Läderach Institute of Foreign language Education

Should we use a handshake to greet Swiss people when we meet them in a business environment? Do you know what the word “pétanque” means? Is it easy to find an apartment if you move in Paris? Which places are interesting to visit in Brussels? Can you use your Indian driving license in Canada? So many questions regarding culture and society pops up when you start working with people from abroad, especially when you shift onsite. In fact, being an expatriate or working with foreigners brings  set of challenges which makes the experience generally interesting. However, some of the tips are really important to know to ensure a good relation with the French speaking partners and to integrate well in any Francophone country. For example, in France, it is considered very rude not to say “thank you” to one of your friends who helped you. If you do the same with one of your Indian friends, the logic is exactly opposite: he may feel offended because he will think you are not so close to him by being so formal. Thus, in any kind of interaction between international people, it is imperative to know about each other’s culture in order to understand each other’s behavior as much as possible. There are a lot of tips about other cultures which are not as critical as this example but if you know more than the basics about the culture of your business partners or customers, it will definitely have a positive impact on your business interactions. They would probably feel impressed, flattered and more comfortable with you since you show that you are interested in their culture, language, background etc. In fact, people always like it when other people are showing interest in their traditions.

The Department of French Culture Education (DFCE) offers 3 different kinds of trainings on cross cultural awareness in order to build effective working relationships and iron out cross cultural barriers which abate business success.