Working in France
In reality, I have been thinking about moving abroad after graduation and have considered a few different countries in Europe, one of them being France. Since I have spent the last decade and a half working on my professional abilities, it is not far fetched to believe that I could work with a company that offers this type of benefit.
Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions / Others
After doing some research, France and the U.S., while not vastly different, have key differences in their work structure as well as the perception of work in relation to a work-life balance.
Power Distance
The French are a people of aristocracy and wealth and accept a certain level of inequality meaning they operate with high power distance. This comes from a heavy governmental centralization where “upper class people dominate lower class people (bbs.binus.ac.id, 2017).” Similarly, the U.S. has continued to grow into a high power distance society, leaving the middle class to wane although still much lower than France.
Individualism vs. Collectivism
Similarly to the U.S. again, France has scored high on individuality, meaning they emphasize a passion for uniqueness and freedom. They place greater concern on social status, titles, and being judged as an individual.
Uncertainty Avoidance
The French score quite high, with an 86, on uncertainty avoidance meaning they do not like to take risks, surprises, or to gamble. They prefer to have all the necessary information to ensure they have done the best job they can and that their individual position is safe within the company. The U.S. is far more comfortable with risk, change, and new situations.
Masculine vs. Feminine
France lands a little more on the Feminine side as they value quality of life and life purpose. An interesting fact is that the upper class tend to score more feminine and the working class tend to score more masculine, compared to the U.S. who are Masculine in every class.
Long-Term vs. Short-Term Orientation
France is a long-term, pragmatic oriented society meaning that they adapt traditions to modern context and don’t mind planning for the future. The U.S. however lands among short term, normative thinking which favors quick results.
Factors to Consider…
I would want to know exactly how the company I am working for onboards and offboards expatriates to help them acclimate to their new environments. I would want to make sure that I have all the resources I need to make such a huge life change, especially if I have a family with me.
What would convince me?
As long as my supervisors gave me all the information I need to be successful, I think I would be happy to make the move. It would be great to be setup with a mentor in France that helped me acclimate to work and French culture. Even a French tutor would be great! Other than a fresh baguette, I don’t think I need much convincing.
SOURCES
“Hofstede Cultural Dimension in France.” International Business Management Hofstede Cultural Dimension in France Comments. Accessed June 7, 2026. https://bbs.binus.ac.id/ibm/2017/06/hofstede-cultural-dimension-in-france/.
Country comparison tool. Accessed June 7, 2026. https://www.theculturefactor.com/country-comparison-tool.
Hofstede dimensions comparing the USA (grey) and France (green-blue). | download scientific diagram. Accessed June 8, 2026. https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Hofstede-dimensions-comparing-the-USA-grey-and-France-green-blue_fig2_320863629.