Who Should Attend ?

Employees preparing for an assignment in Tunisia 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 Tunisia.

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

• Be aware of their own cultural baggage
• Understand Tunisian context and the culture
• Analyse situations in which misunderstandings may arise and identify ways of communicating more effectively
• Reduce and manage the symptoms of culture shock
• Understand Tunisian mindset, 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 personnal integration in Tunisia

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 Tunisian culture

• A North African country with a major Mediterranean influence
• A uniform population
• Heirs to an age-old civilisation, the impact of French colonisation
• Apparent political democracy
• An expanding, service-based economy

3. Tunisian values and behaviour patterns

• A unique culture among the Arab world
• The importance of the family and the clan: key factors
• The relatively privileged status of Tunisian women
• Community-mindedness and hospitality
• Pride and a sense of honour, emotiveness and warm heartedness
• The importance of tolerant Islam
• A community spirit, with a respect for age and status
• Attitudes to risk and uncertainty

4. Practical day-to-day information in Tunisia

• Focus on the host town or city
• Transport, administration, housing, security, hygiene and healthcar
• Social life, leisure activities
• Schools, extracurricular activities, sport

Module 2 : Successful professionnal integration in Tunisia

1. The Tunisian corporate world

• A high-performance public sector
• Dynamic major companies enjoying extensive economic support
• Small, family-owned businesses
• A centralised decision-making authority

2. Effective communication with the Tunisians

• Communicating efficiently: the importance of networking
• Physical proximity and eye contact
• Understanding implicit messages
• Avoiding the “French language trap”

3. Working with Tunisian teams

• Work and professional activity as a source of success
• Establishing your credibility: discipline, sobriety and a willingness to listen
• Efficient management: effective supervision and giving credit
• Avoiding misunderstandings

4. Successful meetings and negotiations in Tunisia

• The noble art of haggling. Building loyalty
• Negotiations: adding that personal touch
• Finding your way through the administrative maze
• Time and deadline management

5. Final handy tips

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