Location: Central Europe Capital: Berlin Population: 82,424,609 (July 2004 est.) Ethnic Make-up: German 91.

5%, Turkish 2.4%, other 6.1% (made up largely of Greek, Italian, Polish, Russian, Serbo-Croatian, Spanish) Religions: Protestant 34%, Roman Catholic 34%, Muslim 3.7%, unaffiliated or other 28.3% Government: federal republic Currency: Euro Language: official language is German over 95%. Minority languages include Serbian ; several other languages such as French, Danish and English.

the French revolution

The first German Parliament

The Bismarckian systems

Nazi Germany (1933-1945)

The name Germany is used in three senses: first, it refers to the region in Central Europe commonly regarded as constituting Germany, even when there was no central German state, as was the case for most of Germany's history; second, it refers to the unified German state established in 1871 and existing until 1945; and third, since October 3, 1990, it refers to the united Germany, formed by the accession on this date of the German Democratic Republic (GDR, or East Germany) to the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG, or West Germany). The name Federal Republic of Germany refers to West Germany from its founding on May 23, 1949, until German unification on October 3, 1990. After this date, it refers to united Germany. For the sake of brevity and variety, the Federal Republic of Germany is often called simply the Federal Republic.

The Berlin Wall (German: Berliner Mauer) was a barrier constructed by the German Democratic Republic (GDR, East Germany) starting August 13, 1961 It completely cut off West Berlin from surrounding East Germany and from East Berlin. The Berlin Wall was officially referred to as the "AntiFascist Protection Wall" (German: Antifaschistischer Schutzwall). The West Berlin city government sometimes referred to it as the "Wall of Shame" a term coined by mayor Willy Brandt. The wall restricted the freedom of movement of Germans. Between 1961 and 1989, around 5,000 people attempted to escape over the wall, with estimates of the resulting death toll varying between 100 and 200. The East German government announced on November 9, 1989 that all GDR citizens could visit West Germany and West Berlin. The fall of the Berlin Wall paved the way for German reunification, which was formally concluded on October 3, 1990.

Adolf Hitler(1889 1945)- Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945 Albert Einstein (1879 1955)- the father of modern physics . Awarded Nobel Prize in Physics (1921) Anne Frank(1929 1945)- Acknowledged for the quality of her writing, The Diary of a Young Girl (1947) Rudolf Diesel (1858 1913)- inventor of the Diesel engine
Other notable figures include: Hermann Hesse (poet, novelist and painter), Richard Wagner (musician and composer), Gerhard Richter (painter), Ludwig von Beethoven,Johannes Brahms and Johann Sebastian Bach. Oscar Schindler (who saved Jews during WWII) and Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (philosopher).

and after 1934, also head of state as Fhrer und Reichskanzler ruling the country as an absolute dictator.

Economy of Germany

Germany

is the largest national economy in Europe, The fourth-largest by nominal GDP in the world, and fifth by GDP (PPP) in 2008. Germany is the world's second largest exporter with $1.170 trillion exported in 2009. Among the Fortune Global 500 companies, 37 are headquartered in Germany.

Rank: 5th Fiscal year: calendar year Trade organizations: EU, WTO and OECD

Statistics: GDP: $3.673 trillion (2008) GDP growth -5.0%(2009) GDP per capita Nominal: $44,729 (2008) GDP by sector agriculture: 0.9%; industry : 27.1%;services : 72% (2009 est.) Inflation (CPI)1.2% (March 2010) GNI per capita $42,710 (2008) Population below poverty line 11% (2001) Labour force: 43.51 million (2009 est.) Labour force by occupation services (67,5%), industry (29,7%), agriculture (2,4%) (2005) Unemployment 8.5% (March 2010) Main industries iron, steel, coal, cement, chemicals, machinery, vehicles, machine tools, electronics, food and beverages, shipbuilding, textiles

Exports $1.121 trillion (2009 est.) Export goods machinery, vehicles, chemicals, metals and manufactures, foodstuffs, textiles. Imports $931.3 billion (2009 est.) Import goods machinery, vehicles, chemicals, foodstuffs, textiles, metals FDI stock $1.021 trillion (31 December 2009 est.) Gross external debt $5.208 trillion (30 June 2009)

Public finances

Public debt 77.2% of GDP (2009 est.) Revenues $1.398 trillion (2009 est.) Expenses $1.54 trillion (2009 est.) Foreign reserves $138 billion (31 December 2008 est.)

Automobile Industry Chemical Industry Mechanical Engineering Industry Medical Technology Textile Industry Mining Industry

One word may have different meaning in different countries. For example- in Germany, Drucken means to push or press but it has different meaning in English, where it means to print (Book, newspaper)

German people prefer to maintain some physical distance among themselves (when they communicate with each other). They maintain direct eye contact while speaking.

Germany is an individualistic country. It believes in I consciousness compared to We consciousness. In case of marketing in the Germany, I concept is used rather than We concept. Besides, the managers are strongly product oriented, confident that a good product will sell itself.

Eating customs include: Keeping your hands above the table, not complaining about food, and setting your knife and fork parallel when finished eating or crossing them when pausing. There are no refills for drinks, so any additional drinks are charged to you (this includes water, which you also have to pay for).

Some other important customs/manners include: Being on time, using a person's surname unless the person is a good friend, not speaking poorly of German football (soccer), and taking off shoes when entering a home. Like other Europeans, one of their favorite pastimes is football (or soccer).

Very punctual Gift Giving Etiquette If you are invited to a German's house, bring a gift such as chocolates or flowers. Yellow roses or tea roses are always well received. If you bring wine, it should be imported, French or Italian. Giving German wines is viewed as meaning you do not think the host will serve a good quality wine. Gifts are usually opened when received. Dining Etiquette If you are invited to a German's house: Arrive on time as punctuality indicates proper planning. Never arrive early. Never arrive more than 15 minutes later than invited without telephoning to explain you have been detained. Send a handwritten thank you note the following day to thank your hostess for her hospitality.

PDI (Power Distance Index) - the PDI score relates to the degree of equality or inequality between people in a country's society. IDV (Individualism) - the individualism score focuses on the degree to which a culture values and reinforces the importance of the individual as opposed to the group.
MAS (Masculinity) - masculinity focuses on the degree to which a culture reinforces the traditional role of males vs. females. VAI (Uncertainty Avoidance) - looks at the level of tolerance for uncertainty and ambiguity within a culture.

Germany is often known as das Land der Dichter und Denker (the land of poets and thinkers) German literature is full of famous authors and poets. Nine Germans have won the Nobel Prize in literature: Theodor Mommsen, Paul von Heyse, Gerhart Hauptmann, Thomas Mann, Nelly Sachs, Hermann Hesse, Heinrich Bll, Gnter Grass, and Herta Mller .

Offices: Mondays to Fridays: 09:00 - 18:00 (with a 1 hour lunch break) Banks: Mondays to Fridays: 08:30 - 13:00 14:30 - 16:00 (on Thursday until 18:00) Stores: Mondays to Fridays: 09:00 - 18:30 Saturdays (shopping centers) 09:00 - 16:00

The preferred times for business appointments are between 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. or between 3:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. Avoid scheduling appointments on Friday afternoons, as some offices close by 2:00 p.m. or 3:00 p.m. on Fridays.

Business dress is understated, formal and conservative. Men should wear dark colored, conservative business suits. Women should wear either business suits or conservative dresses. Do not wear ostentatious jewellery or accessories.

According to their planning, organizing, staffing, leading & controlling

01. Decision taking. 02. Level of involvement.

03. Quickness of decision. 04. Quickness of decision implementation.

01. Top management. 02. Mostly top management is involved. Employees are rarely involved. 03. Fast enough.
04. Not as quick as the decision was made.

Who is doing what task?

the top level managers take decision, the mid level managers supervise and the bottom level does the operation.

Clearness of authority and responsibility

Clear and very specific authority and responsibility toward the different level of managers Its formal and practice of redtapism.
They are identified with the company name.

Organizational structure?

Identification of employees?

Who does the recruitment? Who are recruited?

Training and development

The organization itself or through the recruitment agencies. Mostly the refreshers. But sometimes the top executives for specific requirement. Training is held for current job requirement and development is undertaken as long term investment by the company. It is given upon the work experience mostly. Job security is high in germany.

Remuneration and promotions Job security

How the leader works?

He takes decisions and act as a controlling entity

Management style?
Nature of communication?

Mostly directive but somewhere it is autocratic. It is top to bottom

Who is controlling? Focus of controlling?

The top managers To the individual performance to achieve the goal. MBO is followed by most german firms.

Management by organization-

Use of quility circles? Use of SPC{statistical process control}?

Germen management use QC. The automobile firms in germany use SPC.

Meetings are generally formal. Appointments are mandatory and should be made 1 to 2 weeks in advance. If you write to schedule an appointment, the letter should be written in German. Punctuality is taken extremely seriously. A quick, firm handshake is the traditional greeting. Titles are very important and denote respect. In general, wait for your host or hostess to introduce you to a group. Maintain direct eye contact while speaking. Although English may be spoken, it is a good idea to hire an interpreter so as to avoid any misunderstandings. At the end of a meeting, some Germans signal their approval by rapping their knuckles on the tabletop. While entering a room: . The eldest or highest ranking person enters the room first. . Men enter before women, if their age and status are roughly equivalent.

Germany is heavily regulated and extremely bureaucratic. Germans prefer to get down to business and only engage in the briefest of small talk. They will be interested in your credentials. Make sure your printed material is available in both English and German. Contracts are strictly followed. Germans are detail- oriented and want to understand every innuendo before coming to an agreement. Business is hierarchical. Decision-making is held at the top of the company. Final decisions are translated into rigorous, comprehensive action steps that you can expect will be carried out to the letter. Avoid confrontational behavior or high- pressure tactics. It can be counterproductive. Once a decision is made, it will not be changed.

Paul The Octopus