Doing Business with Germans E-Book

Sylvia Schroll-Machl

• Herausgeber: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht
• Kategorie: Fachliteratur
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2016

Seitenzahl: 382

Beschreibung

Sylvia Schroll-Machl writes about German cultural standards. Although her work is empirically ascertained and presented in a systematic way, she is able to maintain a certain self-critical levity. Her target groups are Germans and foreigners, who vocationally have something to do with Germans. Her goal is to promote mutual understanding and to offer assistance for intercultural interactions.

Leseprobe

Sylvia Schroll-Machl

Doing Businesswith Germans

Their Perception, Our Perception

With 3 Diagrams and 1 Table

6th Edition

Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht

The publication of this volume was supported by

Jörg Plannerer drew the 7 cartoons.

Bibliographic Information published by Die Deutsche Bibliothek

Die Deutsche Bibliothek lists this publication in the Deutsche Nationalbibliografie; detailed bibliographic data are available on the Internet at http://dnb.d-nb.de.

ISBN 978-3-647-99556-4

You can find alternative editions of this book and additional material on our Website: www.v-r.de

© 2016, 2003, Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht GmbH & Co. KG, Theaterstraße 13, D-37073 Göttingen/Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht LLC, Bristol, CT, U.S.A.

www.v-r.de

All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photo-copying, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without prior written permission from the publisher.

Typeset by Satzspiegel, Nörten-HardenbergEPUB production by Lumina Datamatics, Griesheim

Contents

Foreword (Alexander Thomas)

Introduction

Why a Book about Germans?

What this Book Holds for You

Which Germans are Described in this Book?

Acknowledgments

What are Culture Standards?

The Basis

The Definition of Culture

The Definition of Culture Standards

Limitations to the Concept of Culture Standards

How are Culture Standards Generated?

Central German Culture Standards

Putting it all into Perspective

The Historical Context

Culture Standards and Their Historical Genesis

Principal Eras of German History

Central German Culture Standards

Objectivism

Definition of Objectivism

The Objective as the Focal Point

Communication Style

The Objective Level and the Subjective Level

Advantages and Disadvantages of the Culture Standard “Objectivism”

Recommendations

Historical Background

Appreciation for Rules, Regulations and Structures

Definition of “Appreciation for Rules, Regulations and Structures”

Rules and Regulations as Helpful Institutions

Germans’ Love of Organization

Attention to Detail

Ambivalence

The Pros and Cons of Appreciation for Rules, Regulations and Structures

Recommendations

Historical Background

Rule-Oriented, Internalised Control

The Definition of Rule-Oriented, Internalised Control

Consensus: the Best Basis for Rule-Oriented, Internalised Control

Living the Conviction

The Social Component: Justice and Fairness

Independence and Autonomy

The Obligation to Inform

The Moral Value of Rule-Oriented, Internalised Control

The Pros and Cons of Rule-Oriented, Internalised Control

Recommendations

Historical Background

Time Planning

Definition of Time Planning

The Task as the Central Factor in Time Planning

The Importance of Consecutive Steps in Time Planning

Appointments as Regulators Between Tasks and People

Time Planning in Private Life

Time Management

Disturbances and Interruptions

Violations of Time Planning

Pros and Cons of the Culture Standard “Time Planning”

Recommendations

Historical Background

Separation of Personality and Living Spheres

Definition of Separation of Personality and Living Spheres

Separation of Professional and Private

Rational versus Emotional

Role versus Person

Formal versus Informal

Self-Assurance in One’s Role

Regulation of Distance

Relationships with Strangers

Relationships with Acquaintances and Colleagues

Social Contact between Good Acquaintances and Friends

Oscillating between the Two Poles

The Pros and Cons of the Culture Standard “Separation of Personality and Living Spheres”

Recommendations

Historical Background

Low Context: the German Style of Communication

Definition of “Low Context”

Direct Communication: No Double Meanings

Explicit Communication: Whatever is Important will Be Verbalised

Conflict Confrontation

Assertiveness

Dealing with Criticism

Problem Solving

When Germans Use a Higher Context

The Pros and Cons of the Culture Standard “Low-Context: the German Style of Communication”

Recommendations

Historical Background

Individualism

Definition of “Individualism”

Forms of Expressing Individualism

“Individualism” and the Other Cultural Standards

Recommendations

Historical Background

Conclusion

References

Foreword

According to a 3000-year-old Chinese proverb concerning successful communication with strangers, “Only he who knows himself and his counterpart well can achieve one thousand successful encounters.” Here the number one thousand really stands for an infinite number, thus guaranteeing success in all encounters for those who take heed of the proverb. In the context of international cooperation, a modern version of this ancient Chinese proverb could be: “Only those who really understand their foreign colleagues and themselves can achieve success in international business.” The truth of this statement becomes obvious when we think about the vast amount of knowledge foreigners need to understand the style of working and living, the norms and standards, customs and traditions of the new country in which they are planning to live or work. When asked what motivated them to make their move, students planning to study at a foreign university, young people taking part in school and youth exchange programs, experienced managers and specialists taking part in international professional work exchange programs and many tourists planning a trip abroad often have the same spontaneous, simple answer: “I wanted to get to know the country and people better” or “I wanted to broaden my horizons.” Many training and qualification programs – and even more travel and guide books – have attempted to meet the need for extensive and accurate information about foreign countries and their customs and traditions.

It is generally accepted that “global players” who are fit to “walk and work around the world” need to have a good measure of understanding, openness and curiosity about anything new and different, a dash of tolerance and, to round off the successful recipe, intercultural awareness.

Experienced travellers who have not been just visitors and spectators, but who have actually come to know a particular foreign country and have worked and forged common goals with their foreign partners, report that each new country represents a new and demanding challenge.

In the foreword of his book “Chinese Characteristics,” published in Leipzig in 1900, Arthur H. Smith quotes Sir Robert Hard, General Director of the Chinese Customs Authority, who had lived and worked in China for over four decades: “China is a very difficult country to understand. A few years ago I believed that I had finally progressed so far that I was able to understand something of the country, and tried to write down my views. Today I feel like a complete novice again. If I were now required to write three or four pages about China, I would not know where to start. I have learnt only one thing. In my country we are told to stand firm and resist, even if this means that in the end we break. In China the opposite applies: let yourself be molded and changed, but don’t allow yourself to break.”

This statement is remarkable in many ways. First of all it shows that the more information and experience we gather about the people and culture of a foreign country, the greater our awareness of how little we actually know and understand of the supposedly “familiar” land and its inhabitants and how to get along with them. In addition Sir Robert Hard’s comments make it clear that for him, his wealth of knowledge resulted not only from his many years of experience in dealing with and observing his Chinese partners, but was also in part due to his ability to reflect on his own country and culture.

Most people who, like Sir Robert Hard, report back on their experiences of a foreign country and its people, tend to speak exclusively about the things that have seemed strange, distinctive, incomprehensible or illogical. The foreign culture is the main focus. Our own culture functions as a yardstick against which to measure and judge the foreign culture, and is not often seen with fresh and critical eyes, as was the case for Sir Robert Hard. The second part of the Chinese proverb regarding “successful contact” refers to this self-knowledge, which is often lacking and therefore not taken into consideration.

International collaboration is often difficult for everyone involved because the behaviour of the respective foreign partners rarely matches their expectations of one another. To make the matter more complicated, the reasons for this unexpected behaviour are neither apparent nor comprehensible. This is, however, a very superficial and simplified view of the actual situation. The most serious challenge to international collaboration is not posed by lack of knowledge about each other, but lack of understanding of ourselves: of our own values, norms and rules, of how we perceive, think about and assess situations, of how we behave. We are completely unaware of how others perceive us and the effect we have on them. What is the reason for this lack of awareness of our own culture?

People from different nations and cultures who strive to work, communicate and cooperate together grew up in and were socialised within their own individual cultures. They were taught and came to accept the socially and culturally relevant norms, values and behaviours during this upbringing. As a result, they have adopted and individually adapted a very specific system of orientation which is typical for their culture. During the entire learning process the main characteristics of this culture-specific orientation system, which influences and governs thought, perception and behaviour, were taken for granted and accepted as a normal part of everyday behaviour, and therefore no longer noticed on a conscious level.

Everyday experience teaches us that other people can be expected to behave like us, and that our behaviour is generally accepted by others and is therefore correct. As a result we are convinced that people acting with good intentions will (or should) act as we have learnt to, and as we have experienced as positive and successful: our assumptions have never been challenged. If we meet someone whose behaviour does not meet our expectations, we automatically interpret this behaviour negatively, as being the product of ignorance, incompetence or unwillingness – or we may even suspect some ulterior motive.

Of course we know that people from other nations and cultures behave differently to a certain extent, along the lines of “other countries, other customs,” and we are therefore ready and willing to accept a certain level of difference. If, however, this behaviour deviates too far from our expectations or, even worse, contradicts one of our own important behavioural norms, we can no longer be tolerant. Behaviour that once intrigued us as being “exotic” can instantly become something that needs to change and deserving of training, reprimanding, correction or perhaps even some other more radical form of indoctrination. Even when the whole basis for cooperation between international partners is in dire danger because of varying expectations and behavioural differences, it is rare that either side will stop and reflect upon how their own culturally-created behaviour has contributed to the problem.

The way we perceive and interpret a situation occurring in an international setting depends on our own cultural orientation system, which in turn reflects only one possible approach among many. It is only natural that the actions of a foreign partner will seem strange, and for this reason it is important that each person in an international setting recognises the situation in its entire complexity, and defines it as intercultural; as different and not strange and wrong. Intercultural experiences, no matter how dramatic and extreme, unfortunately do not automatically trigger a process that helps us to understand our own cultural orientation better. Instead, this level of awareness can only be achieved when very specific cultural information is available, as well as the means to apply it.

This book was written for exactly this purpose: to provide the information and examples necessary for recognising and understanding the intricacies of German culture. Anyone who has grown up with German culture, and who needs or wants to deal successfully with people from different cultures, will gain insight into their own culture and their own cultural orientation, which in turn will enable them to better understand their experiences with foreigners. Germans will learn to understand how their behaviour looks from the outside and, in this way, can learn how to modify their behaviour in intercultural settings to make the cooperation more productive, enjoyable and successful.

The experience on which this book is based does not come from philosophical, historical or psychological research by Germans about Germans. Instead, it comes from the sharing of many first-hand observations and experiences of Germans by foreigners. This book concentrates on their observations of the culturally specific German behaviours which have perplexed them and caused them considerable problems and grief. Their observations and insights are surprisingly similar despite their differing nationalities.

What German readers of this book can learn is the result of systematic collection and analysis of those behaviours which foreigners have repeatedly identified as “typically German.” We can only begin to understand our own culturally specific orientation system and the effect it has on our foreign partners when we begin to look at ourselves from their perspective.

For the non-German reader, this book represents an excellent source of information on the culturally specific orientation system that makes something “typically German.” Some of the most strongly rooted typical German culture standards include:

Objectivism (objectivity, task-focus); appreciation for rules, regulations and structures; rule-oriented, internalised control; time planning; separation of personality and living spheres; low-context communication and, finally, individualism.

This book attempts to define culture, culture standards, the limitations and possibilities presented by these definitions, and the part played by history in their development in the German context. The main part of this book deals with the detailed description of the central German culture standards and an exact analysis of how they form the basis of German behaviour. It also analyses the advantages and disadvantages of each culture standard with regard to interpersonal communication and cooperation. Suggestions are offered on how to resolve the resulting challenges and problems. Recommendations on dealing with the culture standards are made for both non-Germans working with Germans and Germans working internationally.

This book is distinctive because it is based on real-life experiences and was designed to be used in real-life situations. These real-life experiences are not a collection of random, unrelated events put together without rhyme or reason by the author. Instead, they are firmly anchored in a scientifically researched concept of culture, in which culture is seen as an orientation system, which in turn is determined and defined by specific culture standards. Furthermore, it gives German readers the necessary tools to master the difficult task of perceiving and understanding their own system of orientation within German culture, which is the prerequisite for understanding and dealing with the behaviour of their foreign partners. For non-German readers, this book provides a wealth of information to aid their understanding of the peculiarities of German behaviour which have previously been incomprehensible, and have had a negative effect on their interactions with Germans. In this way, everyone will be better equipped to deal effectively, productively and enjoyably with each other.

This book provides excellent educational material for learning how to approach intercultural encounters and exchanges so as to get the most out of them. Each partner, German and non-German, will be able to harness the culture-specific resources involved in their intercultural encounters as effectively as possible. The material can either be used as a self-study-guide or to accompany intercultural coaching and vocational training programmes.

This book will help you to achieve one of the most important factors for future international success: intercultural competence.

Alexander Thomas

Introduction

Why a Book about Germans?

With globalisation becoming ever more pervasive in everyday life, many people are faced with challenging new situations. Cultural differences no longer fascinate only tourists and intrigue academics, they present very real and everyday challenges to people working internationally:

– expatriates, who live abroad with their families for a period of time;

– people working for a company in their own country, but who end up on foreign business trips as much as at home because of an increasingly international customer base;

– members of an international team, or of a “virtual team” scattered around the globe;

– companies with subsidiaries abroad, where colleagues in the various locations work in close contact with one another;

– companies experiencing post-merger integration difficulties where employees now have to cooperate with new colleagues in different countries;

– companies which have been acquired or sold where the employees now have to adjust to a foreign management style;