Contrasting British and German Environmental Characteristics

 

GERMAN

BRITISH 

1. The financial system favours

long termism

short termism

2. The marketing function emphasises

sales and financial analysis 

marketing and market response

3. Consumers look for

high quality performance 

value for money and economy

4. Advertising is

more explicit and technical

more implicit and humorous

5. Vocational qualifications of staff

comprehensive system

middle level missing

6. Top management qualifications

highly technical,
less work experience

general, more work experience 

7. Work attitudes of staff 

adherence to procedure

personal initiative

8. Decision making style

risks calculated
decisions slower

risks uncalculated
decisions faster

9. Management emphasis on

reliability 

flexibility

10. Managements value

efficient operations 

strategic awareness

(adapted from Dagmar Ebster-Grosz and Derek S. Pugh, Anglo-German Business Collaboration: Pitfalls and Potentials, Palgrave/Macmillan, 1994)