| Overview
& cultural perspective |
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French democracy dates back to 1789. France is
the founding member of the European Integration
and a central player of today. Its colonial past
is a major factor in the presence of a diverse
multicultural population.
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| The economy is the 7th largest
in the world highly linked to its European neighbours
with a GDP per capita of $30,100. The French is
industry is highly centralized with the centre of
power in Paris where most railroads and motorways
lead to. In recent years, most of the formerly state
owned corporations have been privatised, making
France a modern market economy with an elaborated
welfare system. |
| 85% of the population are Roman
Catholics, 7% are Muslim, 2%Protestant and 1%Jewish.
The multiculturalism in France creates a very open-minded
and tolerant atmosphere but sometimes leads as well
to protectionism for the French culture. |
| French people are very proud
of their country and its tradition, culture and
history. |
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| Context & cultural awareness |
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French business is marked by a predominance of
managers having studied at one of France's elite
business schools ('grandes écoles') tending
to focus on long-term objectives and thus, to
establish a good relation with their business
partners. Meetings can be quite unorganized and
very often arguments are based on a critical,
analytical and logic dominated approach that does
not need always to correspond to the facts. In
general, French do not make concessions unless
their logic has been defeated. Businesses usually
have a fixed hierarchy and only the highest individual
in authority makes the final decision.
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| Even though it does not always
seems so, the French workplace is highly organized
and structured. Generally there are a lot of procedural
rules and bureaucracy. Consequently French business
culture tends to be reluctant to embrace change. |
| Recently the French working
week is limited to 35h. There are long holidays
in the summer; it sometimes seems that in August
the whole of France just shuts down. |
| Clothing, appearance and manners
are a very important factor in France. Both, men
and women are dressed elegantly but discreet. For
women, accessorising is very common and adds elegance. |
| Having a good knowledge of the
French culture, history and specialities is very
appreciated by the French and helps to establish
good relations, which is vital for business in France. |
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| Effective cross-cultural communication |
| French communication style is
quite direct, open and sometimes emotional. In business
settings, men usually shake hands. The famous kiss
on the cheek is common between men and women however
one should wait until the women takes the initiative.
During discussions, the distance between people
can be very close. |
| Sometimes it seems that the
French tend to treat business discussion as an intellectual
exercise. The French will judge you on your ability
to demonstrate your intellect, and this often involves
discussing confrontational ideas and engaging in
rigorous debate with them. It is common that in
the middle of a business discussion, the focus may
change, aside from the immediate issue but still
might have an influence on the final decision. It
is advisable to know at least some words of French
in order to show your interest. French will value
this effort very much. Whenever they correct your
grammar or pronunciation while speaking French,
it is meant to be a sign of respect and not offensive. |
| In general, food plays a great
role in every situation, whether it is breakfast,
lunch or dinner, it is every time a celebration
and the variety of French specialities is large.
At dinner settings, wine is served and carefully
selected to complement the food. Even if you only
sip at the glass, you should not refuse it. |
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