The French way of work
Managers must shoulder some of the blame for France’s troubled relationship with work
EVERY year, Sophie de Menthon, a French entrepreneur, holds an event called J'aime ma boîte (I love my firm) in Paris. The idea is to counter the notion that the French don't like work. Employees are enticed to make lip dubs (a video of them lip-synching to music, if you need to ask), massage each other, vote for the nicest colleague, arrange for the accountant to swap jobs with the secretary and other stunts to celebrate their firm.
The much-mocked campaign has not had much luck. In 2007 a national strike interrupted the festivities, and in 2009 a series of suicides at France Télécom spoilt the atmosphere. This year employees showed less love for their boîte than ever before. Only 64% of those polled liked their company, down from 79% in 2005.
This article appeared in the Business section of the print edition under the headline "The French way of work"
From the November 19th 2011 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents
Explore the editionMore from Business
What do Joe Biden and the boss of Starbucks have in common?
Both are grappling with gloomy consumers at home and trouble abroad
How not to name a new car
Companies that get it wrong risk both derision and outrage
Meet the Swedish firm trying to shake up heat pumps
It sees a big opportunity in an old technology