Business in France

Contents
History Population and culture

Geography
Geographic landmarks and points of interest Business

History
In 700-500BC the Celtic Gauls arrive in France. In 58-50BC Roman Emperor Julius Caesar defeats the Gauls and France becomes part of the Roman Empire. French was ruled by kings for many centuries until the storming of the Bastille during the French Revolution in 1789. Then Napoleon becomes Emperor of the French Republic until he is sent to exile.

Population and culture

Art and culture are an important part of France. Many famous artists, such as Renoir and Monet, are from France. Several famous writers, including Victor Hugo who wrote Le Miserables and the Hunchback of Notre Dame, are from France.

Geography
- The population of France is 57 million and the geographic size is 674,843 km2. The capital city is Paris and it also has a population of almost 8,7 milion people wich makes it the biggest city from France. - The Mediterranean coast includes the popular tourist area, the French Riviera. Its hot, dry summers and mild winters make it a popular beach area.

Geographic landmarks and points of interest

The Eiffel Tower is one of France's national landmarks. At 324 meters tall, it is one of the world's most recognizable structures. The Louvre is one of the world's best known, and finest art galleries. It contains many of the world's most famous art, including the Mona Lisa.

The Cathedral of Notre Dame was built in 1163. It is the largest church in Northern France.

The Arc de Triomphe is a Paris landmark. It is the entrance way to the Champs Elysees.

Business
France is a country based on affiliation and relationships, where information flows freely and constantly between interconnected people. French employees do not always need as many details and instructions when performing a task or managing a project. Giving too much information might sometimes be considered an insult or a threat to French pride and intelligence.

Business ethics
Regarding meetings some "traditions" may

resist: Beginning a meeting 15 minutes later than scheduled Interrupting the speaker or speaking about a topic which is not on the agenda Forgetting to summarize the conclusion and/or to circulate a memo about the conclusion after the meeting French meetings are often more creative

Habits
French working hours are generally from 8:30 or 9:00 am, to 6:30 or 7:00 p.m and generally include one, or two, hours off for lunch. You should avoid scheduling appointments in July and August since most of the country grinds to a halt during the aestival season.

Tips for an easier integration

Dont forget to say hello Do remember which name is which Dont talk about politics on your first meeting Do remember to know your place

Intercultural management differences

Giant mergers across borders create major intercultural shocks. According to two French academics (Philippe d'Iribarne and Emmanuel Todd in Les Enjeux-Les Echos, Jan. 2001), this is how you can analyze some examples of transcultural mergers

Franco-Japanese (ex. RenaultNissan)

The Japanese see the hierarchical side of French management but do not imagine how flexible the implementation of decisions can be. The French underestimate the sincerity of the consultation of the workers about management decisions. It can be difficult for the Japanese to accept authority from a smaller economic power but the French (like the British) can be much more successful in "colonial" situations (because of their flexibility) than the Germans (or the Japanese), much more rigid.

Franco-American (ex. Vivendi Universal)

The French are considered both arrogant and weak. Arrogant because, in a meeting, they love to ask destabilizing questions, show they know a lot and have understood better. Weak because in the French culture, if you give too specific and clear directions, it means that you do not acknowledge the professionalism of the staff.

Franco-British (ex. Orange)

For the French, the British culture is very mysterious. The British can take the most brutal decisions with extreme courtesy and are therefore considered very hypocritical. But both cultures admit differences, as long as the French forget their obsession about the universal man (man is the same everywhere) and the British overcome the strong francophobia of their working class.

Conclusions
In conclusion, business in France is interesting, because of their different opinions about humans and the relationships between them. Relations regarding every branch from an hierarchy is very strict, and they respect that. They are flexible but strict in the same time.

Thank you for your attention!