I listened to a podcast about French work culture and they painted a picture that I didn't recognize. One where there's a strict hierarchical divide between workers and managers. Where they eat at different tables, where bosses don't ask for workers' views (or don't take them into serious consideration), and where workers generally view their managers as antagonists.
It didn't sound like a good working environment to me. I generally had bosses who lead by example, who trusted employee's takes until proven otherwise, who welcomed initiative. Even with my dumbest boss, we had an understanding: I respected his social skills and salesmanship, and he respected my analytical skills and ability to translate programmer speech to workers speech.
How equalitarian do you view your relationship with your boss?