"Leadership and National Culture"

Francisco Gutirrez Fitz

-What are the key cultural variables that are likely to be challenging for a nonFrench leader in France?
The first variable that I have to face is that is the organizational structure, in France is
very hierarchical, the status is very important, so if you didnt study in a gran ecole it
will very difficult for you to be in a good commanding position within the organization.
The Status is a Symbol in the France culture; the individuals are assigned a certain level of
status based on who they are. In consequence it will be very difficult for the decision
making process to challenge a person with a superior status. The manager is seen like a
leader and this problem since in France leadership is identified by titles and placement
within the organizational hierarchy. So the transformational leader cannot rise in here and
the change its a very difficult task. In addition France have a strong protectionism policies,
the government manipulated markets factors to benefit French companies. In summary
the principal factor is the barriers of the knowledge, Frances is a very cultural country but
in the organizations the individuals who has a high status dont like to share the
knowledge in the organization , the individuals are only prepared for one task. And in
some point is a very big issue, in fact this little interaction between followers, created
barriers. Another variable is the competition level; the training is a very important factor in
all the organization level nowadays, why? , because the background is important, but not
at the academic level, the organizations for example in USA are searching not only for
people who has the knowledge but also the skills to have a better performance. Maybe
because of the protectionism of the status in France the persons who has a better status
has more knowledge but hasnt the experience in the field. In summary I list the followed
variables has a barriers to challenging as a non-French leader.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

The organizational structure that is very hierarchical.

The Status has a symbol of power.
The manager seen as a leader.
The skills of the individuals who has this status quo.
The reward system that is derivate from the status as a symbol of power.
Organizational concern is the maintenance of the position.

-How have these factors evolved over time? How is this connected to the history of
France?
France has been a privileged nation, but because of her history had a rigid structure. The
lecture mentioned thats the comptemporary French culture was develop during the 1920s1930s and flourished after the post-world War II rebuilding of the country.
At the beginning of the 19th century, France grew up in his population and at the beginning
as a growing nation, France loss their regional and traditional culture. Many rural became
impoverished during the same period. And as a consequences created tension in modern
France between traditionalists and progressives. An in addition compounding this loss of
regionalism the French government stablished a centralized structure in which the capital
becomes essential pillar for the French state.
And if we talking a little about a the post-war after the World war II , in this years the
state take control of a number of French industries. The modern political climate has
however been for increasing regional power ("decentralization") and for reduced state
control in private enterprise ("privatization"). And in consequence France adopt the
protectionism as a policy.
France has not been an achievement oriented society and has not typically afforded
status based on accomplishments or results. Because their history the Frenches have
an ascribing culture status in which the individual is assigned a certain level of status
based on who they are, where they come from, where they were educated, and additional
immutable characteristics. So the French leadership is identified by titles and placement
within the organizational hierarchy.
And even with the globalization that has done moving France from its centralized system
to a more decentralized state. The problem still persists in areas linked to their past
patterns of leadership, such limited communication within the various levels of the
organization and rigid hierarchical structures that not promote advancement and
development the of internal talent.
And in conjunction with the Hofstedes analysis of cultural dimension provide an
informative look at how leadership has evolved in France. Hofstedes distinguish two
cultural dimensions that play a prominent a prominent role, one is the power distance and
the other is avoidance. The first one reinforces the rigid hierarchical structure found within
the formal and informal business sector. The second refers that Frenches have a high
level of uncertainty avoidance that creates little tolerance for ambiguity within the French
culture.

-Considering the elements of leadership effectiveness (creates a vision,

communicate the vision, implement the vision, develop other leaders etc.), which
elements are most important in this national culture?
The more important elements, create a vision, communicate the vision , implement that
vision, in the French leadership culture will be only the implementation of the vision,
because the French culture leadership who is almost autocratic, the most important
elements are only the implementation ( they are rigid ) , I believe in the French leader
culture they prepare the people to have a high degree of independency an d respect to
the figure of authority, maybe in the structure of the country they valuable this kind of
behavior because of their protectionism.
For example the lecture make a point about the communication culture, its important for
every person in France and sad that the leaders has to have the ability to communicate
effectively. And this believe reinforces that the primary selection mechanism used in
France (gran ecole) is source of the best communicator. But they failed in the
communication because of the higher level of context which leaves more room for errors.
And in the moment that they keep the information as a treasure they cannot develop other
leaders in a small scale.
And they not create a vision at all, the French leaders are apart from the group because of
their status because belongs to another group, maybe is a mental barrier but is almost
important. Is this point once and idea is introduced and accepted into the corporate
culture, the French often rise support the concept without question. They are
authoritarians leaders So in consequence they arent flexible within the organization.
And its works for them because of their centralized organization but its has to change and
in a future it Will changes as a consquences of the globalisation phenomenon.