Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
BUSINESS
CULTURE
Oliver Sandino, Guojie Wang, Lidia Li, Juvenal Torres
Brief history:
West-central Europe
Capital: Berlin
German Empire founded after Prussia's victory in Franco-Prussian War (1870/71)
Mid 19th century, Germany was not a unified country
Germany surrendered in WWI and became a republic (1918)
After World War II, Germany and Berlin split into four zones of occupation
1949, the three western zones were united to form the Federal Republic of Germany, and
the Soviet zone became the German Democratic Republic
In 1961 the Berlin Wall was built, dividing the city in two
Greetings:
Body language
In Germany, lots of physical distance and a moderate tone are
appropriate in most situations.
Direct eye contact is important, Avoiding it seems insecure or
unfriendly to them.
Never put your hands in your pockets while speaking.
Gift giving
A visitor thinking of giving a gift should choose one that is small and of good
quality, but not overly expensive.
Acceptable gifts at business meetings are items of office equipment, good
quality pens with your companys logo
Gifts are usually opened when received.
Men wear dark suits; solid, conservative ties and white shirts
Women dress in dark suits and white blouses
Chewing gum while talking is considered rude
Many foreign dishes have been adopted into German cuisine(i.e. spaghetti)
Beer and wine are part of a normal dinner and alcoholic drinks are usually offered to guests.
Strict regulations concerning opening and closing hours of businesses and shops
Most industries have collective agreements that regulate working hours and holidays
Working week of more than 48 hours on average during a 6 month period must not be exceeded
In negotiations, Germans are direct and frank about they want and they expect you to do the same.
Gender Roles
60% of women ages 15-65 work outside of home, and only 30% in professional
positions
The 3 Ks Kinder, Kche, und Kirche (Children, Kitchen, and Church)
Social legislation entices women from returning to work
Walmart in Germany
Why Walmart failed in Germany
CEO of German branch was American, didnt speak German
staff hired to greet them at the door and bag their groceries
Other competitive retailers in the market
German laws prevented easy go hiring and firing
International Business
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yB7CjUXldg
Works Cited
Hager, Michael. "Intercultural Competence and German Business Culture." Global
Business Languages, 6.1 (2010): 4.
Hinner, Michael B. "Culture's influence on business as illustrated by German business
culture." China Media Research 5.2 (2009): 45+. Expanded Academic ASAP. W
Stedham, Yvonne, and Rafik I Beekun. "Ethical Judgment in Business: Culture and
Differential Perceptions of Justice Among Italians and Germans." Business Ethics: A
European Review, 22.2 (2013): 189-201.
Zimmer, Oliver. "Beneath the Culture War: Corpus Christi Processions and Mutual
Accommodation in the Second German Empire." The Journal of Modern History, 82.2
(2010): 288-334.