Norway: Cultural advice

Language Skills

Expatriates working in Norway will probably need a good grasp of the language, although English is sufficient for some jobs (especially at multinational corporations). Most businesspeople speak English, but it should not be assumed that they understand everything that is said. It is a good idea to get written confirmation of all business dealings.

Of the two Norwegian languages, Bokmål and Nynorsk, Bokmål is used by most of the population and is the major language for business.

Those who accept jobs in Norway are entitled to free Norwegian language classes offered by the municipal authorities.

Management Styles

Most decisions are made by consensus. This can be frustrating for expatriates because consensus decision-making takes much longer to achieve. Decisions can also take some time because Norwegians will not rush into making them; rather, they look at all possible options first. Once a decision is made, it is seldom changed.

Norway’s workers are highly unionized. Union representatives often sit on the board of directors and hold management roles. Thus, employees stay very much informed about what is going on in the company, especially if it will have a large effect on them.