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German Business Culture: By-Arpit, Deepshi, Pulkit, Palmeet, Prabjyot, Nikhil

German culture values formality, hierarchy, punctuality, and direct communication in business. Handshakes are firm and meetings follow strict agendas. Business attire is conservative and arriving late is unacceptable. Germans appreciate getting to know contacts over relaxed lunches but gift giving requires caution. Walmart failed to adapt to German preferences, like hiring American managers unable to speak German and forcing the use of English over connecting to existing staff.

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Arpit Pandey
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83 views13 pages

German Business Culture: By-Arpit, Deepshi, Pulkit, Palmeet, Prabjyot, Nikhil

German culture values formality, hierarchy, punctuality, and direct communication in business. Handshakes are firm and meetings follow strict agendas. Business attire is conservative and arriving late is unacceptable. Germans appreciate getting to know contacts over relaxed lunches but gift giving requires caution. Walmart failed to adapt to German preferences, like hiring American managers unable to speak German and forcing the use of English over connecting to existing staff.

Uploaded by

Arpit Pandey
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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German Business

Culture
by-Arpit ,Deepshi,
Pulkit,Palmeet,Prabjyot,Nikhil
About Germany
• Germany is Europe's most industrialised and populous country.
Famed for its technological achievements, it has also produced some
of Europe's most celebrated composers, philosophers and poets.
• Berlin is the capital of Germany
• The majority of Germans are Christian, either Roman Catholic
• The Population of Germany was recorded 8.28 crores in 2017
• Over 95% of the residents of Germany speak german language
• Various festivals like Oktoberfest, Festival-Mediaval & Karneval are
celebrated in Germany
Greetings
• A quick & firm handshake is a traditional greeting. The German
handshake is firm and brief, conveying confidence and reliability.
Make sure yours is the same; a weak handshake will inspire insecurity
• Eye contact while shaking hands sometimes bow head
• Avoid shaking hands while one hand in pocket
• Shake hands at the beginning and the end of the meeting
• When a women enter it is considered polite for men to stand
• Address Germans with full correct title and last name
Body Language
• In German lots of physical distance and a moderate tone are
appropriate in most situations
• Direct eye contact is important. Avoiding it seems insecure or
unfriendly to germans.
• Never put your hands in pocket while speaking
• Do not point your index finger to your own head - it is an insult.
Business values
• Formality and a certain lack of flexibility
• Professionalism
• Work ethic
• Bluntness
• Fairness and loyalty
Business Mentality

• Slow decision making.


• Managers work from precise and detailed agendas.
• Well-defined and strictly observed hierarchy
• Presentations made using a lot of facts and figures. 
Fashion
-varies in different cities and industries
-Banking cities like Frankfurt tend to be a bit more conservative than
Berlin
Slow and steady
• steady pace
• priority is given to accuracy than speed
• submission on time
• deadline extension on a valid reason.
Business meetings and meals
• The dress code in corporate business is formal, dark and conservative
for both men and women. Dress codes in the IT sector are more
casual.
• Punctuality in German business culture is sacred. Arriving 15 minutes
late will be considered a very serious offence
• The best time to schedule a business appointment is between 10:00
am and 1:00 pm or between 3:00 pm and 5:00 pm. Avoid scheduling
appointments on Friday afternoon, as some offices will close by 2:00
pm or 3:00 pm on Fridays
The Art of Conversation
• – If you do not speak German, be careful of addressing a person in
English. While Germans can speak very good English, some may well
feel offended by the presumption.
• – Appropriate welcome topics are: football, recent holidays, work.
• – Germans do not find it hard to say "No", "I can't", or "This is
impossible", so you will get a straightforward answer
Entertainment
• While many Germans won’t shed their general reserve too quickly, you may
at times be invited for business occasions in a more casual setting, especially
over food and drinks.
• The most common occasion is business lunch at a restaurant. Meeting over
breakfast, brunch, or dinner is slightly less usual, although you may get
invited to after-work drinks. A business lunch normally takes place between
noon and 3 pm, and the mood is warmer and more relaxed than during your
typical meeting.
• This is an excellent opportunity to get to know your German contacts a little
better. If you have received an official invite, your host will insist on paying
the bill. Don’t start eating before your hosts have wished you Guten Appetit!
Gifts
• Even in the context of friendly business situations, gift-giving is often
inappropriate. Everything that might oblige the recipient is either
taboo or downright illegal.
• However, when negotiations have been successfully concluded or if
you have become friends with a German business contact, a small
present (e.g. a souvenir from your home country, some chocolates for
the office staff, flowers for a helpful assistant, etc.) might be
acceptable. Employees in government institutions are strictly
forbidden to accept anything, though.
Why Walmart Failed in
Germany?
• CEO of German branch was American, didn’t speak
German
• staff hired to greet them at the door and bag their
groceries was german
• Other competitive retailers in the market
• German laws prevented easy go hiring and firing
• German people don’t smile at total strangers and
Walmart
• Walmart forced the usage of English as the official
language and the new employs made no efforts in
connecting with existing ones.

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