A Culture Comparison Based on Entrepreneurial Attitudes: A Comparison Between Finland and France

The objective of this thesis was to identify the main cultural differences between Finland and France based on the attitudes towards entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurial attitudes of individuals are partly shaped by the culture of a society. Thus, by examining the attitudes of the members of a society, some cultural features can be learned about that society. The research method used in this thesis was a qualitative research method by separate interviews with respondents from both countries. The interviews were conducted in a conversational manner with open-ended questions, giving the respondent an opportunity to give answers without any guidance. Afterwards, cultural analyses of both countries were done by using Geert Hofstede´s and Fons Trompenaars & Charles Hampden-Turner´s theories about national cultures. Even though Finland and France have very similar cultures, this thesis managed to find some substantial differences. Finland has a low power distance, indulgent, specific-orientated and neutral culture, as opposed to France which has a high power distance, restraint, diffuse-orientated and emotional culture