Introduction

The workplace varies drastically from country to country and culture to culture. An employee

from the United States will need to have pre-departure training on a variety of things to be

successful on an assignment in France. The following information should provide insight into

French culture, communication, and business etiquette, to improve both the training and the

success of an expatriate being sent to France.

I. France Overview

France is one of many countries in the western part of Europe and has an estimated

population of approximately 65 million people and continues to grow at about .5% each year

(www.indexmundi.com). France is the largest Western European country and is approximately

4/5 the size of Texas (www.cyborlink.com). It is also one of twenty-seven countries that is a

member of the European Union. Although France does not have an official religion, the majority

of French people are Catholic (www.foreigntranslations.com). The country is bordered by six

European nations, which include Belgium, Luxemburg, Germany, Switzerland, and Italy to its

east and Spain to its southwest. Not only does France border many countries, but it is also is

bordered by the Bay of Biscay and the English Channel to its west and northwest respectively.

Communication

The primary language in France is French, but most people in business speak English as

well (www.foreigntranslations.com). Language is important to the French, so you should

try to make an effort to speak French or at least apologize for your lack of knowledge

(www.foreigntranslations.com). French people may interrupt each other during a conversation,

so do not take offense to this if you are from a country that usually has conversations with

individuals taking turns speaking. Using French is also important when using