Culture and International Business in France - Literature review Example

Culture and International business in France s Submitted by s: Introduction Culture is considered as a patterned manner of thought, feeling and reaction that is attained and transferred typically through symbols that constitute the distinctive accomplishments of different human groups together with their embodiment in artefact (Bornstein, 2014, p. 135). Culture generally entails traditional notions and particularly the values that are attached to them. In terms of international management, culture was defined by Hofstede as”….the collective programming of the mind which distinguishes the members of one group or category of people from those of another" (Fox, 2006, p. 83). Numerous other definitions of culture exist but the common aspects of these definitions are the same while still having dynamic characteristics that revolve around norms, principles and philosophies, which are demonstrated in conduct and interactions. This essay will look at the different aspects of culture especially cross-cultural culture and the manner in which it affects international business with specific reference to France. Overview of France The French Republic is a unitary independent country that is comprised of territory in the Western part of Europe as well as a number of overseas regions (Gabriel, Keil and Kerrouche, 2012, p. 162). France is defined as a secular country by its constitution and it remains democratic with is sovereignty being derived from its more than sixty-six million citizens. Since the seventeenth century, France has been considered as the centre of culture and has been renowned for the degree of resilience of its citizens as well as cuisine and fashion. Influences from various socio-economic dissimilarities along with those of regional geography have been able to survive military onslaught through its intrinsic unifying tendencies. The facts associated with the culture of France demonstrate the views and principles that have been acknowledged through material arts as well as artefacts and interactions existing between different communities. Literature Review Culture Culture comprises of the attributes of specific groups of people, which are demonstrated by different aspects of their lives like language, social behaviour, music and cuisine among others (Borelli and Lenzerini, 2012, p. 205). Countries that are populated by a large number of immigrants such as the United States have a culture that is affected by these groups. In some cases, culture is used in common discussions while referring to celebrations or events, for example ‘cultural show’. From this perspective, culture is associated with aesthetic or fine arts like dancing and drama, which is a different meaning from the technical connotation of the word. Culture can be used in a special sense in anthropology as well as sociology while considering the manner in which human beings live their lives, how they behave, way of thinking; it defines all the aspects that are acquired by human beings as social beings. Function of culture in the society Broadly shared beliefs such as principles, preferences and views are found among all the groups of people, and since culture appears to be a collective human phenomenon, it is natural to wonder if culture can relate to any of the collective human needs (Schroeder, 2014, p. 228). Various social scientists have looked at the functions of culture as it has particular functions for different people as well as the whole society. Culture can be used in defining situations as all the cultures have many delicate cues that define every situation and these reveal if a person should get ready for a fight or laugh. For instance, if a person is approached with the right hand stretched out at the waist level, this means that he wishes to shake hands in a friendly greeting. In a different situation, the stretched hand might imply hostility, meaning that a person would not know how to react in a situation until he can be able to define the situation. Culture is also important in the definition of perceptions, value and objectives in the society as a person acquires the concept of what is good or bad from his or her culture (Rodríguez, France and Hett, 2013, p. 36). It can also be used in the definition of myths as well as the supernatural depending on the society as these aspects are important in inspiring and reinforcing efforts as well as providing some form of comfort in times when the society has been affected by bereavement. Culture also gives people with a ready perception of the universe while defining the divine power and vital ethical issues in the society. The theoretical model/framework used in studying culture The cultural dimensions theory developed by Hofstede is a structure for inter-cultural communication that describes the impact of the culture of a society on the values that are held by its members and the connection these values have to behaviour, through a structure that originates from factor analysis. This theory has been employed broadly in different disciplines, as a model for research especially in intercultural psychology. Culture has remained a source of conflict and cultural dissimilarities are irritating at best and in most instances a recipe for disaster. Through this model, it can be easier to get an overall impression as well as a rough appreciation of other cultures, what can be expected and the way to behave when in the midst of a group from a different country. Intercultural Business Communication: Intercultural communication seeks to share information to various cultures and social groups, and is used in creating descriptions of various communication processes as well as issues that naturally occur in organizations comprising of different religions, societies and ethnicities (Puffer, 2004, p. 139). Most of the people involved in intercultural business communication state that culture defines how people code messages, the means they use to transmit these messages and the manner in which the messages are construed. Therefore, intercultural business communication entails people from different backgrounds interact as well as an understanding of various cultures, languages and the customs of persons from other countries. Theoretical model/framework in studying inter-cultural communication Conceptualizing culture as knowledge is not a simplification when identifying problems as inter-culturally founded. Anthropology of knowledge cannot solve the issue of creating intercultural communication research disciplines in a straightforward manner. However, it assists in the formulation of research questions, the adjustment of methods as well as acquiring comprehensive understanding of contexts. Potentially, the applicability of intercultural accounts can be decreased grounding them in other orotundity allusions, as for instance, the conflict between Israel and Palestine. This is has a likelihood of being indicated as a politically instigated conflict instead of a culturally founded one. France Presently, France is considered as the melting pot of a diversity of cultures while maintaining its own unique appeal in terms of ethnicity, geography and language. The local customs, which originated from regional differences that were initially segregated, have developed into a cultural identity of the nation. France’s culture is mainly influenced by compulsory defence services, the Franco-Prussian feud as well as both World Wars as they were responsible for the increase in cultural influences as well as centralized market forces (Meredith, 2004, p. 19). France continues to be a country that is characterised by multiple ethnicity and religions, along with regional diversity that comprises French people from the entire world. Regardless of this, the country still has differences in social classes and vital regional differences in culture in terms of dialect, food and local traditions. It has been feared that this diversity will not be able to endure the modern social forces such as the increased rate of globalization, market forces and the global economy. The minor regional dissimilarities that exist in France presently are demonstrated by the colourful linguistic traditions, religious tolerance, familial structures as well as food and industries. The contemporary urbanization and the mass media have been instrumental in etching the French culture in regional autonomy making the traditions that are adhered to abroad and in the metropolitan department specific in terms of culture and language. The French are also associated with unusual traditions such as beheading bottles of wine at weddings in order to symbolize victory, among others. It is also expected that greetings should entail a warm handshake, and one should greet people when entering a small shop and say goodbye as they leave. It is also considered as rude and uncouth to point the index finger at a person, rather the open hand should be used. Almost all the people who are employed in France are allowed five weeks of holiday every year with most of them going on holiday in August as it is the traditional holiday month (Nadeau and Barlow, 2003, p. 276). During this time, majority of the locals clear out of their cities to go on vacation through touring other part of the globe or going to camp in the countryside. Various aspects of movies, music and literature originating in France are multicultural and vibrant, and the language follows a pre-set official originality standard that may not be compulsory in global application, but it still has passionate backers. The French language is broadly used all over the world regardless of the fact that some countries repress regional and foreign languages. The French language is also a component of numerous educational forums and a common option in many educational institutions of a bilingual nature. Despite France being a secular country, implying that the state as no official religion, it does play any role in the definition of the country. Nevertheless, Christianity is the main religion and the concentration of churches in the country is higher than any other type of religious building. Traditional cuisines in France are strongly informed by secret sauces and there are regional varieties in existence with ingredients and cooking methods that vary from one region to another. The French culture puts an emphasis on the significance of haute cuisine while cheese and wine remain an integral part of French meals (Schehr and Weiss, 2001, p. 49). Apart from wine and cheese, hors doeuvre and pre-plated appeals that include croissants and fruit yogurts and characteristic of French meals. Some of the best wine in the world is produced in France and Champagne along with Bordeaux make up important aspects of the French culture. Food is among the greatest passions for the French and is an important component of their culture making them pay a lot of attention to detail. The people of France and known to value etiquette and politeness will all the members of a family set-up having specific responsibilities. France’s capital, Paris, is considered as the fashion capital of the world with numerous couturier houses, fashion shows as well as a media that is dedicated to fashion. Designers such as Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Cardin who are famous all over the world come from France. Despite increased competition from fashion designers from New York, London and other place all over the world, most of the foreign designers still seek to develop their careers in fashion in France. It being the biggest country in Europe, and having the most number of tourist every year in the entire globe, France is among the most studied and researched countries. French cultures and international business France is heavily subjective to a blend of cultures as well as historical differences while being very proud of its past and prominent principles. These forms of cultural identities are critical in the French business culture where proper behaviour, mutual trust and understanding are critical to the success of organizations. France has an extraordinary history of centralization that is demonstrated in its geography, governance and business. This outlook came from the power and authority of the previous monarchs and regardless of the democratic society, it remains to be a considerable component of the French presidency in present day. In the French business environment, centralization can be seen in the concentrated authority that typically exists with particular individuals. The illustrious individuality that exists in France is a vital cultural attribute that denotes the passion the people of France have for exclusivity and freedom of opinion in the society as well as in business. Nevertheless, individuality is not supposed to be confused with the word individualism even though it is also an essential component of the French culture and it denotes having a different by equal sense of place in the society. Individualism as far as the French business setting is concerned means that a bigger concern is bestowed on social status as well as being judged as a person. The people of France do not tolerate uncertainty and abstruseness making those willing to conduct business in France reluctant to take risks (Barsoux and Lawrence, 2013, p. 7). France has always been critical in European and global events and after going through the two World Wars, loss of an Empire and many political and social upheavals it has come up as a vital component of the European community a strong heritage. Conclusion It is important for an organization to understand the business environment of France in order to operate successfully. In order to work successfully in France, one must be able to understand the working practices of the people of this country including those that are allowed and those that are not. For instance, arriving at appointments ten minute after the planned is a commonplace occurrence but this does not mean getting late is permissible, as one must call to state that they will be late. In the French business setting and culture, deadlines can be negotiated but this is an aspect of the culture that is evolving as the French people have started incorporating Anglo-Saxon business practices as well as a stern attitude towards time. Businesses in France are greatly organized and have an elaborate structure as the rules and administrative initiatives are usually preferred over flexibility especially in the public sector. The French business culture has a strong, vertical hierarchy, which has a respect for the Cartesian manner of thinking; therefore, dealing with all the levels of business organization is a good way of ensuring success. In the business culture of France, the person with the highest authority is still considered as the only person who is tasked with making the ultimate decisions. The people of France also have an in-born sense of privacy that is demonstrated in their definite peculiarity between business and personal life, they rarely invite their colleagues for an evening out, as most of the people prefer to go home and spend time with their families. For any foreigner starting a business in France, it is important for them to know that relationships are an integral part of the business culture and people regularly spend a few minutes knowing their colleagues prior to any business discussions. It is also important to know that the business culture of France customarily uses first names only when one is invited to do so as most of the time, the French will introduce themselves by their surnames before their Christian names. Lunch is also considered to be among the best places for creating business relationships even though business lunches are becoming less common compared to what they used to be and it is polite to accept invitations. Bibliography Barsoux, J. and Lawrence, P. 2013, French Management, Taylor and Francis, Hoboken. Borelli, S. and Lenzerini, F. 2012, Cultural heritage, cultural rights, cultural diversity, Martinus Nijhoff Pub, Leiden. Bornstein, M. 2014, Handbook of Cultural Developmental Science, Taylor and Francis, Hoboken. Fox, W. 2006, Managing organisational behavior, Juta, Cape Town, South Africa. Gabriel, O., Keil, S. and Kerrouche, E. 2012, Political participation in France and Germany, ECPR Press, Colchester, UK. Meredith, J. 2004, Understanding the literature of World War I, Greenwood Press, Westport, Conn. Nadeau, J. and Barlow, J. 2003, Sixty million Frenchmen cant be wrong, Sourcebooks, Naperville, Ill. Puffer, S. 2004, International management, M.E. Sharpe, Armonk, N.Y. Rodríguez, M., France, H. and Hett, G. 2013, Diversity, culture and counseling, Brush Education, Calgary. Schehr, L. and Weiss, A. 2001, French food, Routledge, New York. Schroeder, M. 2014, Explaining the reasons we share, Oxford University Press, Oxford. Read More