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First part

First part. Getting Under The Norwegian Skin. Workshop Stavanger 06.02.2008 Geir Golden Sæther, Working Environment Technology (TNE PPT HSET WET). Culture shock?. Barnga card game - Instructions Players are dealt 5 cards each Everyone plays one card, and the winner collects = ‘trick’

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First part

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  1. First part

  2. Getting Under The Norwegian Skin Workshop Stavanger 06.02.2008 Geir Golden Sæther, Working Environment Technology(TNE PPT HSET WET)

  3. Culture shock? Barnga card game - Instructions • Players are dealt 5 cards each • Everyone plays one card, and the winner collects = ‘trick’ • Each round will be about 5 minutes long, and will consist of any number of games that the time allows • Highest & lowest tricks rotate table – game continues • The game winner will be the person who has won the most tricks in total

  4. Handling cultural rules and cross cultural communication is essential for doing success in a multinational company .. Boarding ..

  5. Increased number of cross cultural interfaces … StatoilHydro is entering the world … StatoilHydro becoming more international …

  6. Cross – Cultural communication .. day to day life … … hidden costs increased level of conflicts misunderstandings motivation Strategic … … negotiations governments local contractors … management and operations … HSE programmes … etc Different levels of dealing with cultural issues ..

  7. … also a safety issue

  8. Cross – Cultural communication .. day to day life … … hidden costs increased level of conflicts misunderstandings motivation … also a safety issue Strategic … … negotiations governments local contractors … management and operations … HSE programmes … etc Different levels of dealing with cultural issues ..

  9. Plan for the presentation: • What is culture? • Consequences .. • The Norwegians .. • Some tips ... Boarding ..

  10. Group session • Your first impression of Norway and Norwegians? • Is there something that have surprised you by Norwegians? • What is the main difference from your home culture?

  11. The Game of Trust; formal and informal organisation at a multi cultural work place in Venezuela • A master thesis in social anthropology based on fieldwork from SINCOR • Focus: cross cultural communication and its influence on trust building • Master of enginering (sivilingeniør) • Now also social anthropologist • - Started to work at T&P ANT HMST Technical work environment 01.12.2006

  12. Feltarbeid 1 10.01 – 05.2002 Feltarbeid 2 01.03 – 04.2003 SINCOR Jose Upgrader SKR

  13. The Game of Trust – a study from Venezuela/SINCOR Norwegian Technician (NT): We have a few fan-sections. Once, when I looked at the meter to control the temperatures I discovered that a couple of the fans might have gotten blocked. I asked one of the men out there to check it out …… Norwegian engineer: I have to check in the corridors to see if the messages have gotten through. In the beginning I was surprised by the fact that everybody said “yes” when meaning “no”. It took me some time to realize this. You need to check twice to see if the message has gotten through and if they actually mean it when they say “yes”. Discovering this was a bit frustrating. Interviewer: Can you describe a situation at work when you felt offended? Venezuelan engineer:We are in a group discussing something and you yell at me in front of everyone. This I do not accept! No, this is lack of respect! (…) This has happened. All the incidents .. You could .. (laughing) And in front of the others. NO!

  14. Interviewer: In other words, you are being careful? VT: Yes, exactly! Interviewer: And you always need to show that you are willing to allow trust? VT: Yes, exactly! Interviewer: How can you loose trust? In the same way? VT: Exactly! Venezuelan technician, ca. 30 years Interviewer: How do you gain trust? I have been surprised of how important trust is here in Venezuela Venezuelan Technician (VT): We are used to people being on the defensive. We all have had bad experiences with people that lie, you see? …That is why you always start out a bit on the defensive. On the first meeting we would never say anything to people we don’t know.

  15. “We all have had bad experiences with people that lie, you see?” Students: Lac of trust. Insecurity. Criminality.

  16. The main argument in ”The Game of Trust” The context outside the refinery is characterised by • Criminality • Corruption • Systems of friendly favours Strategies for coping with such a problematic situation We all have had bad experiences with people that lie, you see? … Europeans: take trust for granted • a strong state Latin-Americans: trust is increasingly linked to social behaviour • a weaker state

  17. What is ’Culture’? • COLLECTIVE PROGRAMMING of the MIND • The SKILLS, COMPREHENSION and MANNERS a person has acquired as a member of the society Person Visual elements Conscious meanings/ thoughts/ values Silent/ unconscious knowledge Culture Human nature ”Culture is like smell from a cowhouse; if you have been working there for a while you do not recognise the smell …”

  18. Mental codes achieved as a member of a group Communication 1. A common frame of understanding • Perception • Interpreting 2. Simplifying everyday life • Common “rules” • Predictable society/day 3. A situation of feeling confident .. Individual experience Culture Emotions

  19. Consequences … Examples: • Odour & smells • Humour & laughter • Eye contact • Compliments • Finger signalling • Conception of time • Punctuality • Compromising • Socialising • It entails consequences • It makes communication exotic, but may also: • Create misunderstanding • Stress and frustration • Irradiating, insecure, uncomfortable and sad • Feeling lonely/strange

  20. Quotes from a refinery in Venezuela; The Game of Trust In the beginning I tried to confront my Venezuelan colleagues but the consequence was that the curtains came down. No communication. They withdrew….not only in the moment but also afterwards. Norwegian engineer, ca. 55 years You are dependent on goodwill before they are willing to do or say anything. You need to step carefully or ells you will meet the wall (…) They do not like to be confronted with it when they do something wrong. You need to contact indirectly….. French engineer, ca. 50 years What is shocking to me here with Norwegians is that they are incredibly rude (…) There is a limit between telling and just being rude. They (the Venezuelans) say nothing about this, but they are not willing to initiate contact. You can see it on their face sometimes. What they want to say is “well, they don’t know the language very well….” They want to find a reason. Norwegian engineer, ca. 40 years When will I feel offended? When people shout at me (…). Venezuelans are not used to shouting. They feel bad and get angry. Venezuelan engineer, ca. 35 year

  21. Mental codes achieved as a member of a group Communication 1. A common frame of understanding • Perception • Interpreting 2. Simplifying everyday life • Common “rules” • Predictable society/day 3. A situation of feeling confident .. Individual experience Culture Emotions

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