Management

France

Power distance

This dimension deals with the fact that all individuals in societies are not equal; it expresses the attitude of the culture towards these inequalities amongst us. Power distance is defined as the extent to which the less powerful members of institutions and organizations within a country expect and accept that power is distributed unequally. With a score of 68, France scores high on the scale of the Power Distance Index. Therefore a society in which inequality is accepted. Hierarchy is needed if not existential; the superiors may have privileges and are often unreachable. The power is highly centralized in France, as well as Paris centralizes administrations, transports etc. In management, the attitude towards managers is more formal and the way of information is controlled is even associated with power, therefore unequally distributed.

Individualism

The fundamental issue addressed by this dimension is the degree of interdependence a society maintains among its members. In Individualist societies people are supposed to look after themselves and their direct family only. In Collectivist society’s people belong to ‘in groups’ that take care of them in exchange for loyalty. France scores 71 on the individualistic index which means that the French favor individual and private opinions, taking care of themselves and immediate family rather than belonging to a group. In the work environment, the relationship with work is contract based, the focus is on the task and independence is favored. The communication is direct and everyone is allowed to speak up, voice out their opinions even more if they do not agree. The management is the management of individuals and the recognition of one‘s work is expected.

Masculinity / Femininity

A high score (masculine) on this dimension indicates that the society will be driven by competition, achievement and success, with success being defined by the winner or someone who is best in the field. A low score...