France Business Culture and Customs

Although business operations around the world have become highly standardized, the national traditions, attitudes, and beliefs remain diverse. Every Country has a distinctive business culture and this makes it difficult to succeed in a foreign country than at home. One must redesign strategy when one is working in a foreign country, depending on the customs and regulations of the particular country. This report will describe the French business culture. The report is divided into several subsections which will focus on a particular aspect of the French business culture.

French Business Culture and Customs
France is the largest country in Western Europe, with Paris as its capital, and includes the island of Corsica in the Mediterranean Sea.  The official name of the country is French Republic, the official language is French and the currency is Euro (EUR), as of 1st January 2002. France has a long and varied history and has been a cultural leader in Europe as well the rest of the World. In fact, it was one of the leaders behind the creation of the European community. The people of the country are famous for their outspoken opinions, great national pride, finely honed fashion sense, outstanding cuisine, and devotion to arts. While the people are very formal, they are also very warm and have a tremendous tolerance for other cultures. All these factors play a very important role in the French business culture, where mutual trust, understanding and proper conduct plays an important role. (Joseph 9 Communicaid 1) This section will discuss various aspects of the French business culture in detail.

Business Hours  Most business in France are open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday to Friday, though some stores stay open till 8 p.m. Also some banks and shops are open on Saturdays, and are closed on Monday. The lunch break in France is usually 2 hours, usually between noon and 2 p.m., which is the only time when restaurants serve lunch.

Language The official language of France is French and English is the most popularly spoken second language. The regional dialect like Flemish, Basque, Catalan, Breton, Corsu and Occitan are spoken in various regions of France, though none enjoy an official status within the country. French is considered to be a central part of the cultural heritage of France and fluency in the languages are how French and non-French are evaluated. It is almost impossible to be accepted when one does not speak French well. Further, it is illegal to use foreign words or a mixture of languages e.g. a mixture of French and English. (Alston  Hawthorne 43 Kwintessential Sabath 78)

Communication  How is something expressed is also equally important as what exactly is being said. French like elegant and sophisticated presentation of ideas. This is also the same for arguments. French are argumentative by nature and they respect people who can argue skilfully and with style. Always agreeing with someone is seen as hypocritical  an attitude which Americans must seriously curb while they are in France. French would rather be admired and respected than liked. In business, French are considered to be direct as they do not hesitate to ask probing questions simply because it is not polite. Small talk topics can include sports, art, music etc. and it is beneficial to know current global events and events related to ones country, French history, politics, and art. However, private lives are off limits as is any criticism of Napoleon (Kwintessential Executive Planet World Business Culture Sabath 81)

Religion  There is no official religion in France, though 90 of the French population were born into Catholic families. French Catholicism varies according to region while everyone celebrates feast days and holidays, less than 20 attend church regularly. As French do not take Catholicism very seriously, they view other religions with suspicion and so npt like the intrusion of other religions. Half of the countrys foreign population is Arab or African so Muslim religion is also very prevalent in urban areas, even then there is a controversy about Moslem girls wearing veils. (Joseph 16-17)
Role of the family  French are very protective of their family  they pay attention to their children, pay homage to their parents and like to live close to each other. French usually go to business with their family member and families are consulted about everything, including how to expand business. (Joseph 15)

Business Attire  French interpret the image presented as an indication of the level of status attained by the person and the measure of hisher business success. Hence, clothes and accessories of high quality and good fit count for a lot. Men should choose dark suits, white or striped oxfords, and complementary ties, while women should select modestly cut suits or dresses and elegant accessories. Middle managers are often wear sports coat even though the attire is formal. Unlike other culture French women prefer casual elegance to power dressing, and dress femininely. (Sabath 79 Steele 50)
Greetings and Addressing  While French enjoy having individuals from other countries visit their homeland they may find some mannerisms that are acceptable in United States offensive. In France, introduction to a man or a woman in the business world involves shaking hands and using appropriate titles and greetings. The grip however must be lighter than what one would give in United States and holding hands for too long is not appropriate. French are very formal and even using last names is considered to be too upfront. One should address people as Monsieur, Madame, or Mademoiselle. First name should never be used until one has been invited to do so. When introductions are made, it is the man who is introduced to a woman, a younger person to an older person. One should give their name and their function in their firm, while they are introduced. (Alston  Hawthorne 114 Sabath 83 Steele 50)

Business Card Etiquette  Cards are exchanged once the following the initial handshake and greeting. The card must first be given to the most senior person as a gesture of respect. The typical French business card is larger than the standard American card. One must include advanced degrees, if any, in their business cards. The card must be always be accepted with a word of thanks. (Kwintessential, Sabath 80)

Business Meetings  Negotiations  Business meetings in France tend to be formal and adhere to a strict protocol. Small talk and getting to know one another is not the norm. French detest boasting and so personal or company accomplishments must be avoided. Appointments to the business meetings are necessary and should be made at least 2 weeks in advance and are often handled by the secretary. While being 10-15 minutes late to a meeting is acceptable, information must be given if one is going to be late. Further, meetings are a forum to discuss issues not make business decisions and as French are slow to change and enjoy arguing, meetings could turn out to be long and often end without reaching a decision. One must be prepared to be patient as French carefully analyze every detail of a proposal regardless of how small it is. Also when an agreement is finally reached, French insist on formalizing it in a comprehensive and precisely worded way (Communicaid Kwintessential Sabath 83-84)

Gestures and Public Manners  Good posture is a must at all times as according to French it reflects ones breeding. Hence, gestures and public manners must never be overly casual. It is important to have eye contact to holding ones eyes for too long should be avoided. The best way to indicate to a French person that all is well is to use a thumbs up sign instead of the American OK size, as it means useless in France. Hands should be kept out of pockets when speaking in public. (Executive Planet Sabath 82)

Business Structures  French organizations are rigidly hierarchical and there is a tendency not to act until a decision is made and passed down by a more powerful executive. The CEO holds a great sway and ensures a singular future direction for the company. (Steele 50 World Business Culture)
Women in Business  French women conduct themselves in a conservative and feminine manner. However, there is equality between sexes on a business level. French men are naturally flirtatious with women and may even comment on her appearance, which is considered to be acceptable. It is easier for women if they are low-key than if they act too liberated. (Sabath 85)

Gifts  Gifts are considered to be personal exchanges and are not exchanged by business associated during the first few meetings. Gifts are given only after personal rapport has been established. Gifts packages should not contain business cards since doing so suggests the exchanges are formal rather than personal. The best idea for gifts is good-quality books. French appreciate difficult topics and do not want simplified reading matter. French are also fascinated by American West and enjoy photography books of Western scenes. Flowers could be given as gist though 13 is considered very unlucky. While giving wine, only the highest affordable quality is acceptable. Finally, the gifts are usually opened when received (Kwintessential Alston  Hawthorne 125)

Dining etiquette  French seldom entertain business associates at home and use restaurants as places to entertain. Americans can host lunch in a British-style restaurant. It is best to avoid ethnic type of restaurants unless the main guest is known to prefer foreign cuisine. One should always arrive on time and under no circumstances must be more than 10 minutes late without informing. Also one is expected to dress formally. Table manners are continental  knife in right hand and fork in left hand. Hands must be visible at all times i.e. wrist should be placed on the table. Appreciation and giving compliments to whatever is being served is important. After completing the meal the fork and knife must be crossed. Finally, if one does not wish to have more wine, the goblet must be left about one quarter full. (Kwintessential Sabath 81)

Personal relations  French seen much of business as personal behaviour and hence it is important to develop and maintain personal relations with French counterparts. Efforts has to be made to maintain personal relations through frequent dinners, after-sales calls etc.  often the best way to approach someone is through a personal introduction from a third person. (Alston  Hawthorne 124 Executive Planet)

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