Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Company Acquaintances
The French do not usually seek friendships among their
business relations. There are too many of them, for one
thing. And, within a French company, structured patterns of
authority discourage casual, relaxed relationships.
When working in a French company, it is better to
be pleasantly surprised by a co-worker's generosity and
warmth than to expect it and be disappointed. Don't take it
personally. That Gallic coolness is a necessity of French life.
Remember the emotional burdens of friendships once they
are established.
This sounds contradictory. On the one hand, office
relationships are very important, but on the other hand
friendships are rare. The distinction is between the levels
of commitment.
Few ofi ce workers will offer the ego-building emotional
support you might have enjoyed back home. Ofi ce relations
are important but delicate in France. There is a constant
tension between the functions of the job and the relationships
dei ned by the job descriptions.
Although the French i rmly believe in the ideal of equality,
the social structure remains quite rigid. (Remember the
grandes eçoles
we discussed in Chapter 2: From the Celts
to Rollerblades on page 12). Those elite schools produce
most of the leaders of commerce in France. Everyone
knows who the graduates are and everyone expects
them to run the show. This is not the kind of democracy
you knew at home.
Sending A Registered Letter
Even today, with all communications moving electronically
around the planet, there is value in a written letter in France. It
even carries more weight than a personal visit. A registered letter
is binding legal proof and ofi ce workers feel bound to respond to
it. So if you are dealing with a serious business matter, consider
getting help with a properly written letter and sending that, rather
than trying to stick with informal emails. They just aren't up to
the task, culturally.
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