Understanding Significant German Concepts
A review of contrasting cultural assumptions and values provides insight/understanding into cultural differences that must be understood and acknowledged before cross-cultural guidance can be directed at managing them.
American and German Assumptions and Values
I. Relational
| A. Perception of Self |
| Self | Individual - Who you are? | Individual-work; Collectivism-family important |
| Point of Ref. | Independent | Dependent, Compartmentalization |
| B. Motivation |
| Achievement | Fulfillment - success | Smooth |
| Goal | Task-oriented | Task-oriented |
| Personality | Fragmented | Totality |
| Competition Affiliation | Competitive | Competitive |
| Limits of Achievement | Self-determination - Where there is a will, there is a way. | Fate |
| Quantification | measurement concreteness | Facts, Rules |
| Limits of Ascription: | Limits rule of authority | . |
| C. Relations to Others |
| Characteristics | Numerous friendships; Core psyche difficult to enter | Social obligation network; Core psyche easier to penetrate |
| Communication Styles | Low Context - Content focus | Low Context |
| Intermediary | Lay cards on table | Intermediary |
| Decision-making | Top down Lobbying | Top-down process |
| Power | Distributed | Equality |
| Thinking Process | Logical, Objective | Deductive, Inductive, Linear |
| Confrontation | Face-to-face | Face-to-face |
| Informality/Formality | Informal, Direct | Formal, Structured, Direct |
| Role Specializations | Specialized | . |
| Age | Youth | Age respected |
| Gender | Movement to Equality | Male-dominated |
| Class | Social Mobility | Rigid group structure |
II. Form of Activity
| A. Doing | Doing | Doing |
| B. Work and Play | Separated | Not separated |
| C. | Rules | Relationships |
III. Perception of Time
| A. Temporal Orientation | Present,Future | Past, Future |
| B. Progress related to concept of time. | Time is money; Times moves fast | Time moves slowly |
| C. Time | Monochromic, Punctual | Monochromic, Ridid in punctuality |
IV. Perception of the World
| A. Man's Relation to Nature | Mastery over nature; Control | Control, Mastery over nature |
| B. Materialism and Property | Important value (to use) | Important value (to possess) |
| C. Progress related to concept of time | Keep up with time; Positive | Keep up with time |
| D. Optimism | Optimism exists | Optimism |
| E. Quantification | Measurement and Concreteness | Measurement and Concreteness |
| V. Perception of Human Nature | Evil, but perfectible | |
References:
- Kluckhohn, Florence Rockwood and Strodtbeck, Fred L. VARIATIONS IN VALUE ORIENTATIONS.
- Stewart, Edward C. AMERICAN CULTURAL PATTERNS: a Cross-cultural Perspective.
- Brake, Terence and Walker, Danielle. DOING BUSINESS INTERNATIONALLLY.
- Behrens, Jacque S. and Bennett, William F. LOOKING FORWARD/LOOKING BACKWARD: Cultural Adaptation
- Hall. Edward T. and Hall, Mildred Reed. UNDERSTANDING CULTURAL DIFFERENCES: Germans, French, and Americans.
