First part

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

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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

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

Boarding ..
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Increased number of cross cultural interfaces
StatoilHydro is entering the world
StatoilHydro becoming more international
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Different levels of dealing with cultural issues
..

• 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

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also a safety issue
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Different levels of dealing with cultural issues
..

• 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

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

Boarding ..
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Group session

1. Your first impression of Norway and Norwegians?
2. Is there something that have surprised you by
   Norwegians?
3. What is the main difference from your home
   culture?

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• 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 TP ANT HMST Technical work
  environment 01.12.2006

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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!

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• 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 dont know.

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

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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
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Mental codes achieved as a member of a group

• 1. A common frame of understanding
• Perception
• Interpreting
• 2. Simplifying everyday life
• Common rules
• Predictable society/day
• 3. A situation of feeling confident ..

Communication
Individual experience
Culture
Emotions
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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

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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 dont 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

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Mental codes achieved as a member of a group

• 1. A common frame of understanding
• Perception
• Interpreting
• 2. Simplifying everyday life
• Common rules
• Predictable society/day
• 3. A situation of feeling confident ..

Communication
Individual experience
Culture
Emotions