Events
The MIB Forum brought together academics, business people and international students to tackle two major issues facing companies overseas today: cultural differences and corruption.
MIB International Business Development Forum
Thursday, 28th October 2003
During the summer and autumn of 2003 I lead the organisation of the first MIB International Business Development Forum at the Norwegian School of Economics and Business Administration (Norges Handelshøyskole - NHH).
The purpose of the MIB Forum was to:
- Organise a business forum to bring together international students and both experienced and less experienced internationla actors to facilitate the learning and exchange of experiences in relationships to market entry barriers.
- Establish contact between international business students at NHH and local companies who operate (or wish to operate) internationally.
- Strengthen the profile of NHH and the MIB programme in the business community in Norway.
The MIB Forum was developed in partnership with the academic environment at NHH via the school itself, the Administrative Research Institute at NHH (AFF) and the Institute for Research in Economics and Business Administration at NHH (SNF); and with the business community through cooperation with the Bergen Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Bergen Næringsråd), and the Norwegian Trade Council (Norges Eksportråd - now part of Innovasjon Norge).
The theme for the MIB Forum 2003 was "Eastern Europe and the Norwegian way of doing business". Two main questions identified as presenting serious challenges to Norwegian firms wishing to do business in Central and Eastern Europe were dealt with:
- Does the Norwegian management style transfer overseas?
- Is corruption a necessary evil?
Speakers included Jan Borgen, Secretary General of Transparency International in Norway; Kåre Gustad, Senior Vice President of Telenor Mobile; Professor Paul Gooderham of NHH and Professor Andreas Falkenberg of the Agder School of Management.
On the day over 100 delegates attended, with the companies represented including Hydro, Telenor, Rieber & Søn and Dale of Norway.
More information can be found at the MIB Forum 2003 website.
Following the success of the MIB Forum in 2003 it was decided to make the conference an annual event. Details of the next MIB Forum can be found at www.mibforum.no.