The document provides an agenda for a lecture on intercultural management in France. The agenda includes an overview of France, Hofstede's cultural values model applied to France, how to do business in France, basics about French culture, and a wine tasting demonstration. It discusses cultural aspects like communication styles, personal space, greetings, and negotiations. It also covers labor unions, education system, views of time, and gender norms in France. The document aims to equip attendees with cultural knowledge for conducting business and interacting in France.

1. INTERCULTURAL MANAGEMENT – Prof. Dr. Carsten Herbes
FRANCE
Summer Semester 2012
HfWU Nürtingen-Geislingen
William BELLE
June 2012
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2. France
AGENDA
 1 Welcome to France: a short overview
 1.1 Marseille
 1.2 What are the French good at??
 1.3 What are the French bad at??
 2 Hofstede's values
 3 How to do business in France
 4 Basics
 5 Wine tasting – How to taste a wine?
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3. France
I) Welcome to France – a short overview
Bertrand, Charlotte & Jana
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4. France
I) Welcome to France – a short overview
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5. France
I) Welcome to France – Marseille
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6. France
Question
 I) What are the French good
at?
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7. France
I) What are the French good at??
 The most dynamic demography in Europe (the highest birthrate, with
Ireland), French Birth-rates 13 births per thousand people per year and
Germany 8 births in 2011.
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8. France
I) What are the French good at??
 Excellent infrastructure: transport (fast train TGV), electricity (cheapest in
Europe), airports,…;
French nuclear power plants
TGV’s connection Seite 8
TGV.fr

9. France
I) What are the French good at??
France has the 65th rank for CO² emissions
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10. France
I) What are the French good at??
 The best health system in Europe;
 A very developed social system
(poverty, unemployment, handicapped
people,…);
 A very strong agriculture and food industry.
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11. France
I) What are the French good at??
 The most attractive touristic destination in the World;
Wikipedia
 The dominant manufacturer of luxury goods in the world.
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12. France
Question
 I) What are the French bad at?
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13. France
II) What are the French bad at??
 We live above our means (budget deficit of the state: 6% in 2010);
 Our expenses for health are soaring (In 2005, France spent 11.2% of GDP
on health care, or US$3,926 per capita);
 We work less than our neighbours (35-hour work week law, constant
strikes, 5 to 8 weeks vacation, early retirement etc...);
 Our pension system is vulnerable;
 We are loosing manufacturing jobs;
 Investment is growing too slowly (2% a year vs. 3 or 4% in other European
countries);
 Our entrepreneurs are depressed;
 Our labour force is expensive;
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14. France
II) What are the French bad at??
 The anatomy of a paycheck:
 Monthly Salary: $ 3 719 (2 921 euros) 55% of work cost
 In fact, he/she will actually cash: $ 2 724 (2 139 euros net) 45% of work
cost
 But he/she will cost his/her boss: $ 5 988 (4 703 euros) (100%)
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15. France:
II) What are the French bad at??
 Taxes are very high in France;
 Not enough R&D;
 Our balance of Trade => deficit of 5720 millions euros
(March 2012).
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16. France
II) Hofstede values
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17. France
II) Hofstede values
PDI=
Germany: 35
USA: 40
POWER DISTANCE:
• Inequalities are accepted
• Hierarchy is needed
The Power is highly centralized in France
• Management: attitude towards managers: formal
• Information flow is hierarchical Seite 17

18. France
II) Hofstede values
IDV=
Germany: 67
USA: 91
INDIVIDUALISM:
• Individualistic context
• French favor individual and private opinions, taking care of themselves and
immediate family
• In work environment: the relationship with work is contract based
• Focus is on the task and autonomy is favored
• Direct communication, everyone is allowed to speak up, voice out their
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opinions even more if they do not agree.

19. France
II) Hofstede values
MAS=
Germany: 66
USA: 62
GENDER:
• A relatively feminine country
• Welfare system + 35 working hours/week and 5 weeks holidays per year
• France cares for its quality of life and focuses more on work in order to live
than the reverse;
• Material signs of success should not be too visible
• The management should be supportive and dialogue should help resolve
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conflicts.

20. France
II) Hofstede values
UAI=
Germany: 68
USA: 46
UNCERTAINTY AVOIDANCE
• High: it approves of rules, career and security are welcome and if lacking, it
creates stress
• Planning is favored, some level of expertise welcome, change is
considered stressful
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21. France
II) Hofstede values
LTO=
Germany: 31
USA: 29
LONG TERM ORIENTATION
• Short term oriented society
• For business: short term orientation focuses on quick results
• Consumption is driven by immediate gratification, sensivity to social trends
and rituals
• Not much focus on saving
• Management based on self reliance, personal achievement, hard work and
managers are judged on short term results
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22. France
 III) How to do Business in France :
Working in and with a French company
Bertrand, Charlotte and Jana – part 2 Seite 22

23. France
III) How to do Business in France : Communication styles / Patterns
 French Communication style
 Great love of and respect for elegance;
 A sense of national pride, if you speak poor French:
French is the language of Business in France;
 Debate in France can be seen as highly confrontational;
 Interruptions will often occur;
 Written Business French is extremely protolistic and formal.
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24. France
III) How to do business in France?
 Personal Space & Touching
 An arm’s length distance or a bit closer is an appropriate amount of
personal space.
 Given the close nature of the French greeting with kisses, the French
are generally more at ease maintaining personal space.
 The French may seem reserved upon first meeting. However, during
subsequent meetings, touching during a conversation is acceptable and
considered a sign of affection.
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25. France
III) How to do business in France?
 Eye contact
 It is seen as extremely rude to not look someone in the eyes when
speaking, especially when shaking hands. It is also important to have a
firm and confident hand shake.
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26. France
III) How to do business in France?
 Dress:
 French people value looking good and have a keen sense of style
 For men: conservative yet stylish suits with shirts and ties.
 For women: stylish business suits or dresses and blouses. Accessories
are usually worn.
 Parisians are known for their sense of classy style and most men and
women wear suits to work in the city.
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27. France
III) How to do business in France?
 Titles and Business cards
 Titles are important and it is best to adress people directly by using
Monsieur, Madame or Mademoiselle.
 You should always wait to be invited to use first names before doing so
yourself.
 There is no specific protocol surrounding giving and receiving of
business cards. It is always best to treat the card with respect.
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28. France
III) How to do business in France?
 Meetings
 Arriving on time for a meeting is important. Ponctuality is valued.
 Business meetings tend to be structured but not overly formal,
beginning and ending with a bit of small talk. However, it is best to wait
to be told where to sit.
 The main purpose of meeting are to discuss, not to make decisions.
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29. France
III) How to do business in France?
 Negotiations
 It is best to remain cool and professional; avoid any sort of confrontation
and do not resort to hard sell tactics.
 French business hate commitment.
 The french tend to take time when negotiating. Do not rush them of
appear impatient. Expect a great deal of time to be spent reviewing
details before a final decision is made.
 Critique more than they compliment,
 Pay close attention to details,
 Not talk about politics and money,
 Decisions tend to be made from the top down.
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30. France
III) How to do business in France?
 Gift giving
 Gifts are not generally exchanged at initial business meetings;
 When invited over for dinner or a drink, you should always bring the
hostess a gift, either a bottle of high quality wine or a dessert is
acceptable;
 Offer Rose is not adviced;
 Gifts tend to be opened when received.
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31. France
III) How to do business in France?
French Respondents’ Advice
Karin Speedy – European Studies 21 (2005) : P.160 Seite 31

32. France
 IV) Basics
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33. France
IV) Basics
 Views of Time
 The pace of French life depends on the regions.
 Life in Paris is fast and urban while in Provence or « la profonde » (the
deep heartland) is much slower.
 When invited for dinner, it is expected that you will be in time.
 Trains and buses are mostly on time. Except when there are union
strikes, which happen quite often in France. In this case, plan on
walking.
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34. France
IV) Basics
 Gender Issues
 Thirty years ago, women were expected to stay at home and raise the
kids. Nowadays, while still not earning as much as men, women are just
as likely to work outside the home as be stay at home moms.
 There is a high divorce rate in France. Around 40% of marriages end in
divorce, leading to more women in the work force.
 The rise of feminism.
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35. France
IV) Basics
 The French « Bise » Map
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36. France
IV) Basics: French Labour Union
 Today in France, there are five main labour organizations that are officially
recognized by the government as representing the rights of the French
labour force:
 The CGT, the oldest, the second most powerful.
 The CFDT, the largest union with over 800,000 members.
 The CFTC, a christian labour union.
 FO, a splinter group from the CGT, is today the third most powerful
labour union.
 CFE-CGC, a group representing both public and private sector
managerial employees.
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37. France
IV) Basics: French Labour Union
 The percentage of French workers who belong to a labour union is relatively
low compared to other European countries:
 12% in France
 42% in Great Britain
 87% in Sweden
 French’s strikes
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38. France
IV) Basics: EDUCATION
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39. France
 V) Wine tasting – How to tast a
wine?
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40. France
V) Wine tasting – How to tast a wine?
 http://www.geobeats.com/video/b30b11/wine-tasting
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41. France
V) Wine tasting – How to tast a wine?
YOUR TURN
 Take a look on the wine; do not handle the wine like a beer glass
 The First Nose : Very important, in order to smell the first aroma;
 The Second Nose: Swirl the glass in order to open the wine through the
oxygen for finding the different aromas which are more profound;
 The Taste: Sip the wine, you breathe in a bit, that opens the wine in the
mouth, and then you breathe out through the nose.
 Do not do that with Champagne!
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42. France
END
 THANK YOU FOR YOUR
ATTENTION AND SEE
YOU SOON IN FRANCE !
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43. France
Sources
 http://geert-hofstede.com/france.html
 http://www.worldbusinessculture.com/French-Business-Communication-Style.html
 http://www.culturecrossing.net/basics_business_student_details.php?Id=8&CID=71
 http://www.frenchaccentmagazine.com/mai07/pdf/Nr6-French-Politics.pdf
 http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/france-country-profile.html
 http://www.globalnegotiationresources.com/cou/France.pdf
 Speedy, Karin: Sex, Lies and Stereotypes: Putting Cultural Tips for Doing Business in France to the Test, 2005,
European Studies : Bound Edition , Jg. 2005(21), Seite 141-172,
 http://www.understandfrance.org/French/Issues.html
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_carbon_dioxide_emissions_per_capita
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_care_in_France
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_France
 http://www.understandfrance.org/Paris/Working2.html
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLseCvMzkIo
 http://www.cyborlink.com/besite/france.htm
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