Successful Entertaining in Norway

A tradition of business dining has slowly developed in Norway over the past ten to fifteen years, although it is nowhere near as central to the whole business relationship process as in many Asian and southern European countries.

The person who invites will usually pay the bill and meals can seem strangely formal affairs in a country which is renowned for an informal and egalitarian approach.

Both knife and fork are used throughout the meal and visitors may be surprised to see that even open sandwiches will be eaten using these utensils.

Toasting is common at dinner events and it is important to reciprocate when any toasts are made. Look the person in the eye, make the toast and drink. Although tipping is not compulsory, it is the usual custom.

Ten percent should be sufficient and the money can either be left on the table or added to a credit card payment.

Author

This country-specific business culture profile was written by Keith Warburton who is the founder of the cultural awareness training consultancy Global Business Culture. 

Global Business culture is a leading training provider in the fields of cross-cultural communication and global virtual team working.  We provide training to global corporations in live classroom-based formats, through webinars and also through our cultural awareness digital learning hub, Global Business Compass.

This World Business Culture profile is designed as an introduction to business culture in Norway only and a more detailed understanding needs a more in-depth exploration which we can provide through our training and consultancy services.