Who Should Attend

Employees preparing for an assignment in Algeria and their partners

Benefits of Attendance

This seminar aims at significantly improving the ability of the participants to meet the challenges of living and working abroad. The objective is to enable them to identify the stumbling blocks that lie ahead and to be able to adapt and integrate in Algeria.

At the end of this training, participants will have acquired insights and techniques to:

• Be aware of their own cultural baggage
• Understand Algerian context and culture
• Analyse situations in which misunderstandings may arise and identify ways of communicating more effectively
• Reduce and manage the symptoms of culture shock
• Understand another mindset, different work practices, decision-making processes and negotiating styles
• Strike the right balance between personal et professional lives

Training Approach

• A cross-cultural approach of International Mobility
• Country specific trainers
• Personalized and familiy focused action plan
• Access to the Nomad’ Network, an exclusive online tool for Akteos’ clients and experts:  find resources, exchange experiences, knowledge and insights

Programme Outline

Module 1 : Successful personal integration in Algeria

1. Cross-cultural awareness: The key to a successful expatriation

• Taking stock of one's own cultural baggage
• Culture shock and the integration process
• Identifying and going beyond cultural stereotypes

2. Key aspects of Algerian Culture

• The second largest country in Africa
• A young, urban population of ethnic Arab and Berber origin
• A tragic history
• The specific characteristics of Islam in Algeria
• A delicate political situation
• Economic riches waiting to be fully exploited
• Local rivalry
• A country in the international spotlight

3. Algerian values and behaviour patterns

• The family group, the role of women in Algerian society 
• A transitional perception of time
• Private space and public areas
• The Algerian mindset

4. Practical day-to-day information in Algeria

• Focus on the host town, social life, leisure activities
• The need for a private vehicle
• Souks, shops and hammams
• Transport, administration, housing, security, hygiene and healthcare
• Schools, extracurricular activities, sport

Module 2 : Successful professional integration in Algeria

1. The Algerian corporate world

• Keys to understanding how companies operate in Algeria
• Differences in working methods and the notion of quality
• The marketplace, employment and staff turnover
• The role of national and local authorities

2. Effective communication with the Algerians

• The circulation of information, professional networks
• Communication styles and practices
• The working language, the role of the interpreter

3. Working with Algerian teams

• Local management and company culture
• Responsibilities and decision-making
• Recruitment, loyalty building, training, knowledge transmission
• Motivating, delegating, providing feedback, boosting self-esteem and handling conflicts

4. Successful meetings and negotiations with the Algerians

• The preparation phase
• Identifying decision-makers
• Time and deadline management
• Written contracts, their interpretation and implications

5. Final handy tips

• Caution, patience and humility
• Social standards, gifts, business cards, dress code, etc
• Sensitive subjects: politics, history, religion
• Humour: a double-edged sword