They joke about their love of committees but still they proliferate. The difference is, of course, a question of degree. French are not absolute dictators and the British are not lost in an anonymous collective. But it is real enough that it significantly affects the role of the boss, how subordinates behave, the conduct of meetings, the relationship between secretaries and their bosses, and many other aspects of how people work together. In France more than in Britain and North America professional relationships between colleagues are founded more on rivalry than cooperation.
Competitiveness is fostered by strong vertical hierarchies.
Far from refreshing people find it disconcerting when others do not compete. They will not wait for a group consensus before taking an initiative. To those from more team-based cultures this can appear deliberately provocative and they should adjust their expectations of team working. The concept of the team in France is a collection of specialists chosen for their competence in a given field under the command of an unequivocal leader. French speakers are disconcerted when there is not a well defined hierarchy.