wtfeWays They Frame Engineering
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FrancevsBrazil

フランスとブラジルFRBR

Seen from France: each line below describes Brazil relative to France.

Swap: see France from Brazil

Culture Map: eight scales

Erin Meyer's eight scales, sorted by how far apart France and Brazil sit, largest gap first.

Filled dot: France, where you are looking fromHollow ring: Brazil

Where you will notice the difference6 scales

  1. Persuading

    Brazil wants examples and the conclusion before the theory more than France (3 steps)

    France −3, Brazil 0, on a line from −3 (Principles-first) to +3 (Applications-first).

  2. Disagreeing

    Brazil avoids open disagreement more than France (3 steps)

    France −2, Brazil +1, on a line from −3 (Confrontational) to +3 (Avoids confrontation).

  3. Evaluating

    Brazil gives negative feedback more indirectly than France (2 steps)

    France −1, Brazil +1, on a line from −3 (Direct negative feedback) to +3 (Indirect negative feedback).

  4. Trusting

    Brazil builds trust through personal relationships more than France (2 steps)

    France 0, Brazil +2, on a line from −3 (Task-based) to +3 (Relationship-based).

  5. Scheduling

    Brazil treats plans as more flexible than France (2 steps)

    France 0, Brazil +2, on a line from −3 (Linear time) to +3 (Flexible time).

  6. Communicating

    Brazil spells things out more explicitly than France (1 step)

    France +1, Brazil 0, on a line from −3 (Low-context) to +3 (High-context).

Where you are close2 scales

  1. Leading

    France and Brazil sit on the same step

    France +1, Brazil +1, on a line from −3 (Egalitarian) to +3 (Hierarchical).

  2. Deciding

    France and Brazil sit on the same step

    France +1, Brazil +1, on a line from −3 (Consensual) to +3 (Top-down).

Positions are read by eye from Erin Meyer's published charts and rounded to seven steps. A step means “further towards that pole”, not a measured distance. How the positions were read

Hofstede: six dimensions

Scores from 0 to 100, sorted by the gap between France and Brazil. They describe national averages, not either country's character.

  1. Individualism

    Brazil scores 38 points lower than France (36 against 74)

    France 74, Brazil 36, on a line from 0 (Collectivist) to 100 (Individualist).

  2. Long-term orientation

    Brazil scores 32 points lower than France (28 against 60)

    France 60, Brazil 28, on a line from 0 (Short-term) to 100 (Long-term).

  3. Indulgence

    Brazil scores 11 points higher than France (59 against 48)

    France 48, Brazil 59, on a line from 0 (Restrained) to 100 (Indulgent).

  4. Uncertainty avoidance

    Brazil scores 10 points lower than France (76 against 86)

    France 86, Brazil 76, on a line from 0 (Tolerant of ambiguity) to 100 (Avoids ambiguity).

  5. Motivation towards achievement and success

    Brazil scores 6 points higher than France (49 against 43)

    France 43, Brazil 49, on a line from 0 (Consensus-oriented) to 100 (Decisive).

  6. Power distance

    Brazil scores 1 point higher than France (69 against 68)

    France 68, Brazil 69, on a line from 0 (Low power distance) to 100 (High power distance).

Country averages. About 80% of variation in values is between people inside a country (Taras et al. 2016).Source: The Culture Factor — Country comparison tool (2026).About the Hofstede dimensions

What the sources say, theme by theme

Entries for France and Brazil, side by side on wide screens. Each keeps its own confidence label and citations.

Design & quality

France3 claims

Brazil2 claims

Failure & risk

France3 claims

Brazil1 claim

Feedback & code review

France3 claims

Brazil3 claims

  • The training company Talaera, citing Meyer, writes that negative feedback tends to be wrapped in warmth and delivered in private, and that public criticism easily damages relationships. The behavioral descriptions rest mainly on the authors' own observations.

    Thin1 source2026br-feedback-1

  • In an HR magazine interview, Erin Meyer names Latin America as one of the "really indirect" parts of the world for negative feedback.

    Attested1 source2014Datedbr-feedback-2

  • Talaera says that instead of a plain "no," phrases such as "we can try" or "I'll do my best" can signal concern or refusal.

    Thin1 source2026br-feedback-3

Hierarchy & decisions

France2 claims

Brazil2 claims

Communication & docs

France1 claim

Brazil2 claims

  • A summary of Meyer's Culture Map places Brazil on the side where trust is built through personal relationships, close to China and Saudi Arabia. Small talk at the start of a meeting is described as part of the work.

    Thin1 sourcebr-communication-1

  • Talaera says written English tends to be on the formal side and asynchronous replies tend to be long and warm, and it recommends video calls over audio-only calls.

    Thin1 source2026br-communication-2

Work & careers

France5 claims

Brazil4 claims

Open source & community

France5 claims

Brazil3 claims