Cross- cultural Communication This page intentionally left blank

The French negotiating style
The French business negotiating style is founded to a large extent on a 
strong, intellectual Cartesian tradition that prizes rational and logical think-
ing. The French thinking process is therefore often deductive, beginning 
with an idea or a theory and proceeding from the general to particular cases, 
in contrast to the opposite, inductive approach. This means that at times 
French negotiators appear to place too much emphasis on abstract concepts 
at the expense of facts and upon principles at the expense of interests. 
Intelligent discussion on issues is valued for its own sake. The French see no 
reason to compromise if their logic is undefeated.
French culture is individualistic, tending to be feminine by Hofstede’s 
definition, with relatively strong power distance and fairly high uncertainty 
avoidance. They have a strong tendency to create hierarchies, bureaucracy 
and systems to help avoid uncertainty.
The education system places great store on higher education, the ‘grandes 
écoles’ and the ‘polytechniques’. There is fierce competition for entry to 
these elite institutions and this elite membership provides the opportunity 
to gain authority and advantage in the bureaucratic hierarchies, particularly 
the civil service.
The French are always well briefed and prepared for meetings and nego-
tiations. They consider that decision making should be concentrated in 
the hands of competent, professionally qualified individuals. They prefer a 
recognized hierarchy and see a team as a collection of specialists chosen for 

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176 Cross-Cultural Communication
their proven competence in a certain area, under the overall direction of an 
accepted leader. They prefer to establish early on the underlying principles 
and structure and then proceed to the relevant facts. As regards coming to 
an agreement, the French will strive to adopt the best idea and will persist 
in upholding their views; as a result, they are unwilling to make major con-
cessions. The use of humour is not actively encouraged in formal business 
meetings, unless it displays clever wit.
As regards language, French negotiators will often speak English well. It 
is important, however, to recognize that both English and French are truly 
international languages and both nations feel strongly about the impor-
tance of their own language. The French are particularly sensitive about 
the anglicizing of French words. If possible, foreigners should at least be 
prepared to conduct part of the proceedings in French, as this will be much 
appreciated and might help gain an advantage over English- only speakers. 
French business meetings are less frequent than in the UK. They are formal 
in nature, with strict rules of procedure and an established chairperson. At 
less formal meetings, it is quite usual for people to leave in the middle, make 
telephone calls and talk among themselves.
As regards business socializing, the French take meals in
good- quality 
restaurants very seriously. If you are invited, it indicates that business is 
progressing well and should be similarly reciprocated. The British approach 
of coffee and sandwiches at the conference table and their apparent enthus-
iasm to press on with the meeting may give quite different signals compared 
to the French, for whom wining and dining are very much part of the busi-
ness process. There is a clear distinction between personal and professional 
relationships and employees generally do not meet after work to socialize.