Business

Etiquette in
Germany
By. Benjamin Shapiro, Garvey Sims,
Yaseen Altarrah, EunJi Kwon, Xianfeng
Rao, Waleed Alhajeri

Marketing Strategy
-QUOTEThe ability to compete with already
established local suppliers is bestachieved using an emotional approach.
(Risko)

-EXAMPLEAmazon.com trying to sell servers in

Germany.

-IMPLEMENTATIONUse in Business domain.

Direct/Technical

History
Was previously known as Charlemagne
Was not unified until the 19th century
Unification led to rapid industrialization
Was involved in two world wars
Was divided again in 1961 and reunited in
1990
Economy was set back greatly because of
reunification process

Brief Video - German Culture

Greetings
Greeting

Formal

Casual

Hello!

Hallo!

Gr dich!

Good morning!
How are you?

Guten Morgen
Wie geht es lhnen?

Im fine, thank you

Excuse me!

Gut, danke
Entschuldigen Sie bitte!

Nice to meet you

Bye!

Wie geht es dire?

Entschuldigung!

Sehr erfreut
Auf Wiedersehen!

Tschss!

Appearance and Dresses

-The idea of Germans/Europeans dont wear jeans is just plain wrong. Jeans are quite common here; they
are just leaner cut than in the US.

-Everyone wears black nope. Germans like color; they just arent always good at matching.

-This uniform is call Drndeell its the traditional dress for Germn women.

Body Language
1) A German is one who is punctual and prompt in work, strictly professional in business and procedural
in their deeds.(Thomas,1)
2) Making a circle with your fingers making the O.K sign mean okay in
Germany

America but it is an insult in

Gift giving
1)

When invited to a German home, always take flowers for the woman and a bottle of wine for the man. Be sure to ask
the shopkeeper to wrap the flowers "as a gift.

2)

In Germany, a small gift is polite, especially when contacts are made for the first time. Substantial gifts are not usual,
and certainly not before a deal has been reached if you don't want your intentions to be misinterpreted. Even small
souvenir-style gifts to thank local staff for their assistance and hospitality during your stay at a company will not be
expected but will always be appreciated.

3)

Christmass a big holiday in Germany. The country is famous for its Christmas Markets known as "Christkindlmarkt"
or "Weihnachtsmarkt".

5 Dimensions of Culture

Low-context

Individualism

Time is precious

Low-power-distance

Direct

Time Structure of a Typical Business Day

Flexible & Balance

Ladenschlussgesetz (Shop Closing Law)

Short Packed Days

Decision Making Traditions

women did not play a large role when making decisions according to this statistic.

% of women in senior management : 3.7% (1999)

women play a large role in national government, as compare to
business.

% women in national Government: 35,0% (2000)

Gender Roles

Do you think we will ever have a female President in America?

Angela Merkel, Germanys first female Vice President

Meals & Dining Etiquette

Begin eating with Guten Appetit (have a nice meal).

No elbows on the table.
both hands must be visible at all times.
Finish eating with laying your knife and fork parallel
No more insist on alcoholic drinks at first rejection
Wine: Zum Wohl! Beer: Prost (good health)

Attitude towards Authority

Education is highly prized

Strong respect for authority
Formal Relationships between bosses and subordinates
Outbursts of emotion in the workplace-- signs of weakness and lack of
professionalism.

Attitudes Towards Conflict Resolution

Germans preferred a regulations model. (Tinsley)
Survey of German businessmen and women.
Governed by law.

Status level
Integrate Interests

Citations
Anonymous, . "Country Focus: Germany." Credit Management, (2010): 28.
Risko, Tnde Csapone, and Troy Wiwczaroski. "From Domestic Marketing Through International Marketing to Intercultural Marketing." Economic
Affairs, 59.3 (2014): 439.
Alex Seeland, European database, Report form Germany by our transnational partner <http://www.db-decision.de/CoRe/Germany.htm>
Maddie K, About Gender Roles, Dating and Marriage in Germany<https://reportinglivefromtubingen.wordpress.com/2012/10/21/about-genderroles-dating-and-marriage-in-germany-also-love-locks/>
Tinsley, Catherine. "Models Of Conflict Resolution In Japanese, German, And American Cultures." Journal Of Applied Psychology 83.2 (1998): 316323. PsycARTICLES. Web. 30 Oct. 2015.

Citations contd
Mathis, Stephanie. Communication Styles in Germany and the United States. <http://navigators.web.unc.edu/2012/04/23/communicationstyles-in-germany-and-the-united-states/>
BOB. "Germany Gift Giving Customs." - Giftypedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Oct. 2015.
Thomas B. "Interesting Germany Body Language and Gestures!"Interesting Germany Body Language and Gestures! N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Oct. 2015.
Business Communication <http://businessculture.org/western-europe/business-culture-in-germany/business-communication-in-germany/>