As you know we are a link between companies in Scandinavia. We also know that many of you are doing businesses with companies in Germany as well. Therefore we have made it a lot easier for you to get to know the Germans that you might have a future appointment with.

Below is a list of several typical stereotypes of Germans. Maybe you already know some stereotypes of Germans? Maybe they include words as leisure less/precise, bureaucratic, punctual? You might feel that they are obedient to legislative and juridical restrictions, acceptance to authorities and individualistic? Or culture consists of specific leaned norms based on attitudes, values, and beliefs, all of which exist in every society. Whatever you might think, we will now give you the true story of the German stereotypes!

Need of hierarchy

The reasons for working and the relative importance of work among human activities may largely be explained by the interrelationship of the cultural and economic environments. The people work in order to become esteemed, self-fulfilled, or becoming all that it is possible for one to become, because the basic needs´ like physiological needs and security need are already satisfied.  

Protestant ethic

Max Weber, a German Sociologist, observed near the beginning of the twentieth century that the predominantly Protestant countries were the most economically developed. According to Weber, the Protestant ethic was outgrowth of the Reformation, when work was viewed as a means of salvation. Adhering to this belief, people preferred to transform productivity gains into additional output rather than into additional leisure.

Trust and organisations

However it is not the only source of German attitudes towards work. Kings, leaders, nowadays government tried to establish a system which is very stable in ‘bad’ times. Legislative and juridical restrictions are such tools to create stability. It is obvious that Germans need stability and a person they can identify with. So this is also a source for acceptance of authorities. Before the World War II we obviously saw the need of a leader, maybe of a father in times of prospectlessness. After the World War II a social system was established and the role of the leader was taken over by the state. Germans became proud of their social system and the fast economic growth after the World War II. Thus Germans are obedient to the social system and the governmental authority.

Individual versus Group

Nevertheless the German worker is an individual worker. Attributes of high individualism are low dependence on the organisation and a high desire for personal time, freedom, and challenge. So the obedience to an organisation is nowadays not that strong.

Uncertainty avoidance

German employees prefer that rules should be set out and that they should not be broken - even if breaking them is the company’s best interest. Further, these employees plan to work for the company a long time.

Specific-oriented individual

Structure the meeting with time, intervals and agendas, be quick, to the point and efficient is typical for Germans, because that Germans think that time should be used for establishing a profitable business.

Achievements-oriented culture

The success and the performance counts in Germany. However it is obvious that German culture has also some ascriptive tendencies. Sometimes there is even a gap between the “old” generation which was used to be ascriptive and the “young” one. Thus the young generation are more flexible, more individual, more effective and the status of the person is not that important for your performance.