjøllesdal; 101 © tuey; 105 © Trysil; 114 © Gunnar Hildonen. Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license: 13 © Ximonic (Simo Räsänen); 24 © Ssolbergj; 28 © Rafał Konieczny; 32 © flyTime; 38 © Hildenbrand /MSC; 46 © Kjwathne; 76 © Ann-Christin Lindström; 93 © Riaz; 108 © Danoz73; 116 © Vetle Houg; 124 © Avinor Oslo Lufthavn/Espen Solli; 128 © Sergey Ashmarin; 164 © Rune Nesher. Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license: 31 © Konstantin Lübeck; 62 © Peulle; 82 © Peulle; 99 © Asian gweilo; 110 © Tore Sætre. Creative Commons CC0: 29 © Miriamichelle; 84 © 12019; 125 © Artforlife; 135 © Alexvongutthenbach-Lindau. Wikimedia Commons, no known copywrite restrictions: 18 © Internet Archive Book Images; 107 top © Elliott & Fry, Bergen Public Library Norway. Public domain: 22 © Hans Peter Hansen; 25 © Gustav Borgen; 26 © Zimmerman, E A (Lt); 63 © Fabos; 107 bottom © Gustav Borgen. Pages 86, 90 © Shutterstock. About the Author LINDA MARCH is a writer with a special interest in issues affecting expatriate families. Born in Edinburgh, Scotland, into a Royal Navy family, she spent much of her life on the move, living and working in Europe and the USA. A graduate of Hull University, she is a former head teacher and has worked in the computer industry as a programmer and trainer. Linda lived in Stavanger, Norway, for six years, during which time she was on the Board of the Women’s International Network (WIN).   MARGO MEYER is an American researcher, translator, and writer with a Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley. Her work for both individual clients and major institutions covers a wide range of disciplines. She now lives and works in Asker, in the greater Oslo region. The Culture Smart! series is continuing to expand. All Culture Smart! guides are available as e-books, and many as audio books. For latest titles visit www.culturesmart.co.uk The publishers would like to thank CultureSmart!Consulting for its help in researching and developing the concept for this series. CultureSmart!Consulting creates tailor-made seminars and consultancy programs to meet a wide range of corporate, public-sector, and individual needs. Whether delivering courses on multicultural team building in the USA, preparing Chinese engineers for a posting in Europe, training call-center staff in India, or raising the awareness of police forces to the needs of diverse ethnic communities, it provides essential, practical, and powerful skills worldwide to an increasingly international workforce. For details, visit www.culturesmartconsulting.com CultureSmart!Consulting and CultureSmart! guides have both contributed to and featured regularly in the weekly travel program “Fast Track” on BBC World TV. ccoonntetnetsnts Map of Norway 7 Introduction 8 Key Facts 10 Chapter 1: LAND AND PEOPLE 12 • Geography 13 • Climate 14 • A Brief History 18 • Norway’s Towns 28 • Government and Politics 31 • Norwegian Oil 32 • Norway’s Place in the Region 33 Chapter 2: VALUES AND ATTITUDES 36 • Cooperation 36 • Fairness 37 • Equality 38 • Punctuality 40 • Patience 40 • Natural Reserve 41 • Cradle to Grave Security 42 • Wealth and Generosity 42 • Royalty 43 • God’s Own Country 44 • Nature 45 • Everyman’s Right 46 • Norwegian Quality 47 • Work to Live, not Live to Work 47 • Consensus and Nonconfrontation 48 • Attitudes Toward Foreigners 49 Chapter 3: CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS 52 • The Norwegian Year 52 • Flag Flying Days 53 • Religious Festivals 55 • Nonreligious Celebrations 58 • Religion 62 • Family Occasions 63 Chapter 4: MAKING FRIENDS 66 • Work and Social Life 67 • Greetings 68 • Hospitality 69 • Good Manners 72 • Gift Giving 72 • Dressing for the Occasion 73 • Learning the Language 74 • Joining Clubs and Societies 75 • Expatriate Associations 77 Chapter 5: THE NORWEGIANS AT HOME 78 • Quality of Life 78 • Let There be Light 79 • Living Conditions 80 • Landscape and Architecture 82 • A House in the Country 83 • Rent or Buy? 84 • The Norwegian Family 86 • Daily Life and Routine 87 • Attitudes Toward Children 88 • Education 91 • Changing Lifestyles 94 Chapter 6: TIME OUT 96 • Shopping 97 • Tax Back for Tourists 98 • Banks and Currency 99 • Eating Out 100 • Service 102 • Alcohol 104 • Smoking 106 • High Culture 107 • Festivals and Events 109 • Leisure 111 • Sports 112 • Skiing 113 • The Great Outdoors 115 Chapter 7: TRAVEL, HEALTH, AND SAFETY 116 • ID and Residency 117 • Cars and Driving 118 • Air Travel 123 • Trains 124 • Buses, Streetcars, and Underground 126 ccoonntetnetsnts • Boats and Ferries 127 • Taxis 129 • Cycling 129 • Where to Stay 130 • Health and Security 132 Chapter 8: BUSINESS BRIEFING 134 • The Office 135 • Working Hours and Timekeeping 136 • Coffee on Tap 138 • Lunch Breaks 138 • Business Entertainment 139 • Trade Unions 139 • Workforce Disputes and Labor Law 140 • Management Model 142 • The Glass Ceiling Broken? 143 • Board Meetings and Decision Making 145 • Presentations 146 • Negotiation 147 • Contracts and Fulfillment 148 • Establishing a Business in Norway 150 Chapter 9: COMMUNICATING 152 • Language 152 • Conversation 154 • Body Language 155 • Humor 156 • TV and Radio 157 • Newspapers 159 • Telephones 160 • Mail 161 • The High-Tech Norwegian 162 • Conclusion 163 Further Reading 165 Index 166 7 m a p o f n Map of Norway o rw a y BARENTS SEA NORTH CAPE Vadsø• • Kirkenes Tromsø• FINNMARK R TROMS USSIA • Narvik Bodø• Arctic Circle NORDLAND NORWEGIAN SEA NORD- TRØNDELAG A NI H T • O Ålesun•d RMOØMRSED OAGL TTrRoØnSRNdØDøhREr-eoLiA•smG SWEDEN F OF B FINLAND L FSJOOGRND AONGE HEDMARK GU OPPLAND Lillehammer• HORDALAND • •Voss •BHearuggeensund BUSKERUD A•KOER•sSEHliodUSsvoll GULF OF FINLAND RO•SGtAaLvAaNnDger TELEMARKVEST-ØSTFOLD ESTONIA AUST- FOLD AVGEDSET-R AGDER BALTIC SEA •Kristiansand 8 y iinnttrrodoudctuiocntion a w or n art! m Norway is breathtakingly beautiful. From its s e ur rugged coastline, where fjords have carved cult their way into the land, to its wild mountainous backbone, from its arctic tundra to the golden sands of its unspoiled southern beaches, it offers a wide range of physical contrasts. To get the most from your visit to the Land of the Midnight Sun, however, it helps to have some background knowledge of what makes the people of this northern kingdom tick. Culture Smart! Norway aims to take you past their reserved exterior to an understanding of how the terrain and climate have shaped the Norwegian people. As well as an insight into their values and attitudes, it provides a useful outline of how the Norwegian commercial world operates—vital information for anyone doing business with one of the world’s wealthiest nations. And for when the working day is over, this book provides tips on meeting and communicating with “real” Norwegians that will make socializing a pleasant and comfortable experience. Chapters on the customs and traditions that form the bedrock of family life will open the door to a glimpse of life inside a Norwegian home. Understanding the behavior appreciated by your hosts will enable you 9 introduction in tro d u c tio n to accept an invitation from your new Norwegian friends without apprehension. Norway is a rich nation whose inhabitants enjoy arguably the best quality of life in the world. With no real poverty, a welfare state that provides for the basic needs of all, and a strong commitment to equality and fairness, Norwegians are naturally proud of the society they have created and see themselves as the equals of anyone. A deep respect for the wildness and beauty of the natural world is ingrained in the national character of a people who delight in the great outdoors. On first encounter, Norwegians are serious, polite, law-abiding, and very hardy. They are also very private people, which can make the newcomer feel as if they have come up against a stone wall with an icy wind blowing behind it. Getting to know a Norwegian takes time, but when you are able to read the signs that take you behind that façade you will meet the warm, friendly, fun-loving, family- oriented person hiding on the other side. Culture Smart! Norway can help steer you through the social and professional encounters of your visit to this new culture, deepening your understanding, and enabling you to establish business partnerships and friendships with ease.

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