Germany
Country profile
Group:
Io Kuong Sou, Kenny
Damian Łuczak
David Kruger
24/11/2005
David Kruger | Io Kuong Sou | Damian Łuczak
Germany
82,6 million inhabitants
357.022 km2
Capital: Berlin
876km
640km
Financial Capital:
Frankfurt
Borders: 9
GDP: 2178,2 billion EUR
Source: http://www.tatsachen-ueber-deutschland.de/782.0.html
24/11/2005
David Kruger | Io Kuong Sou | Damian Łuczak
Economy
Biggest German tradepartners
Import
France
Netherlands
Export
France
USA
USA
UK
Italy
Italy
UK
Netherlands
China
Belgium
Austria
Belgium
Austria
Spain
Japan
Switzerland
Switzerland
Billions EUR
China
Billions EUR
Source: http://www.tatsachen-ueber-deutschland.de/782.0.html
http://www.wto.org/english/res_e/statis_e/its2004_e/its04_overview_e.htm
24/11/2005
David Kruger | Io Kuong Sou | Damian Łuczak
Population
Men
Age in years
Women
Women
excess
Men
excess
Thousand
Source: http://www.tatsachen-ueber-deutschland.de/782.0.html
24/11/2005
David Kruger | Io Kuong Sou | Damian Łuczak
Unemployment
The new states show a bigger unemployment rate
Source: http://www.tatsachen-ueber-deutschland.de/782.0.html
24/11/2005
David Kruger | Io Kuong Sou | Damian Łuczak
Culture’s analysis
HOFSTEDE’s
DIMENSIONS OF NATIONAL
CULTURES
24/11/2005
David Kruger | Io Kuong Sou | Damian Łuczak
a) Power Distance
• Power distance Index: 35
• Germany has small power distance
• We expected German students to
treat teachers as equals
24/11/2005
David Kruger | Io Kuong Sou | Damian Łuczak
b) Individualism versus Collectivism
• Individualism Index: 67
• Germany is individualism
• We expected every German student is
expected to have a private opinion
24/11/2005
David Kruger | Io Kuong Sou | Damian Łuczak
c) Masculinity versus Femininity
• Masculinity Index: 66
• Germany is masculinity
• We expected in German families that
fathers deal with facts and mothers
with feelings
24/11/2005
David Kruger | Io Kuong Sou | Damian Łuczak
d) Uncertainty avoidance
• Uncertainty avoidance Index: 65
• Germany has strong uncertainty
avoidance
• We expected Germans to act in terms
„time is money”
24/11/2005
David Kruger | Io Kuong Sou | Damian Łuczak
Power Distance & Uncertainty Avoidance –
comparison to other countries
24/11/2005
David Kruger | Io Kuong Sou | Damian Łuczak
Well-oiled machine
• Germany  Typical “Well- oiled
machine”
• Management intervention is limited to
exceptional cases
• Rules should settle all daily problems
24/11/2005
David Kruger | Io Kuong Sou | Damian Łuczak
TROMPENAARS’
DIMENSIONS OF CULTURE
24/11/2005
David Kruger | Io Kuong Sou | Damian Łuczak
Relationships with people in Germany
Universalism
• What is good and right can be defined
and always applies
• More emphasize on rule than
relationship
24/11/2005
David Kruger | Io Kuong Sou | Damian Łuczak
Relationships with people in Germany:
Individualism
• Germans focus on individuals
• They can contribute to the community
as and if they wish
Achievement
• “What did you study?” is more
important than “Where did you study?”
24/11/2005
David Kruger | Io Kuong Sou | Damian Łuczak
Relationships with people in Germany:
Neutral
• Germans should resemble machines in
order to operate them more efficiently
24/11/2005
David Kruger | Io Kuong Sou | Damian Łuczak
Attitudes to time
• “Developed for the future” is more
important than “achieved in the past”
24/11/2005
David Kruger | Io Kuong Sou | Damian Łuczak
GESTELAND’s
CROSS – CULTURAL BUSINESS
BEHAVIOR
24/11/2005
David Kruger | Io Kuong Sou | Damian Łuczak
Deal-Focus Culture
• Germans are fundamentally taskoriented,
• Rely on written agreements
• Direct, straightforward language
• "Low-Context" Communication
24/11/2005
David Kruger | Io Kuong Sou | Damian Łuczak
Formal Culture
• German culture is status, hierarchies,
power and respect
• When dealing with government
officials
• Important to show proper respect and
deference
24/11/2005
David Kruger | Io Kuong Sou | Damian Łuczak
Rigid-Time Culture ("Monochromic"
Culture)
• Punctuality is critical
• Schedules are set in concrete
• Meetings follow an agreed outline or
agenda
Reserved Culture
• Communicating verbally
24/11/2005
David Kruger | Io Kuong Sou | Damian Łuczak
Rules of negotiations
24/11/2005
David Kruger | Io Kuong Sou | Damian Łuczak
Appointments
• punctuality - be late is serious faux pas
• appointments on most things
• if late - inform about it
24/11/2005
David Kruger | Io Kuong Sou | Damian Łuczak
Business dress
• formal and conservative, dark colored
suits
• "formal/informal dress"
• avoid:
▪ excessively ornate jewelry
▪ items of conspicuous wealth (esp.
Eastern Germany)
24/11/2005
David Kruger | Io Kuong Sou | Damian Łuczak
Conversation
General rules:
• "small talk" not required
• introduce yourself
• difference between "Freunde" and "Bekannte"
• suspicious character of compliments
• "How are you?" means "How are you?"
• a little bit of privacy
24/11/2005
David Kruger | Io Kuong Sou | Damian Łuczak
Conversation
Welcome topics:
• sports
• travel
• news, politics
• work
• your experiences about Germany
• with those who imbibe - beer
24/11/2005
David Kruger | Io Kuong Sou | Damian Łuczak
Conversation
Avoided topics:
• World War the Second/Holocaust
• personal life is personal matter
24/11/2005
David Kruger | Io Kuong Sou | Damian Łuczak
Addressing others
• first names for close persons
• last name basis even for colleagues from work
• "Sie" instead of "Du"
• highest rank goes first
• use academic titles
• last name, not "Hello"
• learn some basic expressions
24/11/2005
David Kruger | Io Kuong Sou | Damian Łuczak
Gift giving
General guidlines:
• gifts are polite but can be misinterpreted
• gifts are expected for social events to express
thanks
• after the stay in Germany send a Thank You card
24/11/2005
David Kruger | Io Kuong Sou | Damian Łuczak
Gift giving
Apreciated gifts:
• top-quality pens, tasteful office items with company
logo
• imported liquor, a wine of excellent vintage can be
appropriate
• elegant silk scarf or local food specialty of home
country as a perfect gift
24/11/2005
David Kruger | Io Kuong Sou | Damian Łuczak
Gift giving
Gifts to avoid:
• red roses, lilies or heather in a bouquet
• clothing, perfumes and toiletries are too personal
• beer is too common in Germany to bring it as a gift
24/11/2005
David Kruger | Io Kuong Sou | Damian Łuczak
The negotiations
• plenty of business cards
• all your necessary details should be included
• the Germans will be well-informed; you would be
expected the same
• agenda-based business communication
• signed contract is certain
• "sell" is not sufficient; facts and logical
argumentations to back up proposals
24/11/2005
David Kruger | Io Kuong Sou | Damian Łuczak
The negotiations
• detailed planning as principal characteristic of
business co-operation
• language simple and direct
• seriously toned and technical data providing
brochures
• remarks to point out correctable mistakes
• "No" is expressed directly by "no"
24/11/2005
David Kruger | Io Kuong Sou | Damian Łuczak
The negotiations
• fault-finding Germans sensitive to be criticized
• concessions not usual; common ground sought for
during impasse
• personal details remain personal
• decision-making not spontaneous
• rules are set to be obeyed
24/11/2005
David Kruger | Io Kuong Sou | Damian Łuczak
The negotiations
• fast questions, interrupted answers
• interruptions during getting off topic
• German continues even if interrupted
• one speaks when other is not finished
• knocking the tabletop
24/11/2005
David Kruger | Io Kuong Sou | Damian Łuczak
Vielen Dank
Obrigado
M goi
Dziękujemy
24/11/2005
David Kruger | Io Kuong Sou | Damian Łuczak
References:
Cross-Cultural Business Behavior - Gesteland, R.
Financial Times - Sergey Frank, Aug 30, 2000
http://www.wikipedia.org
http://www.across-cultures.com
http://www.geert-hofstede.com
http://www.executiveplanet.com
http://www.tatsachen-ueber-deutschland.de
http://www.wto.org
24/11/2005
David Kruger | Io Kuong Sou | Damian Łuczak