4/18    How's the culture different at work between an american and european
        company in high tech industry?
        \_ European workers work hard AND play hard. American workers do only
           either one. Based on my obsrvation. YMMV.
           \_ what are your referring to with playing hard? Computer games?
              something else?
                \_ Drinking, dancing, (=) clubbing til 4am.
           \_ Europeans work hard? At what? I wouldn't call standing in
              line at the gov. office for your check from the state hard
              work. Perhaps you are referring to the grueling 35 hrs/wk
              plus 2 mos vacation/yr along hard work.
              \- in my experience a lot of europeans i have met [german and
                 french] are a lot like stanfraud people: they are bright but
                 are interested in working in "glamorous" roles like "making
                 deals" and "architecture" rather than working in the trenches.
                 Curiously the hardcore hackers from France I have met are
                 not "ethnic french". but maybe some of this is a function of
                 their having a telecom and finance orientation. --psb
        \_ I've worked for French, Swiss, German, and American companies
           in Switzerland and around Europe, as well as with loads of Brits.
           The work ethics and styles vary widely--i.e. I've seen the Germans
           as generally technically bright but aloof from menial shit, the
           Swiss tend to be great workhorses, but get up to leave at 5 pm
           sharp (unless in an American company culture), and the English
           are very punctilious and reliant on rules.  It varies widely,
           what cultural environment someone is in (i.e. a Brit working in
           a Swiss company, where the hierarchy is pretty low-key, is far
           more useful than one in the UK, where there's a lot of
           backstabbing.)  In general though I've found Europeans to be
           a lot less whiny than Americans in their work environments,
           but once again, this exludes American expats.  Also, among all
           the managers I've worked for, the French have been by far the
           most agreeable, as they leave you alone if you make them look good.
           American and English managers in their native environments and
           corporate cultures are permanently in my shit list.  However, with
           the employees t really depends on the situation.  -John