Title: First part
1First part
2 Getting Under The Norwegian Skin
Workshop Stavanger 06.02.2008 Geir Golden Sæther,
Working Environment Technology (TNE PPT HSET WET)
3Culture 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 ..
5Increased number of cross cultural interfaces
StatoilHydro is entering the world
StatoilHydro becoming more international
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7Different 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
8 also a safety issue
9Different 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
10 - Plan for the presentation
- What is culture?
- Consequences ..
- The Norwegians ..
- Some tips ...
Boarding ..
11Group 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?
12- 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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14The 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!
15- 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.
16We all have had bad experiences with people that
lie, you see?
Students Lac of trust. Insecurity. Criminality.
17The 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
18What 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
19Mental 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
20Consequences
- 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
21Quotes 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
22Mental 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