It seems American actor and comedian Will Ferrell doesn’t like Norway but what gives?
General Motors has released a few previews of their upcoming ad campaign to air during this year’s Super Bowl. The ads feature Will Ferrell sharing his dislike for Norway! How rude!
He hits upon several true albeit easy jokes at Norway’s expensive. The fact that pretty everyone is named Olav here for example and that Norwegians are well known for their love of both skiing and fish.
We’ll have to wait until February 7th to find out why he hates Norway so much. Although early guesses center around the fact that Norway has done so well with electric vehicle adoption, something GM also hopes to achieve back in America. So it’s probably more about jealousy than genuine hatred.
Until then, when we can see the full ads and their Norway trashing talking glory, enjoy these ad previews:
All Three Will Ferrell / General Motors Super Bowl Commercial Teaser Clips [2021]
Norway is a country based on trust, and this is significantly important in the business world here. Trust is extensively woven throughout the entire society. A very simple example of this that in a city like Oslo you can leave your bag, your phone, or other valuables out in the open for extended periods of time, while in most other major cities such items would disappear quickly, likely never to be seen again. In Norway, there is a high level of trust for each other. Very few would steal someone’s property or even disturb it anyway.
There is also a strong, and to some extent, blind trust for the government in Norway. As you can probably imagine, for an American this was difficult to adjust to. I mean, like any good American, I love my own country, I even love the government, but I absolutely do not trust them. Perhaps if you follow the news coming from America you can understand why. So, it has taken me some time to trust the government here in Norway. Although, one simply needs to look to the last few decades of how well the Norwegian government has taken care of its people. On top of that Norway was recently ranked the least corrupt country in the entire world. This is an incredible achievement when you consider that several other societies that have amassed their wealth from oil have not done so well to manage corruption. There’s reason to trust the government in Norway. You might even go as far as to say they’re worth every krone they get from those ridiculously high tax rates. It might also be why there is not much Bitcoin in Norway as the is such high trust in the economy as well.
Most shocking to a foreigner like myself is the trust that even large corporations have managed to build in Norway. I mean, trusting the government is one thing but a big scary corporation?! This is so counter to both American and other global markets where big companies do big, bad things. Not so much in Norway. Here, people even love local airline companies! How often do you hear people speak fondly of an airline? Usually, it’s more like complaints about rude service, delayed flights, and lost luggage. Having flown more miles than I care to admit between the US and Norway, I can tell you this is almost never the case. The planes are on time, my bags get where they should go, and the staff is not only nice but incredibly good looking. Corporations here operate differently. They care about their employees and customers. They won’t do something bad for either party even if it means making slightly more profit. For this, and their typically squeaky clean history, they have earned the trust of the people.
On an individual level, most Norwegians consider themselves to be very trustworthy. They will feel great disrespect if you question their trustworthiness. This is important to know in business as many other business cultures do not operate this way. Instead, in those cultures, as you do business you set up many walls for protection and backup plans. You get lawyers to spin up endless terms that protect you in every obscure way possible. Or, you are always looking for some type of advantage as part of the deal. These types of moves will only concern a Norwegian. They will assume you don’t trust them and as a result, they can’t trust you. This will put an abrupt halt to your business dealings with them. I had to learn this lesson a few times the hard way.
Building trust in Norway takes a long time, so one has to prepare oneself to be patient. This applies to both personal and business relationships you’ll make in the country. This can be one of the toughest things you’ll encounter while doing business in Norway. It’s common for outsiders to feel shut out or excluded while trying to build this elusive trust. This certainly doesn’t help make the cold and dark winters any easier to manage. Just know that once you do build that trust, you can make a friend, a lover, or a business partner for life. Getting there, however, will be a foreigner’s greatest challenge.
As a foreigner here in Norway, it’s going to be an additional challenge to build this trust. While Norway is a very equal and inclusive country there is some distrust for outsiders here. Perhaps not by society as a whole, but more specifically in the business world. This is not going to be a popular sentiment, but this was my experience at least. The best I can figure is, it comes down to a few things. First, with Norway enjoying 50+ years of economic prosperity, there hasn’t been much pressure to aggressively go global in business. Most businesses here do just fine selling only to the domestic market, especially where they have a monopoly position. So, the oil that has driven that prosperity is by far the largest export business. And since Norwegians prefer Norwegian products over, say, cheaper Chinese products, there’s not much desire to do extensive importing, aside from importing a lot from Scandinavian neighbor countries who share a desire for quality products and similar aesthetics appeal. As a result, Norwegian businesses can sometimes lack experience working with foreigners.
On the rare occasion when I could get a Norwegian to be open to the challenge of working with foreigners, I sometimes got an interesting response. It was along the lines of “Oh yes, another American once came here for business and ripped a few people off” – they would say. When I would press for the American’s name or which company they worked for, curiously the Norwegian could never remember. It’s almost as if the story of a scary foreigner coming to Norway for business is a ghost tale, passed along throughout the years and likely starting with the discovery of oil and increased international interest in Norway. These stories have been used to scare generations of Norwegian workers from opening up themselves too much once independence was firmly established. You can see this further in Norway avoiding joining the EU on several occasions for example. Norwegians would rather do it themselves than be overly dependent or worse, in debt to an outsider.
That’s not to say it’s impossible to get a Norwegian to trust you as a foreigner here. I’ve managed to make it happen a few times, but more often than not, I’ve failed to establish the trust needed in business. Common reasons include being too aggressive, too impatient, but in most cases, it simply comes down to failing to understand Norwegians and their culture. However, when you do establish this trust you’ll feel it. The typical Norwegian will start looking you in the eye and hanging on your words instead of shying away. I wish you the best of luck in this regard – you’ll need it.
I made a serious gaffe in one of my early visits to Norway. I had asked a colleague to assemble a dinner with influential players in my industry. My goal was nothing more than a casual setting to get to know each other and for me to explain the new work I was doing in the region. Even though I specifically said ahead of time the dinner would “be my treat”, panic ensued when the bill came I swiftly swiped my credit card covering the entire bill. Once finished I turned around to see a look of shock and uncomfortableness upon their faces. I had made a huge mistake and there was no going back now. A wonderful night of getting to know my new business contacts quickly turned into an awkward moment for everyone.
Before I could swipe my card with the speed of fine dining ninja there was some polite protesting and insistence on covering their own meals. However, I waved those off, assuming it was a general courtesy that one often does. You offer to pay once or twice and eventually relent, letting the other person pick up the tab. All the while I was not truly understanding the uncomfortable position I had put my dinner guests in.
You see, in Norway, there really is no such thing as a free meal. And that’s too bad, as you’ll soon find out that food in Norway is incredibly expensive! To buy someone a meal, even in a business setting, is often construed as you trying to win favor. You can imagine how this might complicate dating life in Norway for a foreigner! This is a culture that does not want debts or the feeling that something is owed to anyone. They value their independence and have fought hard (and fought off several invasions) to keep it. So, you have to be mindful of your wining and dining as you do business in Norway.
Additionally, there are even further tax repercussions in these scenarios. In a country where they love their taxes, there is little affordance for gifting, free meals or other questionable business expenses. One could easily get in trouble for accepting too many gifts and meals. And you, as the giver, are also limited to what is considered an appropriate business expense. For example, buying a colleague a glass of wine is probably OK, but an expensive dinner and several bottles of wine is probably not. This is contrary to many other Western and European business expense rules. In those markets, one might be more prone to going slightly overboard knowing that both the company is paying and probably writing it off as a business expense. In American business culture, it’s even a bit of a joke one might make while covering a huge bill. Proclaiming “tax write off!” as they eagerly swipe the corporate credit card. In Norway it’s not really a joking matter. And in the name of transparency, which this country loves, you may have to record who attended a business dinner and even what was discussed. Which makes me hope none of my bad or inappropriate dinner jokes made the official records.
When it comes to buying dinners or other business-related perks, I’ve come to learn that Norwegians have a very broad definition of corruption. This is for several reasons but primarily comes down to Norwegians not wanting to feel indebted to anyone. When they do, they’ll be eager to pay off any debts quickly, as having this debt hanging over them will create great stress and anxiety. One has to be super careful about not offering too much at first when building a new business or personal relationship in Norway, as you can literally lose them through your generosity, even if your intentions are not to win influence.
So, in Norway don’t feel an overwhelming pressure to buy business contacts dinners as you might feel in other business cultures around the world. As the waiter comes to your table they will typically first ask if they should split the bill. Instead of using this moment to show off your credit card prowess, take a moment to read the vibe from your dinner companion(s). If they insist on splitting, it’s better to offer little protest and avoid being overly insistent on covering the bill.
On a national average Norwegianswork about 37 hours per week. Although the total hours worked can be less in a corporate office. This is because many Norwegian organizations offer ‘flexible hours’ and there is great autonomy in managing your own hours.
Unlike in many other cultures in Norway, corporate foot soldiers don’t often brag about working more hours than their peers. This can actually be construed as being inefficient or bragging unnecessarily about your contribution at work. Or worse, clashing with Janteloven (the Law of Jante), a social construct where individual success is discouraged and, in many cases, considered inappropriate.
As a small country with a population of about 5M there are several industries that experience shortages of qualified applications. Currently, the most highly in-demand sectors are oil & gas, hospitality, IT (information technology), nursing, construction, and the fishing industry.
Loosely translates to “open-air living” is a big part of Norwegian culture and country heritage. It means a commitment to celebrate the outdoors and spending time outdoors. Even if the weather is not so great.
The famous Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen coined the term in 1859 but even today friluftsliv is still very much a part of Norwegian culture. In Norwegian society, it is encouraged to spend some of your free time outdoors. To enjoy nature is to be Norwegian.
And there might be something to this way of thinking. Many experts believe that spending time in nature boosts well-being and happiness. Perhaps this is why Norway is consistently ranked as one of the happiest countries.
So if you’re wondering why Norwegians have a borderline fetish over nature now you know why. It’s because of friluftsliv.
There was a new song released today by Daniel Kvammen titled ‘Janteloven’. It covers one of the more interesting sides of Norwegian culture and how society works in Norway, that being Janteloven or The Law of Jante.
Even in this modern age and after creating such a successful and prosperous society, Norwegians still struggle with both individual success and what happens after success. In a very egalitarian society, it can be considered inappropriate for any one person to have too much of anything.
If you have Spotify you can hit play below to have a listen for background music on the rest of this post.
The song is inspired by one of the loudest Norwegians to be firmly anti-Janteloven. The one and only Petter Northug. As a former gold medal ski champion Petter never really had to worry about being held back by Janteloven. That’s because in Norway sports and athleticism are some of the few areas where it’s allowed to be very successful. It’s allowed to be better than others. Unlike in business where it’s better to be more modest about your achievements.
When the song was penned some 6 months ago life was a bit different for Northug. He was enjoying the afterglow of his skiing career while also enjoying the strobe light glow of various night clubs around Norway. That’s where the song’s author found him, still seeking the attention of yesterday. The very next morning he wrote this song.
Since then a new debate has emerged about the anti-Janeloven king Northug. After a recent run-in with the police while driving under the influence of drugs the spotlight was once again on the former gold medalist. Although unlike in other societies where a celebrity in trouble might expect a public crucifixion, things work differently in Norway.
Most of the public debate centered more around how to help Northug. And why didn’t society help him sooner? That’s Norway and even Janteloven for ya! When a member of society is down, society should come together to bring them back up.
What is Janteloven? The Law of Jante in Norway - Working With Norwegians
As you start to work in Norway, you’ll notice things are a bit different with regard to names. First of all, there aren’t that many unique names in Norway. This reminds me of the time when a colleague was trying to remember a business contact whose name started with “J.” I responded, “I know 10 people named Johan, 6 people named Jonas, and 5 more guys named Jonah”, which didn’t help us remember. So, while working with Norwegians, you won’t have to remember too many distinctly unique names. You will, however, have enough challenges keeping them all straight and matched to the right people.
In Norway, titles are also not used very often as most business environments are causal in nature. Additionally, to use flashy titles as a means of impressing colleagues is discouraged, lest anyone individual try to assert themselves as more important in the organization. Yes, I’m talking to you Brad Braderson, Senior Vice President of Regional Sales and New Product Development Asset Manager. In Norway, you’re just Brad and that’s perfectly all right. Save the long titles for the business card. Although, many Norwegians go as far as to even exclude their titles on their business cards, at least the Norwegian version of it. This can even apply to using distinguished titles such as Doctor, depending on the social setting. Much of this is because Norway is a very egalitarian society that never had an aristocracy. Those fancy people lived in Stockholm or Copenhagen. The last lordship in Norway (The Count of Jarlsberg) lost his title in 1829 and that was the end of that. For a quick tip, it’s best to simply listen to how Norwegians introduce themselves to figure out how they wish to be identified.
Both in business and in personal interactions it is best to avoid using “Mr.”, “Mrs.” and “Miss” courtesy titles. This is considered too formal in almost every type of setting. Also, in Norway, one’s personal relationship status is not really the business of others. Thanks to a strong and equal social welfare system, many couples are together for many years without formally marrying. It’s best to avoid potentially “miss”-identifying a colleague’s or business partners’ marital status and risking the embarrassment.
One exception where titles are required is when referring to the members of the royal family of Norway. Even in an extremely egalitarian culture, and with the Law of Jante, it’s good to be king! They are always referred to as “King”, “Queen”, “Crown Prince” and “Crown Princess”. If you’re lucky enough to speak directly to the royal family, you would address the King and Queen as “Your Majesty” and “His or Her Royal Highness” in the case of the Crown Prince and Crown Princess respectively. They also require more formal introductions for example, “His Royal Highness Crown Prince Haakon…” I was actually lucky enough to meet the Crown Prince for an intimate breakfast at his home, the Skaugum Estate, and I was incredibly nervous about the event. We Americans don’t have much experience with nobility. You could even say we’ve spent the last 200+ years moving away from the concept altogether. Still, such a title demands a serious amount of respect that I was ill-prepared for. Do I bow? Do I kiss the ring? Does he greet me by touching a sword to both shoulders? I was unsure. However, the experience proved to be surprisingly casual. Despite their high stature and exclusive use of titles, even the royal family in Norway is incredibly approachable and treated similarly to the population at large.
This wasn’t always the case in Norway; as recently as the 1970s, titles were used throughout the country. This included in business, noble families and included the professional titles like Doctor. Although as the society enjoyed its new financial prosperity during the time, the focus quickly shifted towards the more egalitarian approach we see today throughout Scandinavia. Personally, I don’t think their usage has been missed and even my big American ego has learned to accept it. Although, I still keep my title on my business cards. In bold. Maybe in a slightly larger font. Some old habits are hard to change, after all.
Here’s a few words you might hear as your work with Norwegians.
Pull one out to impress a colleague sometime!
BIRKEBEINERRENNET – A famous ski race in Norway that business executives often participate in. Companies have their own teams and your achievement in the tracks has become as important as your resume.
DET GRØNNE SKIFTET – ‘The Green Shift’. Creating a sustainable society based on green jobs and reduce the country’s dependency on oil and gas production.
FELLESFERIE – The summer holiday shutdown. You won’t be getting much work done this time as your colleagues will no doubt be out on holiday.
FJORD – One Norwegian word that has become truly international. Fjord in its basic meaning ‘where one fares through’ has the same origin as the word “fare” (travel) and the noun “ferry”. The narrow canyons with steep sides called fjords are formed by giant glacier slowly moving across the land and carving these paths.
GÅ PÅ TUR – ‘Take a hike!’ Literally. Not everybody actually does it, but everybody likes to give the impression they do it, and everybody at the very least talks about it. Norwegians love exercise!
HV-ØVELSER – Similar to the American National Guard, this is a mandatory military training exercise some of your colleagues might be part of. It’s the one time when it’s OK to make jokes about shooting guns with a Norwegian.
HYTTE – A small winter or summer cabin that Norwegian workers like to retreat to as much as possible. In Norwegian business culture it’s not considered extravagant to have a cabin.
KVIKK LUNSJ – The Norwegian version of a Kitt-Katt bar. You eat these with your Norwegian colleagues after a good cross country ski. Norwegians just love milk chocolate!
LANGRENN – Cross country skiing is a long and tiring physical activity your Norwegian colleagues will try talk you into. A Norwegian will tell you that cross-country skiing involves the highest endurance levels of all sports, as its motions makes use of every major muscle group, and that it burns the most calories. So in other words it’s pure torture.
LAW OF JANTE – A description of Norwegian group behavior that criticizes individual achievement as unworthy.
OPPSØKENDE SALG – Perhaps the one thing Norwegians hate to do the most! Cold calling customers and doing sales.
The scene: 3am at a McDonald’s in Oslo. I had just attended a business event and survived the Norwegian drinking culture. Now it was time to do something us Americans do best: eat a big greasy cheeseburger.
With me were several new Norwegian business contacts I had been in discussions with over the last few months. In their well lubricated state the shyness was gone and thus they eagerly asked:
As I day dreamt about the burger on its way, I thought well I’ve been ‘normal’ skiing many times but I have no idea what cross-country skiing actually is. It sounds like a lot of work to be honest.
“No…” I replied simply.
“Oh then you must join us! It’s amazing! We’ll trek for hours in the freezing snow, take a break to eat a candy bar, and then return!” They explained with much excitement in their eyes.
To me this sounded like an awful way to further get to know each other. How could we work on our business partnership while skiing in a straight line, in the middle of the woods, in total silence? I was not incredibly eager to accept and follow up on their invitation. This was a big mistake on my part, and as a result the business relationship did not go much further.
What I had missed was that for Norwegians an activity like cross country skiing is how business relationships are strengthened. We do a physical activity together and that usually includes some element of suffering or hard work and then after that, we can begin to build trust together. You have to first put in the work to build a solid foundation for your working relationship.
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