Germany

Disclaimer

Disclaimer: None of the information is my own, sources are listed at the end. This is just a PowerPoint I created by compiling information from other sites. I am not claiming the information as my own. The purpose of this PowerPoint is to provide information about different cultures and learn more about the world around us. Enjoy!

Introduction

Capital: BerlinGovernment: Federal republic Make up

91.2 percent German 2.4 percent Turkish 6.1 percent other (Greek, Italian, Polish, Russian,

Serbo-Croatian)Language

German is the official language 95 percent population speaks German as first language

Also Danish, Turkish, Kurdish

General Information

Europe’s largest economy and second largest population

Geography Environment Issues: coal-burning, air pollution, acid

rain, Baltic sea p0llution, damaging forests Natural Resources: coal, lignite, natural gas, iron ore,

cooper, nickel, uranium, potash, salt, construction materials, timber

Germans are very direct, personal emotions aren’t spoken Direct sign of respect and part of the search for

correctnessSeem arrogant, but are prideful of

accomplishments

General Information (cont.)

Lack of humor in business settings Time and place for everything Don’t respond to/aren’t aware of indirect hints and

nonverbal signalsConsistency and reliability are important for

Germans

Economy

Fifth largest economy in worldHas highly skilled labor forceExports

Machinery, vehicles, chemicals, household equipment, computer and electronics, pharmaceuticals, metals, textiles, rubber, plastic products

Export partners: France, UK, Netherlands, US, Austria, Italy, China, Switzerland, Poland

Imports Machinery, data processing equipment, vehicles,

chemicals, oil and gas, metals, electric equipment, pharmaceuticals, agricultural products

Import partners: Netherlands, France, China, Belgium, Italy, UK, Austria, Russia

Communications

Advanced telecommunication systemsGermany has a mix of private and public TV

and radio stationNational and regional compete with more

than 400 private owned stationsMore than 90 percent have cable or satellite

TV

German People & Society

99 percent literacy rate 5.5 percent unemployment Government

Has 16 stadts (states) Gained independence Jan. 18, 1871 Oct. 3 is unity day Weimar Constitution – amended many times, last time

in 2012 Civil Law legal system Must be 18 to vote

Branches of Government

Executive Chief of State - President (figure head) Head of government – Chancellor (has the power) Cabinet – Appointed by president with

recommendation of the chancellor Elections:

President elected for five year term by Federal Convention including members of Federal Parliament and equal number of delegates

Chancellor elected by absolute majority of Federal Parliament for four year term

Branches of Government (cont.)

Legislative Bicameral consists of Federal Council and Federal Parliament

Federal Council (Bundesrat) – State gov’t sits in Council, each has three to six votes depending on population

Federal Parliament (Bundestag) – Members elected by popular vote for four year term Party must win five percent of national vote or three direct

members to get proportional representation

Judicial Federal Court of Justice

Consists of 127 judges including court president, VP, presiding judges, other judges

Organized into 25 and divided into 12 civil panels, five criminal panel, eight special panel

Federal Constitutional Court has two Senates divided into three chambers with a chairmen and eight members

Branches of Government (cont.)

Federal Court of Justice judges selected by Judges Election Committee o Consists of Secretaries of Justice from 16 States and 16

members appointed by Federal Parliament o Judges appointed by President and serve until 65 years oldo Federal Constitutional Court judge appointed for 12 year

terms, must retire by age 68

Government (cont.)

Political parties Green Party Christian Democratic Union (CDU) Christian Social Union (CSU) Free Democratic Party (FDP) Left Party Social Democratic Party (SDP)

National symbol: Golden EagleNational anthem: Das Leid der Deutschen

German People (cont.)

Generally value order, privacy and punctuality Are thrifty, hardworking and industriousRespect perfectionism in all areas of lifeDon’t admit inadequacy Don’t shout or be loudDon’t put feet on furnitureDon’t lose your temper publicly (shows

weakness)Compliment carefully and sparingly

Shows weakness May correct your behavior

Social duty

General Information

Most aspects of German living/working defined and regulated by structure Many laws, rules, procedures Rules allow people to know expectations so they can

plan accordingly Live structured and ordered life Planning security

Once proper way of doing task is discovered they don’t do it another way

Spaces

Germans take pride in their homes Keep it neat and tidy Home is where individualism shines

Only close friends and relatives invited to someone’s home more informal communication occurring

Common areas must be kept cleanDon’t ask for a tour of guests home

Names and Titles

Use last name and titleUse ‘Sie’ when addressing peopleNever use titles incorrectly or never fail to

use them If unsure use a higher title

Two titles shouldn’t be used at the same time If a person has more than one, use the higher ranking

one

Business Practices

Introduction Be on time – showing up late is insulting, can ruin reputation Use titles and surnames – tend to stick to roles rigidly Shake hands – Germans shake hands with everyone before and

after meeting, start with most senior person and work down Keep it firm and brief to convey confidence and reliability

Dress conservatively Don’t mix personal with business – keep small talk light

Don’t’ talk about home life, politics or religion Never discuss income EVER

Knock before you enter room Keep your distance, personal space matters, don’t touch Say what you mean – be direct and factual Plan ahead – they hate surprises Wish everyone ‘Guten Appetit’ before eating

Business (cont.)

Send company profiles to establish credibility Rank is extremely important in businessFirst meeting usually to see reliability and to

establish trustArrive prepared, avoid surprisesEnglish business cards are acceptableGermans are competitiveValue privacy Everything should be backed up by facts, figures,

tables, charts, etc. Don’t call a German at home unless it’s an

emergency

Business (cont.)

Master planners, prizes forward thinking, know what they will be doing on specific time on specific day Think thoroughly, examine with detail Careful planning security

Prescribed business rules, low degree of flexibility and spontaneity in attitudes and values

Don’t like surprises, sudden changes in business transactions even if it improves outcome aren’t welcome

Business viewed as serious and don’t appreciate humor in business context

Don’t care to be complimented

Business (cont.)

Work and personal life strictly divided Proper time and place for activity

Individualistic Unethical behavior will diminish future

business negotiationsMeeting etiquette

Greetings are formal Firm, quick handshake

Titles are important Say Herr or Frau before title & surname

Wait for host/hostess to introduce you to group Shake hands w/ everyone (including kids) when

entering room

Business (cont.)

Don’t need personal relationship to do businessInterested in academic credentials and years of

experience Display great deference to people in authority, so

understand your level relative to their ownDon’t have open door policy, work with doors

closed Knock and wait before entering rooms

Communication is formalDon’t use hyperboleGermans are direct and bluntExpect a lot of written communication

Like to have records of decisions/discussions

Business Values

Formality/Inflexibility Arrive on time, greet politely, stick to agenda Negotiations, contracts, etc., approved by management and take their time to

carefully review (Germans are detail oriented) Professionalism

Always address with title Care about credentials Professionalism commands respect Logical and forward moving

Work ethic Projects move at slower pace b/c of thorough, detail-oriented people Don’t take risks, always meet deadlines

Blunt Want to get straight to the point Not subtle, are critically honest and assertive

Fair/loyalty Meant what they say Don’t pressure them after an open answer Compromise during deadlock

Business Meeting

Appointments mandatory Should be made one to two weeks in advance

Letters addressed to top person in functional area Include name and business title

Meetings are formalIf you expect to be delayed, call immediately

and offer explanation Cancelling last minute could jeopardize reputation

Meetings adhere to strict agendas Includes start and end times

Maintain proper eye contact when speaking

Business Meeting (cont.)

At end of meeting some Germans may rap knuckles on tabletop

Strict protocol to follow when entering room Highest ranking enters first and so on Men enter before women if age and status are equal

Don’t shake hands with one hand in pocket

Business Negotiation

Don’t sit until invited to sit and told where to sit

Meetings adhere to strict agendasTreat process with formalityGermans prefer to get down to business and

engage in briefest small talkGermans are interested in credentials Contracts should be strictly followedBe patient, Germans are detail-oriented and

want to understand every innuendo before coming to an agreement

Business Negotiation (cont.)

Business is hierarchical Decision-making is held at top of company

Final decisions translated in rigorous, comprehensive action steps

Avoid confrontational behavior or high-pressure tactics

Once decision is made, it won’t be changed

Dining Etiquette

Arrive on time, don’t arrive early or it shows poor planning and NEVER arrive late unless otherwise noted

Send handwritten thank you note the day after for hospitality

Remain standing until asked to sit down They may assign you a seat

Hold fork with left hand, knife with rightDon’t eat until host said ‘Guten Appetit’Wait for host to place napkin on lap before

doing soDon’t rest elbows on table

Dining Etiquette (cont.)

Don’t cut lettuce, fold itCut as much of your food as you canFinish what’s on your plateUse hands to break apart rollsWhen finished place fork and knife parallel

across right side of plate with fork over knifeRestaurant setting:

Address waiter “Herr Ober” Address waitress “Fraulein”

Business breakfast are arranged, but lunch is preferred

Dining/Entertainment

Business entertaining usually done in restaurants Lunch with business colleagues involve social

conversations Don’t discuss business during lunch/dinner unless

host initiates Spouses not included in business dinnerDon’t drink until host drinks

When toasting, hold glass at step, clink glass with people around you and say ‘Prosit’ and take a drink

Then look into eyes of someone at table, lift glass and set on table

Guest of honor seated to left of host if it’s a man, to the right if a woman

Dining/Entertainment (cont.)

Keep hands on table Hands should NEVER be on lap Keep elbows Off the table

Use knife and fork to eat sandwiches and fruits Whatever doesn’t need a knife shouldn’t be touched

with knife Use fish knife to cut fish

Don’t smoke until dinner is finished and coffee is served – ask permission before you do

Germans don’t stay long after dinner Honored guests supposed to make first move to leave

Punctuality

Germans compartmentalize into controlled units

Time is carefully managed Schedules must be respected aka DO NOT Be Late!

Transportation leave and arrive on time, projects are carefully scheduled and organizational charts are detailed

Being late even a minute can offend people

Gift Giving

Gift giving not common and often inappropriate Focus more on business at hand than formalities/rituals More social occasions, gift giving is customary

Guidelines for gifts Small, good quality, but not too expensive When invited to German home bring gift of flowers, vine,

chocolate or small gift from home country Flowers should be given in uneven numbers and unwrapped

Don’t give 13 of anything Don’t give red roses because it’s associated with romance Don’t give carnations because it’s associated with mourning Lilies are used at funerals, so avoid those Open gifts when you receive them

Business Dress Code

Dress neatly and conservatively – never ostentatious

General code: Casual/sloppy attire is frowned upon Men should wear dark colored conservative business

suits with solid tie and white shirt Women should wear dark suits and white blouses or

conservative dresses Don’t remove jacket until German colleague does Don’t wear heavy makeup or flashy jewelry/accessories

Sources

www.thelocal.de/gallerie/news/1773www.businessculture.org/western-europe/busin

ess-culture-in-germany/business-etiquette-in-germany/

www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/germany-country-profile.html

www.ediplomat.com/np/cultural_etiquette.ce_de.htm

www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/gm.html

www.ediplomat.com/np/cultural_etiquette/ce_de.htm