Please respond to class mate post: Business Culture Not understanding the differences in business cultures can have a major effect on the success of either party, but especially the party that is looking to grow into that new international market (i.e., a US-based company looking to expand into Germany). From a report written by the Urban Thier & Federer Law Firm, Germans are much more focused on analyzing the root of problems than Americans are. This can be perceived as Germans being negative and contrarians in deals, while Americans can be more passive, unrealistic, and have the perception that they know better due to their passive behavior.
From a praise perspective, Germans aren’t known for giving out much praise as it’s not part of their culture. Americans, on the other hand, can be made to feel as if they aren’t doing a good job if they aren’t given consistent compliments about their work. An odd exchange in structure is on the topic of power. Americans are more direct with their subordinates and Germans perceive this as a personal attack. I think that this is interesting because I’ve already shown how Germans hold their praises and Germans are more realistics and negative about business than Americans are.
Social Etiquette
There are an incredible amount of differences between the US and German cultures, from areas like driving to dinner conversations, and meeting new folks to traditions and celebrations. When Americans get to know someone, and even when they’ve met someone for the first time they begin using that person’s first name. In Germany, they almost always only use their acquaintances’ last names, sometimes not even knowing their first time. Germans don’t even use their word for “friend”, which is “freund”, unless they have known that person for a long period of time and consider it a deep relationship. In America, the word “friend” is thrown around more freely. When eating, Americans eat a lot of food with their hands and in Germany, they rarely eat food with their hands. Pizza, in Germany, is even eaten with a fork and a knife. Lastly, Americans are taught that keeping your hands in your lap when eating is property, but in Germany they are taught to keep their hands on the table. Knowing all of this when visiting Germany for business would be crucial to knowing what is acceptable, or known as being friendly, rather than what you’re taught growing up in the US.
Several more examples of major differences in their cultures are explained here. For the act of driving, a lot of the German culture and driving laws are based more on common sense and there’s even less laws. Whereas in America, there is a sign and a law for virtually everything a driver can do on a highway. The autobahn, a famous highway, has no speed limit on major stretches, and in America there is a speed limit sign on nearly every block. At restaurants in America, a customer is automatically given a glass of ice water, but in Germany, you have to request it and ice for all drinks.
Shopping in Germany is much different than in America as well. Credit cards are almost universal in America, yet in Germany they are incredibly limited. Customer service in America is a pinnacle to a company/store’s brand image, and in Germany it’s not a focus at all. German companies even only take returns on defective products. In the US, you can basically return anything and everything. Public restrooms in America are almost a right of being in the US, yet in Germany folks are sometimes forced to pay to use the restrooms and public restrooms are not nearly as common.
German. (n.d.). Retrieved April 17, 2022, from https://www.german-way.com/history-and-culture/cultural-comparisons/
Important differences between German and US business culture. Urban Thier & Federer, P.A. (2022, February 22). Retrieved April 17, 2022, from https://www.urbanthier.com/blog/2021/10/important-differences-between-german-and-us-business-culture/
