Day 3, Tuesday, March 14: Wavestone and More

By Sabreena Khan and Sanjay Sukhdeo

On Tuesday, March 14, we visited Wavestone, an innovative consulting firm in the business district of Paris. It was interesting to note the cultural differences regarding the environment of the firm as well as the way business is conducted within it. One of the first things we noticed was the open and less formal office structure. The room in which our meeting was conducted was called the "creation" room. This room was used for brainstorming and its creative function was reflected in the layout which included unique furniture, decorative banners, and a playful grass-like floor. Innovation was crucial to the employees and culture of Wavestone and it could be seen not only in their modern work spaces, but through the way the younger presenters conducted their meeting. For example, rather than lecturing us they provided us with an interactive case study to encourage us to work as a team and think diversely. We believe that their close proximity in age to us made the presentation more relatable and aides in their effort to be innovative.

In comparison to Wavestone, we found that other businesses like BNP Paribus and AIG were more structured, formal, and closed-off. For example, at BNP Paribus' presentation, their power point was filled with numbers, formulas, and dense information that felt more like a lecture rather than a learning experience. However, at Wavestone the power point was more of a visual guide to refer too rather than to read off of. Lastly, we observed that BNP and AIG did not place as much emphasis on modernity and innovation as Wavestone did. We believe this could be due to the fact that both of these companies are much older and may be less likely to change their culture and mission.

Some other cultural differences that we noticed include meal time, public cleanliness, and openly talking about politics. During many of our meals during our week in Paris, we observed that the wait time between ordering a meal and receiving it as well as finishing a meal and getting the check were longer than we were accustomed too in New York. In New York, we are used to doing everything at a faster pace and dining in France made us reflect on some of our customs. We also noticed how clean the streets and subways were which was a nice change from the environment in New York. Lastly, there were a few instances where a conversation about politics was initiated by a French person and it was different from the way that we mostly avoid discussing politics with strangers. While being in a different country was a little intimidating, it was a learning experience that rewarding for both of us.

Aside from business visits, we also took the time to explore Disneyland Paris.We were both very excited to see how the park would differ from locations in the United States. To our surprise, many of the rides and attractions like the tea cups and Dumbo the Flying Elephant were almost the same as the ones at Disney World in Orlando, Florida. While the park was filled with tourists from many parts of the world, most employees were fluent in English and many of the food options were more American than French. The most exciting part of the night was definitely Disney Dreams, the laser and fireworks show over Sleeping Beauty's Castle. We were lucky enough to get a spot right in the front and center for the show and even got to witness a proposal before the fireworks started. Nevertheless, the show was nothing short of magical and definitely marked the highlight of our week in Paris.

Disneyland Paris