working with the nordics

Working with the Nordics Karsten EskelundKarsten Eskelund

Working with the Nordics

Karsten Eskelund,

Department of Informatics, University of Oslo

MYRA School of Business, 26th November 2013


Who am I?

Working with the Nordics Karsten Eskelund

9.540.065

5.600.000

5.426.090

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321.575


The IT services market in the Nordics is

estimated to be USD 10-12 billion and is

growing at the rate of

5 per cent CAGR. In spite of the large

economic activity (nominal GDP close to

USD 1.6 trillion) the reason for a relatively

small IT market is often attributed to the

presence of a large number of small and

medium-sized enterprises.

(2009)


Exercice 1

What do you think about when people say

“Norway” or “Norwegian”?


Business


What do you have to consider when

you work with the Nordics?


Norwegians at the office

- Normal working hours is 8-16. Some people work 7-

15 or 9-17

- Don’t expect the documentation to be as detailed as

you would like. The client will expect that consultants

have comments and even objections to the

specification

- In Norway there is usually a quite flat structure in any

projects. You are there because you are experts in your

areas. The project managers will (or at least should)

listen to you


Norwegians at the office (cont)

- Norwegian consultants are used to work quite

independently, with much less supervision than in

India, even at junior level

- Mixed team of consultants and clients

- In Norway, the way to communicate is much more

direct (blunt) than in India. This is NOT to offend

anyone, just the way of communicating


Norwegians dress code

- There is nothing such as a dress down day on

Fridays

- “Just above the customer”

- On parties and other social gatherings the dress code

can very much vary. Please ask in advance

- Indian dresses will probably most often be accepted,

and people will like to see that. But it might be too cold

in some seasons


Norwegians outside office

- People like to exercise and keep fit all year round

(skiing, cycling, running)

- Like to party. It is common both for boys and girls to

drink beer at gatherings. But not so much hard liquor

- People like to travel more and try out different things

in life

- Weekends are there for doing new things, not

necessarily relax with family

- Friends are just as important as the family

- A different understanding of extended family than in

India


Recommendations for working in

Norway

- Be on time!

- Ask questions

- Do expect people to question your work. They are

curious, not skeptic

- Do participate


Communication


Communication model


Norglish and Hindglish

Norwegians and Indians will use the English language different. This is a

source for confusion

Examples

If someone say “bike”, the Norwegian will think

about this:

while the Indian will think about this:

If a Norwegian don’t know what English word to use, the person might

assume that it is the same as in Norwegian

Examples

“registrere en sak” – “register a case” – “raise a ticket”


What to remember from today


Working across cultures: points to

remember

Building awareness on both sides helps bridge communication gaps

Culture cannot be an excuse for non-performance; it needs to be planned and managed

…BUT ultimately it is about a relationship of TRUST!


Most important: plan and build

relationships

Is there clarity about Content, Channels, Protocols, and Frequency of communication?

Are there opportunities for any face to face interaction?

Is there effort to assess the relationship level?

Are there efforts and measures to improve trust and respect among members?

working with the nordics

Business

office normal working

office people

norwegian dont

hindglish norwegians

hard liquor people

frequency of communication

different things

communication gaps culture