Doing Business in Germany

A Concise Guide to Understanding Germans and Their Business Practices

Andra Riemhofer

• Publisher: Business Expert Press
• Year: 2019
• ISBN:
  9781948198851
• Topic: Business
• Subtopic: Marketing internazionale
• Index: Business

The focus of the book is to help readers understand how certain concepts and values influence the way Germans like to do business.

Germany is the strongest economy in Europe, and one of the largest worldwide. The business climate is good, people are highly skilled, and consumers have plenty of spending money in their pockets; for companies that are doing business internationally, Germany is a market that simply cannot be overlooked. However, many business relationships with Germans come to an end even before they begin; intercultural differences very often result in misunderstandings, frustration, and an unnecessary loss of time and money. Especially with Germans, even small things can be crucial when you are speaking to a (potential) business contact.

This book aims at helping students and professionals avoid the common pitfalls that international business people typically step into when dealing with Germans for the very first time. Unlike with the other business- or text-books focusing on culture, this book will do more than just arm you with some simple "Dos and Don'ts;" it will provide interesting and easy-to- understand descriptions and anecdotes that highlight the cultural standards and dimensions that are (typically) theoretically discussed in in scientific texts. Essentially, while talking about what makes "the average" German tick, readers will be equipped with the relevant background knowledge. It will guide them on how to successfully interact with Germans, whether at trade shows, during virtual and face-to-face meetings, or when they are negotiating their first contract.

CHAPTER 1

Where to Locate Germany on the (Economic) World Map

Geography and Population

Even if you are not planning to instantly visit the country, knowing a few geographical coordinates might be useful. Germany is located in Central Europe and, with 357,168 square kilometers or 137,847 square miles, is one of the larger countries in the region. However, if you compare it with the size of the United States, for example, it might appear to you as rather small. Germany is about 85 percent the size of California (423,970 square kilometers), a little smaller than Japan, and approximately 1.5 times the size of Great Britain (Traveler’s Digest 2014). If you are interested, you can use http://mapfrappe.com to compare Germany’s dimensions with the country or state you live in.

Germany’s biggest aviation hub is Frankfurt am Main (FRA), which is located in Germany’s fifth largest city (approximately 750,000 inhabitants). If you fly in from São Paulo or Tokyo, the journey will take you about 12 hours; 11 hours, if you board an aircraft in Beijing or ­Johannesburg; and eight hours, if you fly out from New York or ­Mumbai. Coming from Dubai, you would disembark after a seven-hour flight. Moscow is as close as 3.5 hours. The German financial metropolis is situated somewhat in the center of the country and should not be confused with Frankfurt an der Oder, which is in the east of Germany, closer to Berlin and bordering Poland. Berlin is the nation’s capital and, with about 3.7 million inhabitants, is the largest city in the country. Altogether, about 83 million people currently live in Germany (also refer to Table 1.1: Key figures on population [Federal Statistical Office n.d.]).

Table 1.1 Key figures on population

Population (March 31, 2018)	2018	82.8 mn
Foreign	2017	10.6 mn
With migrant background	2017	19.3 mn
Deaths	2017	784,901
Age of mother at first birth	2016	29.6
Total fertility rate (children per woman)	2016	1.59
Deaths	2017	932,272
Av...