French Investments and Intercultural Management

• France is the world's fifth or sixth largest economy and leading tourist destination.
• French companies employ people in 200 countries.
• French is the fifth most spoken language worldwide, spoken across 5 continents in 106 countries by 524 million people.
• French is the official language of many international institutions, including the African Union and the European Union.
• France has a significant foreign population of 5.2 million.

French Investment in Latin America and the Caribbean

• France has a total of 737 projects in 7 major sectors: consumer goods, textiles, food, software, financial services, business, and automotive.

Introduction to Intercultural Management

• Intercultural negotiation or management is a recent discipline in universities and business schools in France, Spain, and Latin America.
• There is an increasing interest due to globalization that began in the late 20th century and continues despite new nationalisms.
• Understanding and respecting your counterpart is both a duty and a commercial strategy for negotiations.
• Intercultural negotiation can be defined as the need to manage contact with diverse cultures within a company or in the professional world.
• It involves adapting to the culture of a client or partner.
• Intercultural negotiation is common for a company manager running a business abroad, an immigrant worker, and a company's expatriate director.
• Each person must learn to understand, respect, and adapt to the culture of the other.

Economic and Cultural Intelligence

• Cultural intelligence is important for a country's policy in achieving social cohesion and for its cultural influence internationally.
• According to Jérôme Fourquet's book "L'archipel français," France has a multitude of groups and commercial balance is necessary.
• Cultural intelligence enables companies to conquer other markets, successfully establish themselves abroad, and develop multicultural cooperation within their teams.
• There is professional competence, methodological competence, and social competence, and thus a need for awareness.

Three Stages of Intercultural Intelligence

• Contextualize
• Question differences (representations, value systems, and practices).
• Consider differences in relationship management and practices.
• A Spanish brand, Alvalle, is successful, but in Paris-Sud, its products were perceived negatively due to a misunderstanding of local tastes.
• Adaptation is essential in such cases.

Developing Adaptation Skills

• Develop the ability to be comfortable in another culture.
• Recognize that adopting a new culture does not mean abandoning one's own, but adding a new capacity.
• Focus on everyday practices and professional results.
• Acquire extensive knowledge about the culture.
• Accept that adaptation takes time.
• Avoid negative-positive comparisons and excesses.

Essential Concepts: Geert Hofstede's Dimensions

• Geert Hofstede (1928-2020) analyzed 70 countries and simplified complex sociocultural patterns of behavior into six simple indicators.

Hofstede's Six Dimensions

• Power Distance: The degree of inequality that exists and is accepted between people with and without power.

• Individualism vs. Collectivism: The relationship between an individual and the group to which they belong.

• Uncertainty Avoidance: Tolerance for uncertainty and ambiguity; or a preference for structure, rules and clarity.

• Masculinity vs. Femininity: The degree to which a society reinforces or diminishes traditional masculine or feminine gender roles.

• Long Term vs. Short Term Orientation: The extent to which a society values long-standing traditions and commitments.

• Indulgence vs. Restraint: The extent to which people try to control their desires and impulses.

Power Distance Dimension

• Hierarchical distance is a key element of national cultural difference.
• Indicates the distance between a subordinate and their superior.
• Colombia and France share a similar level of hierarchical distance, which maintains respect.
• Represents a level of inequality in their societies.

Individualism vs. Collectivism Dimension

• National organizations can be distinguished based on their individual relationships.
• Community-oriented societies favor time spent in groups, while individualistic societies value individuals' time.
• In Spain, people socialize with coworkers and other groups (friends, family).
• France has a high level of individualism, unlike Colombia, which maintains a society of unity and strong connections.

Uncertainty Avoidance Dimension

• Refers to the acceptance of uncertainty and ambiguity in society.
• High Uncertainty Avoidance (UAI) countries will try to avoid risks and unstructured or unusual situations.
• Low UAI countries are more reflective, tolerant, and relativistic.

Masculinity vs. Femininity Dimension

• It indicates the tendency of a culture towards patterns of greater masculinity or femininity.
• Masculine societies are more competitive, while feminine societies are more modest and empathetic.
• In masculine societies, there is a larger gap between masculine and feminine values and women tend to be more competitive.

Long Term vs. Short Term Orientation Dimension

• It refers to the importance given in a culture to long-term life planning versus immediate concerns.
• Long-term orientation indicates a tendency to savings, while in the case of short-term orientation, that is ???.

Indulgence vs. Restraint Dimension

• It measures the extent to which members of a society try to control their desires and impulses.
• Indulgent societies are more likely to allow relatively free gratification of basic and human desires related to enjoying life.
• Restrained societies believe that such gratification needs to be curbed and regulated by strict social norms.

Indulgence

• Higher percentage of people declaring themselves very happy.
• Perception of control over personal life.
• Greater importance of leisure.
• More prone to remembering positive emotions.
• Freedom of expression is considered important.
• Higher birth rates in countries with educated populations.
• More people actively participate in sports.
• Higher percentages of obese people in countries with sufficient food.
• Lenient sexual norms in rich countries.
• Maintaining order in the country is not given a high priority.

Restraint

• Fewer people very happy.
• A perception of powerlessness: What happens to me is not my own doing.
• Less importance of leisure.
• Less likely to remember positive emotions.
• Freedom of expression not a primary concern.
• Lower birth rates in countries with educated populations.
• Fewer people actively participate in sports.
• Fewer obese people in countries with sufficient food.
• More stringent sexual norms in rich countries.
• Higher number of police per 100,000 inhabitants.

Stereotypes or Clichés

• Categorizing tools that humans rely on, resulting from a process called typification.
• Humans have an innate tendency to categorize reality.
• Categorization is an efficient way to perceive reality and provides tools for conflict resolution with the external world.
• A stereotype is an overused expression that deviates stylistically from the norm, it is a trite form due to overuse.
• The term "cliché" originated in the printing industry in the early 19th century to refer to the mass reproduction of a fixed model.

Examples as They Pertain to Cultural Intelligence

• Standardization of behaviors makes modern man a walking cliché.
• A cliché is a collective representation inscribed in the world, for example: " "How can you govern a country which has 246 varieties of cheese?"

Stereotypes About the French

• The French are one of the countries with many stereotypes; love, perfumes, wine, baguettes, but most stereotypes are false or exaggerated.
• Few nationalities have as many stereotypes as the French.
• They are known as smelly, arrogant, cultured, passionate, drinking wine, and eating baguettes.
• The French invented the cliché.
• Some think they are very chauvinistic, or at least proud of their country, anthem, and flag.
• Not all French are obsessed with their country.
• French men are believed to be good lovers.
• French men are thought to be sweet and affectionate.
• Some think they are dirty, which is a widespread prejudice, but France has its share of people of the world.
• French perfume brands are among the most famous in the world.
• They only speak their language.
• It is true that they greatly protect their language so it can be difficult to be answered in english.

French Communication Style

• They are nationalistic of their language and culture.
• The French are knowledgeable about their history and artistic, scientific, and culinary contributions.
• They like it when others appreciate the same things.
• The French are more reserved than those in Latin America.
• French distinguish professional relationships from personal ones.
• They are conversational.

Points to Consider When Dealing with the French

• Talk about history and art, don't talk about money.
• Pay attention to etiquette by praising the food.

Regarding Language

• Knowing the language is key; if you cannot speak french you will confuse people.
• Professional relationships take precedent over personal ones.

First Contact With the French

• The common greeting is a handshake, not as intense.
• Let women make first contact.
• Distant social settings permit "les bises", where you kiss a cheek.
• Address people by last name and you.
• Exchanging business cards is normal.
• Complement the room at first contact.
• Common to go to lunch for meetings.
• It is not customary to give company gifts.
• If you are invited to someone's home, do not bring fragrance.

How to Negotiate in France

• When being received by a client, provide the information.

Style of Communication

• The style of negotiation is slow.
• The presentation has to be formal and well structured.
• They value the investigations of products for meetings.
• It is said that they can speak at a high volume if interested.

Strategies

• You should not answer to any and everything to avoid conflict.
• The negotiator might have trouble saying no.
• Do not waste his time.
• It is important yo set reasonable dates.
• Set concrete prices.

Potential Pitfalls in International Negotiations

• Stereotypes involve traits assigned to a group.
• Beliefs assign characteristics to members of a group as if they were individuals.
• Racism is rejection.
• The intercultural challenges the values of others.

Principles for International Negotiation

• Have a win-win approach.
• Negotiate a deal.
• Take into account cultural sensitivity.

Cultural Differences Can Cause Problems

• Language.
• Non-verbal communication.
• Values.
• Take time and think about decisions.

Negotiation Theories and Techniques

• Integrative Negotiation Theory: Also known as "win-win," the theory is on collaboration.
• Distributive Negotiation Theory: The result is distribution of set values that one wins and losses.
• Negotiation founded on principles: This is the discussion of transparent, honest, fair values.
• Positions Negotiation: Focuses on compromise.
• Theory that persuade influences the other.

Communication and Persuasion

• Persuasion is the judgement of motives.
• Persuasion requires two sides.
• It operates in different areas but the communication does not improve.

To Persuade is to Negotiate

• Most theories on can do perfectly well when closing a deal.

Steps To a Successful Resolution

• It needs to come to the agreement of different cultures.
• A culture should align on the other.

Video: The Leader and the Business

• He talks about a video on persuading publicly.

The Persuasive Speaker

• Concentrate.
• Know the scenario.
• Vocalize.
• Stay clear on the points.
• Look at the listener.
• Know who you are talking to, be natural and simple.
• Do not worry about being asked.
• Be a person who is always honest.

Examples of Reflection on a Better Method

• Identify with everyone involved.
• Choose the best path for persuasion.

The Price to the Provider

• Negotiation needs to be divided up distributivity.
• Integratives can occur with the terms of agreements.

Agreements

• The contracts are distribution of business with other partners.
• The positions must be done correctly.

Fair Contract Agreements

• Can negotiate positions.

Leadership

• Abilities given to any negotiator.

Skills Can Include

• Communicating clearly.
• Teamwork.
• Solving problems.

Abilities

• Think critically, take empathy, adapt, and be a leader.

Management Intercultural Communication

• A combination of cultures.
• Each brings something to the table.

For Example

• Having a company with different countries to find the perfect company.
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Elements of a Nation

• Common language.
• Religion.
• Heritage.
• Traditions.
• Food.
• Literacy.
• Music.
• Sports.
• Architecture.
• Government.
• Economy.
• Social.