Overcoming barriers : relation building in Brazil by new entrants from the Norwegian oil and gas SMEs

Abstract

The motivation and purpose for writing this term paper was to improve the knowledge and understanding of how Norwegian businesses can increase their success of entering in the Brazilian oil and gas industry market. The paper builds a theoretical framework based on global expansion theories, business network theories, and intercultural management theories. Rather than aiming at the building of new theories, the methodology and analysis are aimed at comprehension and achieving knowledge from the experience of a limited number of companies. The aim of the work is prepare suggestions for improvement on the services offered by Innovation Norway to companies with the ambition to do business within the oil and gas sector in Brazil. We have found that global expansion, even into difficult markets such as Brazil, is considered worthwhile by Norwegian SMEs, but it takes resources, dedication, courage, and patience. Network expansion, based on available networks in Norway, is successful as a prime strategy for landing the first commercial contract. Various networks can be employed, from academic connections to business clusters. In addition to the set of suggested modification of the FRAM Market curricula, we also recommend an increased dialogue concerning these programmes and services throughout the Innovation Norway organisation. As the authors are not to be identified for grading purposes, we have given ourselves the pseudonyms John and Jack.