The Americans and the FrenchFor this question I chose the Americans and the French because they represent very different aspects of the Western world. Furthermore, despite being allies in the market and in the international community, there is continuous hostility and intolerance towards each other in terms of cultures and practices, both in the workplace and in social traditions and beliefs, which makes the comparison even more interesting. To determine which dimension French and Americans belong to, we should consider the differences in how they deal with their cultural problems and how they perceive the world around them. When America was discovered it was called "The New World" and this is still relevant in its national identity. America was built on philosophy and freedom of expression, in a way derived from the new, bountiful land that welcomed the first settlers. With a blank canvas you could see that anything you set out to do was possible because you had a seemingly endless supply of material and land to do what you wanted, which was no longer available in Europe. This frontier mentality encapsulates the "American Dream", it is possible to achieve any goal and after the establishment of the presidency after the Revolutionary War, any citizen could become president and not depend on their social position or wealth. The greatest supporter of this ideal was Abraham Lincoln, who rose from humble beginnings to become the most important and revered of all presidents of the United States. Compared to this “can do” attitude and the belief that anything is possible, the “Old World” is based on history and tradition. As will be seen in the next section, European managers, and particularly French ones, will adhere to old constructs and bureaucracy rather than take risks and exploit future possibilities like an American. Again using the example of the presidency to demonstrate how French society works and how it can be seen as a dimension, it is not an open position and not everyone is seen as having a birth rite to reach the highest level of power. Although there was a revolution to remove an absolute monarchy, the resulting political system produced another king in name only, Napoleon. Furthermore, to become president of France it is essential that the correct path is taken through the best schools, les grandes écoles, and then through a professional career with networking and rapid rise in the hierarchy..