German business culture

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BUSINESS CULTURE. GERMANY. DEUTSCHLAND.

description

Business culture, gifts, religion, culture, taboos etc.

Transcript of German business culture

Page 1: German business culture

BUSINESS CULTURE.

GERMANY.DEUTSCHLAND.

Page 2: German business culture

INTRODUCTION

• Greetings are formal.• A quick, firm handshake is the

traditional greeting.• In general, wait for your host or

hostess to introduce you to a group.

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ADRESSING

• Shake hands with everyone including children, say “Guten Tag”, but not “how are you?”! And keep eye contact when greet somebody;

• Use title and last name to address people. Say Herr (Mr) or Frau (Mrs.) and use the formal pronoun “du” when talking to elder people.

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PERCEPTION OF TIME

People in Germany have monochronic view of time:

- punctuality;- one task at a time;- step by step manner;- rules;- conformity;- speed.

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SMALL TALK

• No Such Thing As Small Talk;• Do feel free to have serious

discussions on politics and philosophy. They do not like idle chit-chat.

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BUSINESS NEGOTIATIONS• Do not sit until invited and told where to sit. There is a rigid

protocol to be followed.

• Meetings adhere to strict agendas, including starting and ending times.

• Treat the process with the formality that it deserves.

• Germans prefer to get down to business and only engage in the briefest of small talk.

• Make sure your printed material is available in both English and German.

• Contracts are strictly followed.

• You must be patient and not appear ruffled by the strict adherence to protocol. 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.

• Avoid confrontational behavior or high- pressure tactics. It can be counterproductive.

• Once a decision is made, it will not be changed.

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DRESSING

• Be formal. Dress formally for business functions. No shorts and extremely casual wear. Ladies do not wear flashy jewelry and accessories.

YES NO

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TABOOS• Using the signs of “Nazi salute”,

shout “Heil Hitler”, or show swastikas or other symbols of the Third Reich is a criminal offense and punishable up to five years imprisonment.

• Making a circular motion using the index finger while pointing to the side of one’s head is a rude gesture indicating that someone is crazy or deranged.

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• Germany is fifth most alcohol-drinking nation in Europe;

• The legal drinking age in Germany is 16 ;

• In Germany, beer is about same price as water and drinking alcohol in public is common as well as legal;

• “Biggest social problem” according to Peter Lang head of drug prevention and abuse at the German Center of Health Education

• 1,7 million Germans are dependent on alcohol.

USE OF ALCOHOL

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GIFTS

• If you are invited to a German's house, bring a gift such as chocolates or flowers.

• 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.

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FLOWERSPresent the hostess with a bunch of flowers, but remember:• Yellow roses or tea roses

are always well received.• Do not give red roses as

they symbolize romantic intentions.

• Do not give carnations as they symbolize mourning.

• Do not give lilies or chrysanthemums as they are used at funerals.

NO

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RELIGION

• Christianity is the largest religion in Germany with 52 million adherents (about 62% of population)

• The second largest religion is Islam with 4 million adherents (5%) followed by Buddhism and Judaism.)

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OTHER

• Do not wait to be seated at a German restaurant. It is common to share tables with a stranger.

• Do not jaywalk. Nobody else does, and you might get fined.

• Do not ever ask for tap water at a restaurant, which will be equated with stinginess.

• Do not put your elbows on the table when eating.• Have cash with you. Many restaurants don’t take

credit cards.

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sources

• noelty.com (perception of time)

• dw.de (The highs and lows of Germany's drinking culture)

• slideshare.net (Germany)

• traveltaboo.com(Germany travel tips - DOs and DONTs)

• kwintessential.co.uk (Germany profile)

• eupedia.com