Contrastive portfolio work - Comparison between France and Latvia

Résumé du document

This contrastive portfolio work will focus on two European Union countries – France and Latvia. I have decided to analyze my home country Latvia, where I spent almost 18 years of my life, with France, which has been my “new home” for the last 5 years.
The aim of this paper is to draw common points as well as major differences between these two European countries focusing on cultural encounters, business etiquette and characteristics in business negotiations.

Extraits

[...] B. Latvia When planning a meeting, it is important to offer several availability. Additionally, when you request a meeting, you should state the subject you are interested to discuss. Latvians prefer one-to-one meetings; the best is to limit the number of attendees. You should always inform your partner about the people who will join from your side. The favorite time for a business meeting in Latvia is from 9a.m. – 1p.m. Business lunch can also be arranged after 12.30 p.m. [...]

[...] Nevertheless, not always the final result is “win-win”, especially if “logical” reasons support one or another position. When dealing with French, one should know that they take holistic approach meaning that they may jump back and forth between topics rather than addressing them in chronological order. Be aware that French may not like bargaining and haggling but it is a part of their negotiation, prices rarely move more than 25% between initial offer and final agreement. Additionally, French businesspeople may employ defensive tactics – change of the subject, blocking, asking direct questions, making promises, etc. [...]

[...] Nevertheless, there are also several common things such as identity and individualism. Both countries have a strong sense of national identity embodied from the early age, they value traditions and their symbols. French such as Latvians tend to exhibit individualistic characteristics – sometimes prefer to work alone rather than in the group, like to express themselves through brands or things they do. Bibliography https://businessculture.org/eastern-europe/latvia/meeting-etiquette/, accessed on 16 November 2019 at 9.55 a.m. https://guide.culturecrossing.net/basics_business_student_details.php?Id=22& CID=71, accessed on 16 November 2019 at 10.24 a.m. [...]

[...] Comparison Between France and Latvia. Planning Business Meeting Greetings in Business meetings Communication style in business meetings Business Meeting Culture Negotiation in business Business culture resemblances and contrasts 17/11/2019 This contrastive portfolio work will focus on two European Union countries – France and Latvia. I have decided to analyze my home country Latvia, where I spent almost 18 years of my life, with France, which has been my “new home” for the last 5 years. Objective The aim of this paper is to draw common points as well as major differences between these two European countries focusing on cultural encounters, business etiquette and characteristics in business negotiations. [...]

[...] Business Meeting Culture A. France Punctuality is valuated. Business meetings are structured but are not very formal. They used to be very wordy and long. It is important to underline that there is always a small talk for the opening and the closing of the meeting. The main purpose is to discuss, not to take decisions. Very often the decisions are taken outside the meeting. B. Latvia Punctuality is a must. Latvian firms are hierarchical, and decisions are made by senior management. [...]