LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL PRACTICAL REFLECTIONS ON THE FRENCH AND BRITISH IN BUSINESS PUBLISHED BY THE CROSS CULTURAL RELATIONS FORUM OF THE FRENCH CHAMBER OF GREAT BRITAIN
INDEX
Foreword
1. Business Environment 1.1
Business Relationships
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1.2 Business Methodology
5
1.3 Corporate Governance and the Role of the State
6
1.4 Intérêt Général / Public Policy
6
1.5 Le Patron (The Boss)
6
1.6 Time Management
7
1.7 Working Day, Social Events and Holidays
7
1.8 Charities
8
2. Negotiations, Meetings & Contracts / Legal Systems 2.1 Negotiations
9
2.2 Meetings
11
2.3 Contracts / Legal Systems
12
3. Recruitment, People Management and Human Resources 3.1 Recruitment Process
15
3.2 Outside Agencies
16
3.3 CVs
16
3.4 References
17
3.5 Overall Employment Context
17
3.6 Praise, Occurrence and Manner
18
3.7 Appraisal Process
18
4. Top Tips 4.1 For the British
20
4.2 For the French
20
4.2 For Both Business Cultures
20
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about how the French and British often behave and perceive each other. In this way the reader can get a sense of the assumptions that people may make about one another and what they think is normal – and then by using his or her own intelligence, figure out how best to interpret the other’s behaviour and adapt his or her own instincts to bridge the differences. As a result of this approach, we have not been scared of tackling stereotypes and generalisations which often contain some truth, but which can get in the way of understanding. Perceptions, even if untrue, can still have a real effect on business dealings. It was therefore decided to confront age-old jokes and covert insults and incorporate them into the text. Finally we recognise that these behaviours and ways of thinking are no more than a snapshot in a rapidly changing world. Things move on and this document will inevitably need to be revisited and amended over time. Please let us have your own observations, comments or criticisms. These can be emailed to the French Chamber of Commerce in Great Britain at forums@ccfgb.co.uk. Members of the Cross Cultural Relations Forum
Printed by Rival Colour Ltd Translated from English into French at no cost by Over the Word
2017 Edition © Chambre de Commerce Française de Grande Bretagne. ISBN: 9780955337116. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without prior written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited.
Lincoln House 300 High Holborn London WC1V 7JH Tel: (020) 7092 6600 ; Fax: (020) 7092 6601 www.ccfgb.co.uk
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FOREWORD This booklet is designed to facilitate the French and British doing business together when they cross the Channel. It has been produced by the French Chamber of Great Britain’s Cross Cultural Relations Forum set up in May 2009. The Forum is made up of a group of plain speaking non-academic Franco-British business men and women, living and working in Great Britain, with extensive personal experience of working across both business cultures. The booklet is just a start. It seeks to increase mutual understanding, not least by initiating further discussion and debate. It does not try to be a definitive guide on Franco-British business relations nor a scholarly text. However, as members of the Forum, we were very conscious of how easy it is to misread behaviour when one is in an unfamiliar context. What is natural and obvious in one country may be exotic and strange in another. We have attempted to highlight how not giving and picking up the right signals can lead to poor communication just at the time when communication is key, perhaps with no second chances and when the business stakes are high. Rather than an attempt to produce a formal guide, we thought it best to choose a variety of topics which confront the business community daily and then, based on our personal experiences, share our own or commonly heard observations
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