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Business Business Profile Bergen has been a major business centre for centuries. Until the early 1980s, trade centred on fishing and shipping, until the discovery of North Sea oil heralded an age of new prosperity and industry. The economic boom lasted until 1986 when the international oil crisis led to a drop in prices, bringing recession to Bergen. The city still remains a centre for oil exploration and shipping and a proportion of the population still depends on fishing for a living but it has also grown as one of the main Norwegian centres for environmental and oceanographic research. Almost 30% of all employment in Bergen is provided by the public sector. In addition, the city attracts about 1.1 million visitors annually, around 55% of whom are business and/or conference visitors. The working population of Bergen numbers some 94,000, whose annual salary averages around NOK230,000. The city’s unemployment rate is about 4%, slightly higher than the Norwegian national average of 3.5% (Norwegian Central Statistics Bureau). Major companies based in Bergen include Odfjell Shipping, Vesta Marine Insurance and the Rieber Group (whose interests include food production and road construction). There is no clearly defined business area as offices are found throughout the central part of the city. Heavy industry tends to be located on the outskirts, mainly to the south and west of the centre. The expatriate business community consists mainly of British and Americans, with Swedes, Germans and Danes. They tend to be specialists, working in areas such as oil, engineering and science. Business Etiquette Meetings are normally arranged from 0800 in offices, alternatively in restaurants for early afternoon appointments. Visitors should always be punctual (neither early or late) and wear either a suit or a jacket and tie, even though Norwegians are generally pretty informal in their dress. If a late-morning meeting is arranged, it is good practice to issue a lunch invitation – whoever extends the invitation usually pays for the meal. Traditionally, lunch is a light snack, but in a business context, it may involve a more substantial meal. English is widely spoken, as is some French and German, and in the business community, the English is generally of a very high standard. Normal business hours are 0800 to 1600, with employees leaving their offices promptly to return home for middag (dinner), eaten at around 1700. However, an invitation to either dine out or eat at the home of a business colleague will often be scheduled slightly later. Criticism of, or jokes about peoples, cultures or systems should generally be avoided as many Norwegians pride themselves on their ‘political correctness’. |
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