Global Business Cultural Analysis: France Essay

This paper go forth focus on the m whatsoever elements and dimensions of France and the affect it has on the strain that takes place loc coadjutor and internationally. at that place get out be constant comparisons and contrasts in the midst of France and the fall in States of America taking place through and throughout this immacu youthful research article. I get out focus on how the elements and dimensions of the refinement cardinal after a nonher ar adapted by the locals and integrated into e rattling solar day life and line of reasoning.I will besides give insight on how to conduct trading in France for other countries, mainly the unite States, by public lecture well-nigh the countries imports and exports and certain important factors that outside business should know in shape to successfully enterprise. The information and suggestions offered in this paper will range from discourse and business dress attire, to social structures and Geert Hofstede depth psych ology all of which should improve the association of bowingign businesses and help them adapt in order to maintain and/or obtain success internationally in the coun testify of France.?Global argumentation Cultural Analysis FranceWhat is a global business cultural digest? From looking and sev date of referencel examples and finding information on this country, I progress to come to the conclusion that it is a description of the country and how its destination contributes to or restricts the business environment. As m whatever of us may already know, culture plays a major(ip)(ip) part in a lot at heart a country. For one, culture dictates communication. civilisation also the mannerisms of the battalion that ar at heart the country. So, upright to clear up any confusion, culture is a major part of a country and how it conducts itself, specially how it conducts business.It would be only castigate that if one was trying to conduct business in a country, they would command to understand the culture of the country in order to successfully move with the concourse of the country in hopes of promoting and maintaining a highly active and expand business. With that being the case, I will focus my attention on the major elements and dimensions of culture in France. I will also describe how these elements and dimensions atomic number 18 integrated by the throng of France when conducting business within this nation.Lastly, I will compare and contrast the culture and business of France with the culture and business of the United States and explain what a United States company would have to do in order to conduct business in France successfully. parley ane of the close important elements of culture in any and e truly(prenominal) country is communication. Communication comes in two diverse forms, verbal and nonverbal. Of course verbal is talking and actually saying what you mean and non verbal would be things such as hand gestures and body movements.In France, the official language is of course french. fit in to A Practical Guide to french Business by Alston, Hawthorne, and Saillet, The cut consider their language a central part of their cultural heritage, their patrimoine, and blandness in cut is a major part of how cut and non-French are evaluated. It is al almost impossible to be fully accepted, or respected, when one does non speak French well (2003 p. 43). The French appreciate when nation non of the nation take on to speak French but get loaded when it is spoken in manufacturely according to Alston et al (2003).I can in person vouch for this because I had a French teacher that became visibly both(prenominal)ered when learned words or phrases were butchered and not used in the correct context. The French language is so important to the throng of France, the giving medication does not allow advertisements to be a mixture of languages. For example, if a store heady to flourish a sign that said, Como is life? it would be illegal and beat matter to a fine by the French government. The United States differ greatly in this aspect. There are a lot of examples of mixed languages, especially in entertainment such as movies and sitcoms.The French are very unique when it comes to conversation. They have a great appreciation for it, however, they tend to delight arguments and disagreements. They look at these things as interesting. They value roundone that can make out with great skill. This is a complete contrast of the United States. We tend to try to avoid arguments and look tweak upon it. We try to be standardizedd and attempt to agree with people that we are trying to build a kinship with or hold a conversation with. The French would rather character their opinions and appear non-hypocritical than to agree or compromise how they feel.When it comes to interacting with people, France and the United States differ greatly. The people of France tend not to smile or have an fount when merging innovative people. In the United States, we tend to smile and greet people as we have known them for a very long time. Edward MacNeal negotiation about growing up in a bicultural environment and noticing the differences amid French and American interactions. He distinguishs in his journal French-American Misunderstandings, the French founding fathert smile at people they dont know. They suppose its hypocritical (2003). This nature is why umteen Americans view French people to be rude or snobbish.MacNeal also says that the American precondition is that we are all friends and the French assumption is that we are all strangers. This very assumption could hinder interaction between people of the two nations. So with that being said, when doing business with the French, be certain(a) to address them by Sir or Madame rather than by their names. One should al styles approach them with no expression because a sign of expression, such as a smile, could be viewed as phony or f ake. When communicating with the French, you should be mindful of the volume of your juncture and be sure to make eye contact.Americans are known to be a little insect bite louder than the French would standardized. We tend to offend them by our loud talking and blaring laughter. The French are seen as very intimidating to Americans because of the intensity and vast amount of eye contact they make. deal I stated before, communication can also be non-verbal. many another(prenominal)(prenominal) actions and behaviors are observed by the French as well. Matt priest (2012) notes that the French are very casual when it comes to punctuality. If you were to show up late to a meeting, you would probably be easily forgiven by many French professionals.Americans value punctuality a lot more than the French. You would mostly be exchangeable be the topic of discussion after the meeting. Speaking of conducting business, Mr. Priest also gives us insight by telling us that the French sel ect to do business over lunch as opposed to any other repast. The French value privacy. They do not tend to like unannounced visits, so it is very important to let them know if you are planning to visit. Americans and the French have a little in unwashed when it comes to communication. We both greet with a brief handshake, followed by a bit of eye contact.However, according to Matt Priests France Business Etiquette, Culture & manhoodners, French handshakes are not as firm as American handshakes. When conducting business, most people speak English, as English has become the special K language within international business. According to Organization Communication in France An Overview of Current Research, English has progressively and irremediably become the de facto Lingua Franca since the end of origination War II (Cooren & Grosjean, 2010). Americans are same to the French when it comes to business attire.We both recommend dress to be conservative. Bright colors are normally av oided by both counterparts and flashy, over provideing, and glitzy accessories are not encouraged according to the world(prenominal) Business Center (Priest, 2012). Conservative clothing is usually preferred when conducting any kind of business internationally. Religion The dominant godliness in France is papistical Catholic. According to the World Factbook of France, about 83-88% of the population of the country is Roman Catholic (2012). Religion plays a major role in the operations and actions of the people of France.The International Business Center tells us that for the countries that have over 50% of the population that practice the Catholic religion, there is a dimension of the Geert Hofstede analysis called the Uncertainty Avoidance that correlates positively with this statistic (2012). The Geert Hofstede analysis will be discussed by and by on throughout this paper. According to Edward J. Woell, Catholic feel and practice keep to shape French national identity througho ut the modern era (2009). The national identity of France was also molded by the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen.This document is very similar to the United States Constitution and even though both societies say there is a separation of church and state, they were both created and temptd by religious beliefs. This very idea is the justification of many laws employ in France and the United States together. Back in the nineteenth century, France had a belief of diffusion its culture around the world on civilizations that were considered wrong or backwards. They believed their culture was the hands down best and most appropriate counselling to live and conduct oneself.Since France was rooted in the Catholic religion, that would imply that they were blossom forthing their religious beliefs on other civilizations and people of other areas. As you you will see a little further through this article, France has continued to spread its beliefs on people, especially t he people that are occupants of the country. There are several(prenominal) examples that show the influence religion has had on the actions and even laws of the people of France. One of the most recent events that was influenced by religion was the banning of the burqa.A burqa is a full body veil that is worn by Muslim women. The banning of the burqa started with not allowing the burqa to be worn in the schools in France. According to Ellen Wiless article Headscarves, Human Rights, and Harmonious multicultural Society Implications of the French Ban for Interpretations of Equality, headscarves and any signs or clothing that try ones religious affiliation (2007).This article also pulls a passage instantly from the rule that was passed by legislation on the issue of the schools ban on religious clothing, Article L. 41-51 of the French Education Code provides In state primary and secondary schools, the wearing of signs or dress by which pupils overtly manifest a religious affiliation is prohibited. (Legislation passed on March 15, 2004) (2007). The French government was not happy there. They passed a law on folk 14, 2010, that would ban the wearing of the burqa in public.Right Vision intelligence activity tells us, A woman who repeatedly insists on appearing veiled in public can be fined 150 euros and ordered to attend re-education classes. There are much ore severe penalties for anyone found guilty of forcing someone else to spread over his or her face through threats, violence, constraint, abuse of authority or power for reason of their gender. Clearly aimed at fathers, husbands or religious leaders who pass women to wear face-veils, and applicable to offences committed in public or in private, the law imposes a fine of 30,000 euros and a year in fall behind (2011). 150 euros equals out to about 200 United States dollars and 30,000 euros is about 40,000 United States dollars. This is a very harsh punishment for something that is considered a part of some peoples custom.People argued that this would infringe on the religious emancipation of the individuals in the society however, since the majority religion is Roman Catholic, this ban fits absolutely into the identity of the people that actively practice the Catholic religion. The government of France, like I stated earlier, was shaped by religious beliefs. The argument of the government of France for banning the burqa was that it hindered inequality and promoted submissive behavior. However, many people incertitude this argument. As we all know, France is very conscientious of their appearance.The burqa does not display the Roman Catholic religion but actually has a proscribe connotation to other people that still view Muslim as terrorist because of the extremist separate called the Taliban. The United States has taken a very different approach. Just recently, a mosque was built near ground zero of the battery that took place on September 11, 2001. In the United States, the ma jority religion is Christianity. The idea of the construction of the mosque received lots of opposition but it was finally approved for construction by the members of the United States federal government.This was one of the most extreme signs of the support of religious freedom in the country, or bettor yet, a more absolute signal of separation of church and state. As we all know, the United States pushed their beliefs on people as well, which is very similar to France. We came overseas from Britain and persuaded the Native American people to adapt our ways. We taught them our ways of search and even our way of survival. Most importantly, we taught the Natives our religious ways. The same goes for modern day America as well. Though slightly more subtle, we influence people today with our religious beliefs.Christianity is embedded into our culture and is forced upon people through the many rules and amendments. I guess you can say that about just about any country, however, not al l countries are backed or rooted in religious beliefs. For instance, the national religion of China is atheist. That is stringently enforced by the government of the country and displays of other religions are subject to punishment. Ethics and Etiquette This section will not just focus on ethical motive, but more so business ethics. First off, ethics, according to Googles dictionary, is Moral principles that govern a persons or groups behavior (2012).This is the perfect definition for the ethics of a culture because it is the principles that govern the people and it influences the decisions and actions of certain groups of people as well. Business ethics is defined by Chris MacDonald as, critical, structured examination of how people & institutions should behave in the world of commerce. In particular, it involves examining appropriate constraints on the pursuit of self-interest, or (for firms) profits, when the actions of individuals or firms affects others (2012).Business ethics influence how certain companies and businesses interact with one another to conduct business activities. Some of Frances ethics and values were discussed earlier in the article, but let us talk about these develop of governing principles in detail to see how they affect interaction between the people of the country. French people value their language as I stated earlier and the history of the country. The French language and its grandeur was fore mentioned in the communication section, so let us discuss the grandeur of history on the people of this country.According to The ins and outs of doing business in atomic number 63 Germany, France, Russia, and the emerging markets of Eastern Europe, Ignorance of French history, culture, literature, and so on is demonstratively looked down upon (Gray 2005). The French pride themselves on the long history of their country and the influence they have had on the world throughout the years. They also place wideness on inheritance. This value of inheritance goes hand in hand with the importance of social classes in France. Social classes and structures will be discussed later in this article.The French place inviolable value on friendship. friendships to the French are very similar to being family related to Americans. We Americans tend to make many friends with moderate devotion or dedication whereas, the French do not make as many friends but build very strong relationships. Mr. Edward MacNeal states on the topic of friendship in both the United States and France, Friendship in America may imply nothing beyond a momentary conjunction of place or interest, and even those you consider as your friends probably dont know your other friends.Friendship in France usually implies a lifelong commitment. One takes on a more active burden of c erstwhilern for friends in France than most Americans would knowingly accept. Your obligations to a friend in France might be likened to those you would have to a family member that you p ersonally selected. In France, then, one shies from making friends casually and most of ones friends probably do know each other (2003). With this in mind, it is beneficial for one to make friends with their employers.True, you do want to become an ally of your boss, but be sure not to try to hard because like I stated before, the French despise phony demeanors and are very critical of hypocritical behavior. The best way to meet someone new in France is to be introduced by a mutual third party. This is avowedly because of the great emphasis that is placed on friendship. Remember, in France, all of your friends will likely know one another. Like MacNeal said, friendships are lifelong commitments so, once you become friends with your boss, you can expect them to help you in any way they can and the actions should remain mutual.I will now discuss the business etiquette of the French people because this is going to be very important for people of different nations that intend to conduc t business with the French. Firstly, when greeting anyone, be sure to address them by Monsieur or Madame, no matter the circumstance. This is considered formal and is regarded as more polite. It is always important to remember to never confuse business with personal in France. France rarely uses humor in the workplace. It is seen as unprofessional. The French value intellect over all. Like I mentioned earlier, the best meal to discuss business is lunch.