Important article about multiple suicides at France Telecom

[Richard Parkes Cordock]

I just read this article in a UK newspaper. It relates to employee engagement - I've never read anything like this before...

France: Stress and worker suicides mean the future's not bright at ...

[Terrence Seamon]

Very sad story.

[Nick McCormick]

Richard,
This is most unfortunate news. I did want to point out though that the rate (23 suicides in 18 months or about 15 per yr per 100,000 employees at France Telecom) is comparable or lower than suicide rates in many European countries (and many others) as reported by this WHO site (http://www.who.int/mental_health/prevention/suicide_rates/en/index....). For instance, in 2005 there were 13.6 suicides per 100,000 people in the UK. The same year in Switzerland there were 35.2. In the U.S - 22.2

[Roy Saunderson]

Hi Richard:

Dr Jean-Pierre Brun from the University of Laval, found in his research for an insurance company in Quebec that the lack of recognition was the second highest cause of workplace stress. Workload was the number one reason.

My colleagues have obervationally noted within Quebec and Francophone workers within the Canadian federal government, the high incidence of stress leave. Again, when compared with a financial institution through an HR department member, they corroborated this same observation.

That's not saying that Anglophone workers are immune to stress.

So maybe there is a cultural overtone here.

According to the classic referenced work of Dr Geert Hofstede and his Cultural Dimensions tool, France has a high Power Distance Index, a high Individualism index, low Masculinity index, and very high Uncertainty Avoidance index. These scores are way higher than the average European countries.

What does this all mean?

Power Distance Index refers to power of control and equality or lack of control. France came out with a high Power Distance index meaning a very authoritative and rule bound culture. Today the rules of the past cannot be adhered to to deal with our new challenges - flexible thinking is needed. So for a group of people who are security minded it's not an easy time to be living in.

Masculinity index looks at the degree of masculinity verus feminity characteristics of a people. The low score here suggests France experiences show modest more caring values being displayed. There is less gender differentiation of roles. There is going to more emotional ties to work issues.

A high Individualism suggests a societal tendency to look after oneself and not to draw upon a colectivist mindset of helping one another. They may rely on family but will not go outside of that. Not reaching out for supports and help in stressful times can be concerning.

With the very high Uncertainty Avoidance index France has a low tolerance for uncertainty. The economic stresses of today will not help the French culture to be able to cope with such situations.

This is just another insight to look at on this troubling experience for our colleagues in France.

Remember culture is a learned phenomenon and not genetic. Each culture has its strengths and weaknesses and we all need to help one another to deal with our individual and societal challenges.

Roy

[Terrence Seamon]

Fascinating analysis using Hofstede, Roy.

Terry