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Germany (Deutschland) : Cross Cultural Communication

Germany values order, punctuality, and hard work. Business appointments are preferred between 10am-1pm and 3pm-5pm, but avoid Fridays after 2pm-3pm. Greet with "Guten Morgen," "Guten Tag," or "Auf wiedersehen." Use last names and titles until invited to use first names. Meetings require punctuality and allow assessing trustworthiness. Dining etiquette includes using cutlery for every dish and thanking in person.

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Shubhi Singh
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478 views21 pages

Germany (Deutschland) : Cross Cultural Communication

Germany values order, punctuality, and hard work. Business appointments are preferred between 10am-1pm and 3pm-5pm, but avoid Fridays after 2pm-3pm. Greet with "Guten Morgen," "Guten Tag," or "Auf wiedersehen." Use last names and titles until invited to use first names. Meetings require punctuality and allow assessing trustworthiness. Dining etiquette includes using cutlery for every dish and thanking in person.

Uploaded by

Shubhi Singh
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
  • Introduction: Provides an overview of the presentation, including contributors' names and topic focus.
  • Facts: Summarizes basic information about Germany, including location, capital, political system, and demographics.
  • Cultural Norms: Discusses societal values of Germans around order, punctuality, and work ethic, including sections on greetings, appointments, and meetings.
  • Business Etiquette: Examines business relationship norms, meeting protocol, and dress codes in German corporate culture.
  • Dining and Entertainment: Explores dining etiquette, conversation norms, and favorite dishes and drinks in German social settings.
  • Gifts: Provides guidelines on appropriate gifts for business and personal occasions in Germany.
  • Women in Business: Discusses the role and challenges faced by women in German business settings.
  • Economy: Highlights Germany’s economic strengths, including its role as a leading exporter.

CROSS CULTURAL COMMUNICATION

GERMANY (DEUTSCHLAND)
Compiled By:
Fraulien Singh (Shubhi) Froulien Mahajan (Ayesha) Herr Sharma(Debanjan) Herr Mohapatra (Swayam) Herr Jain (Rishab) Herr Ehsan

Facts
Location : Central Europe Capital City: Berlin

Administration: Democratic-

Parliamentary System State system: 16 Language: German National Currency :Euro

The People
Value order, privacy Punctuality.

Hard working,

industrious. Respect perfectionism

Appointments
DOs Make appointments well in advance.
Call and notify, if late with an explanation. The preferred times for business appointments: b/w 10:00

a.m. and 1:00 p.m, b/w 3:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m.

DONTs Avoid scheduling appointments on Friday afternoons, as some offices close by 2:00 p.m. or 3:00 p.m. on Fridays. Be sensitive to vacation/festival periods.

Greeting
Guten Morgen (good morning), Guten Tag (hello/good

afternoon/good day),Auf wiedersehen (Until we meet). Always reply using the same.

Names and Title


Use last names and appropriate titles until specifically

invited by your German host or colleagues to use their first names. Use prefix Herr (Mr), Frau (Mrs) or Frouline (Miss) followed by their last name/occupational title. Use their entire title however long it maybe while addressing them e.g. Herr/Frau Doctor Bauer.

Meeting
Letters should be addressed to the top person in the

functional area and should be in German. The highest ranking person enters the room first. Men enter before women. Maintain direct eye- contact. Printed material in both English and German.

Business Cards

BODY LANGUAGE
Dos Donts

Business Etiquette and Protocol in Germany

Relationship and Communication


Germans do not need a personal relationship in order to do business.
They will be interested in your academic credentials and the amount of time your company has been in business. Do not have an open-door policy. Germans will be direct to the point of bluntness. Expect a great deal of written communication, both to back up decisions and to maintain a record of decisions and discussions.

Business Meeting Etiquette


For meetings, one must be on time. Initial meetings are used to get to know each other. They allow your German colleagues to determine if you are trustworthy. At the end of a meeting, some Germans signal their approval by rapping their knuckles on the tabletop.

There is a strict protocol to follow when 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.

Dress Etiquette
Men should wear dark colored, conservative business suits. Women should wear either business suits or conservative dresses. Do not wear flashy accessories.

DINING ETIQUETTE
Etiquette for calling waiter/waitress Conversation during Lunch/Dinner Spouse Drinking etiquette Courtesy during meals Seating arrangements

Keep your hands on the table and not in your lap.


Use cutlery for every dish. Do not leave any food on your plate when you are

finished eating. Do not smoke until after dinner is finished and coffee is served. Then ask permission. A "thank you" is usually done in person or with a telephone call. Favorite Food: Sausages and Black forest cake. Favorite Beverage: Beer Festival:Ocktober Fest(Munich )

Gifts to be given
A gift chosen should be 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 or liquor When invited to a German home, it is appropriate to bring a gift of flowers, wine, chocolates, or a small gift that represents your home country or region. Flowers should be given in uneven numbers and unwrapped . Avoid presenting 13 of any kind of flower or red roses

Gifts not to be given


Do not give red roses as they symbolise romantic intentions.
Do not give carnations as they symbolise mourning. Do not give lilies or chrysanthemums as they are used at funerals. Clothing and perfumes are considered to be far personal to be appropriate. Avoid bringing beer as a gift.

Women
Traditionally, there has been little acceptance of

women in high positions of responsibility and power in business. Women, especially foreign women, must establish their position and ability immediately in order to conduct business successfully in Germany.

Germany is the largest exporter in the world

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