I.

Identification of Problems

With GPC having various international locations, the organization should make it a priority to educate their personnel on how to communicate effectively cross culturally. If individuals are accustomed to interacting through impersonal means, thrusting a person with no knowledge of the culture they are about to enter in to could be detrimental to all involved. The initial issue is Elizabeth Morenos lack of knowledge about the culture she is soon to interacting with, and her assumption that she can make it work regardless of her lack experience in this type of situation on a business level. Even more since, the French manager is skeptical of Americans. Communication methods such as telephone conferences, email, faxes and traditional mail remove the necessary nonverbal and verbal cues that are crucial to communication (2013). Placing Elizabeth in a situation where she could be perceived differently, due to her inability to communicate effectively within that culture will have negative consequences. II. Analysis and Evaluation

In my analysis I found that America and France differ in various ways. France is a highcontext culture they emphasis on interpersonal relationships collective in nature (2013). The most important aspect to business in France is trust amongst business partners. High context societies tend to be more indirect and formal than a low-context society. Posture, facial expressions, tone and status takes precedence in a high context culture (2013). Americans are more prone to put individual goals ahead of the team or groups. If Elizabeth is not aware of this it can ruin the relationship from the onset. For example, while working on the issue of the degrading goods a resolution is conceived and Elizabeth reports the findings in a way that exclusive, she will make her colleagues feel inferior or worthless which will more than likely give way to a negative perception not only to her but all Americans. Also in high context cultures what is said does not have the weight of what is understood to be (2007). While attending meeting Elizabeth should be cognitive of her gestures, they should not contradict anything she has verbally conveyed. Doing so may cause her counterparts to disregard what she said and acknowledge what they perceived from her body language. Frances culture has not as evolved as much the U.S.s concerning womens rights as a whole (2012). Women in the U.S. hold high ranking positions; in a lot of instances they have

more power than men in the business world. Elizabeth will need to humble herself and not be as assertive as she would normally be when working with the men at GPCs France location. If she does not, it can be as viewed as disrespectful and flamboyant. This could also become a communication barrier that could hinder the project. If there is an instance that Elizabeth comes across as a Miss know it all, the French partners may retaliate by withholding pertinent information in an effort to make her seem incompetent, despite the cultural norm of collectiveness. This sort of situation could negatively affect her job performance. Elizabeth should be more open to listening and be less assuming and judgmental. By doing so, she will be able to gain trust from her counterparts, and work cohesively toward a resolution. American and French cultures also differ in how coworkers interact with one another and supervisors. Americans are not as formal as the French and often are on a first name basis, whereas in France you are referred to as Miss or Mister (2012). Personal and business matters are not mixed. Subordinates rarely know personal information pertaining to their supervisors. In America, just about all information including personal is fair game depending upon the relationship you may have with that individual despite their position. Elizabeth needs to remain professional and not try to buddy up to her French counterparts, as it may be viewed as reckless and unprofessional. For instance, the sharing of family photographs or divulging information about personal relationships may cause them not to take her seriously. III. Recommendations

In conclusion, I would implement mandatory cross cultural training that include sensitivity aspects that encompassed all aspects interacting with individuals from different societies. To test employees success, I would require web scenario simulations that required application of acquired skills. The training would be intervals of five days at a time, at least two months before an assignment. More than one specialist would be adequately trained, so that individuals embarking on international assignments would go in teams. Teams returning from an assignment would be required to return after that stint and debrief before starting a new assignment. Some burden lies with Elizabeth as a professional to ensure that she is successful. I would recommend that she not accept assignment in which she has not been properly prepared for. Cultural variances will always exist and attribute to numerous challenges for international companies. Companies that are adaptive will achieve cohesiveness throughout.

References European Culture Differences in Business. (2012 ). Retrieved October 8, 2013 from http://hubpages.com/hub/European-Cultural-Differences-in-Business France: A Cultural Primer . (2007). Retrieved October 7, 2013 from http://www9.georgetown.edu/faculty/spielmag/docs/france/primer.htm Ferraro, G. P., & Briody, E. K. (2013). The cultural dimension of global business. (7 ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.