Do The French Really Hate Americans? - Sites At Penn State

There is a general stereotype in America that the French just do not care for Americans. Recently I read an interesting article about the eight biggest differences between American and French work attitudes and habits. The article lists the following (Lebowitz, 2017):

1. Many American workers define themselves by their profession; most French workers don’t
2. French coworkers don’t share personal information with coworkers right off the bat; Americans open up to new colleagues more quickly
3. French workers take longer lunch breaks than American workers
4. French workers see confrontation and debate as healthy; American workers generally shy away from conflict
5. French workers take more vacation time than American workers
6. French workers are more inclined to give direct negative feedback; American workers tend to sugarcoat it
7. American workers drink coffee primarily to feel alert; French workers enjoy the taste and experience
8. Meetings in France last longer and involve more discussion than meetings in the US

It is said that the French are casual about time and that people are frequently late and few think anything of it (Moral, et.al, 2016, p. 477). On the contrary, mainstream Americans look at time as money. Time is to be used, saved and spent (Moral, et.al, 2016, p. 554). The US is a low context culture while the French culture is high context. Low context cultures are very task oriented and follow rules and standards carefully as opposed to the French that have fewer rules and structure. From a communication standpoint, Americans would explicitly deliver a message whereas the French believe that unspoken communication is implicitly transferred through the exchange (Machlachlan, 2010).

Figure 1

It is also evident through Hofstede’s cultural dimensions that there are clear cultural differences between the two countries (Figure 1). The US scores higher on Individualism and lower on Power Distance.  Hofstede states that the French culture is one that accepts some degree of inequality. The US’ combination score between Individualism and Power Distance supports the US standpoint of “liberty and justice for all”, a premise for equal rights for all. The two biggest differences are in Uncertainty Avoidance and Long Term Orientation. In terms of Uncertainty Avoidance, US culture seems to be more open to new ideas and innovations whereas the French require structure and planning and are less open to surprises. Long Term Orientation differences indicate that France is more pragmatic than the US where individuals strive for quick results in the work place. (Hofstede)

So do the French really hate Americans? Or is it simply a question of different strokes for different folks? Sometimes a little bit of adjusting from each side goes a long way to mending cultural difference fences!

References:

Hofstede Insights: https://www.hofstede-insights.com/country-comparison/france,the-usa/

Lebowtiz, S. (August 1, 2017). 8 things that drive French people nuts about American offices — and vice versa. Business Insider. Retrieved on 11/10/17 from http://www.businessinsider.com/differences-between-french-american-work-culture-2017-7?r=UK&IR=T

Machlachlan, M. (February 12, 2010). Cross-Cultural Communication Styles: High and Low Context. Communicaid. Retrieved on 11/10/17 from https://www.communicaid.com/cross-cultural-training/blog/high-and-low-context/

Moran, R. T., Abramson, N. R., Moran, (2014). Managing cultural differences. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge.