France is well known for its iconic landmarks, fine wines, and elegant fashions. France is also known for, some would say, their “lazy” attitudes towards work and breaks. If you are an American planning to do business with or in France, prepare to be in for quite the culture shock. The differences between the United States and France are clearly apparent when comparing both countries using Hofstede’s cultural dimensions analysis (Hofstede Insights, 2021). According to this comparison, France scores higher in power distance, uncertainty avoidance, and long term orientation, while the United States scores higher in individualism, masculinity, and Indulgence (Hofstede Insights, 2021).
Historically allies, the United States and France differ in all six of Hofstede’s cultural dimensions. Of the six, Uncertainty Avoidance (France-86, US-46) and Long Term Orientation (France-63, US-26) reveal our largest gaps. Uncertainty Avoidance “has to do with the way that a society deals with the fact that the future can never be known: should we try to control the future or just let it happen” (Hofstede Insights, 2021). The French “do not like surprises,” require structure and planning, and find it necessary to have all information before beginning meetings and negotiations (Hofstede Insights, 2021). Americans welcome new ideas and innovation and do not require a lot of rules (Hofstede Insights, 2021).
Long Term Orientation “describes how every society has to maintain some links with its own past while dealing with he challenges of the present and the future” (Hofstede Insights, 2021). Pragmatic, the French will adapt their traditions to the changed situations, social status is a big deal, and good and evil is circumstantial (Hofstede, n.d.). Social status in relationships is not as big of a deal in the United States and believe more in absolutes when it concerns good and evil (Hofstede, n.d.).
Keeping this in mind, the French are well known for taking very long lunch breaks where they can be seen walking their dogs, playing with their children, and having wine with their meals (Lebowitz, 2018). In addition, meetings last longer, criticism is more direct, and personal information is not shared in the workplace (Lebowitz, 2018). In order to do business with the French, one must understand that business is kept completely separate from personal life. They also prefer to build trust with an individual before deciding to do business. On the other hand, many Americans work through lunch, meetings are generally timed, criticism is sugarcoated, and one’s personal life is shared as a way to reveal personality and develop closer work relationships. Americans tend to open up and build relationships fairly quickly (Lebowitz, 2018).
Americans desiring to do business in France will need to understand cultural differences. Not so fast, its okay to take your time. Being late for a meeting is not disrespectful, talking about family or personal issues at work is not acceptable, and resolutions are not always reached by the end of a meeting. Knowing the cultural differences and traditions will help build strong long-lasting relationships and foster greater opportunities for success in business endeavors.
References:
A Dane in France, (2014). Impressions of a Dane living and working in France. Image. Retrieved from: http://charlotteinparis.over-blog.com/2014/05/35-hours-per-week.html.
Hofstede, (n.d.). Hofstede: Long Term / Short Term. Retrieved from:https://www.andrews.edu/~tidwell/HofstedeLongTerm.html.
Hofstede Insights, (2021). Country Comparison. Retrieved from: https://www.hofstede-insights.com/country-comparison/france,the-usa/.
Lebowitz, S. (2018). 8 things that drive French people nuts about American offices: and vice versa. Business Insider. Thrive Global. Retrieved from: https://thriveglobal.com/stories/8-things-that-drive-french-people-nuts-about-american-offices-and-vice-versa/.
Warraq, I. (2018). Standing up for France. Eye on the News. Image. Retrieved from: https://www.city-journal.org/html/standing-france-15789.html.
Greg Pozzi says
Hi Jamael,
I enjoyed your post and your comment about the French’s preference for structure and no surprises immediately led me to recall an interaction I had with a former colleague. He was actually a Belgium national, but if your familiar with Belgium, the majority are either Dutch (often called Flemish in Belgium) or French and they are each culturally identifiable as such.
At the time, I had a new hire in Shanghai and was trying to get him trained on my companies IT Storage system, which was managed by the French Belgium colleague, Francois. Because my employee and I were six hours ahead of Francois and I was not exactly sure what plans the Chinese HR team had for his local onboarding, I booked a few afternoons on Francois’s schedule and emailed to let him know they were placeholders, and that I wasn’t positive yet what my new start’s availability would be. I can tell you that did NOT go over well with him!
He called me as soon as he got into the office in Europe and made sure I knew that I had no right to book his calendar for meetings that might not happen, and that it would impact everything else he was planning to do in the week if I did so. Interestingly, I was a group manager and he was an individual contributor, so the notion of the French preference to adhere to hierarchy certainly gave way to the French propensity for directness (“France: Communication Style,” 2017).
In the end, I wanted to make sure my new start was trained properly, so I didn’t feel there was any benefit to upsetting Francois any more than I already did. We settled on selecting a single time to book his calendar, and I told him he could be upset with me if he wanted to be, but that the new hire had nothing to do with the situation and to make sure he was given the proper attention, and everything worked out.
Cited
France: Communication Style. (2017). Retrieved April 25, 2021, from http://guide.culturecrossing.net/basics_business_student_details.php?Id=8&CID=71
sxm899 says
I found your blog very interesting and, after learning more about business practices in France, I believe our practices in the United States could learn a thing or two from France. It seems to me that the French understand how to split business and personal life better… the long lunches, time with family and friends, and by keeping business solely business workers, in my opinion, would be happier and less stressed. Everything in the United States is “go, go, go” all the time, so much so that many people put their health and personal lives at risk for a job that would replace them in a heartbeat!
Thank you for you enlightening view!