Cross-cultural Management in Multinational Project Groups Essay

Cross-cultural Management in Multinational Project Groups - Essay Example Nonetheless, the business culture of France still reserves some surprises for Americans and other western nations. This report seeks to provide a cross-cultural analysis of France as a potential location for investment. The report seeks to provide a profile for the cultural environment of France, exploring issues that may have significant impact on management, including business protocols, language, housing, clothing, social institutions, education, and others. Introduction According to the 1958 constitution, France is a parliamentary republic. A president, who is the head of state, leads the country. The latter monitors the functioning of democratic institutions as far as the constitution is concerned. The country also has a Prime Minister in charge of day-to-day policy. A bicameral parliament governs the country. It comprises of a Senate with directly elected representatives from the departments and region, and a House of Representatives elected by the universal suffrage every five years. The metropolitan France has twenty-two regions with ninety-six departments. The communities, departments, and regions share the centrally collected tax revenues (Smircich, 2005). France is the largest West European country with a population of approximately 65 million people, about four-fifths of the size of Texas. Due to the large area coverage, the country has different environmental orientation. The country has mountains in the south and east, volcanoes in the middle and beaches in other parts. The beaches are also very different, comprising of cliffs, sand, and stones. Consequently, the country has different climate conditions: dry and hot in the east and south, and rainy in the north and west. The country does not have an official religion, but most of the citizens are Roman Catholic. The country hosts over 4.5 million foreigners, majority of whom are from communist countries and other European countries (UHY, 2011). As far as French citizens are concerned, education is very important. This is evident from the fact that the French educational system is almost free from primary school through to a doctorate degree for French citizens. Population According to a survey carried out in 2010, about three-quarters of the French population live in the cities, with a population density of 97 inhabitants per square metropolitan kilometer. The major currency in use is the Euro. The country majorly speaks French. According to economic statistics, the service sector accounts for over 74% of the overall employment, compared with 5% in agriculture. The industrial sector of the country continues to suffer significant deficits in foreign trade due to the fierce competition from the Far East. In 2009, the country made a Gross Domestic Product of 1950 billion Euros, an increase of 2.5% from 2007. The average growth rate was 0.6%, slightly below the Eurozone average of 0.7% and 0.8% of the US figure. The GDP purchasing power parity in 2010 was $2.097 trillion, with a GDP per Capita purchasing power parity of $32,700. The global economy has been slow in all areas because of the recent financial crisis. The global effect was initially high, but France gained from its little exposure and encouraged a strong public spending policy to maintain a high demand level (Fatehi, 2003). Economy Since 2008, the rate of unemployment has increased to stand at 10% of the overall active population, slightly higher than the average European rate of 9.6%. The country reduced the