Doing Business with Germany, Tips for Women  

"My first trip to Germany was the last leg of a business tour of several countries. Munich was the last stop. Of all the countries that we had visited, I felt the most comfortable in Germany. When I arrived at my hotel in Munich, I had a message waiting for me from my local contact, whom I had not yet met. The message described in detail what time we were to meet, where in the lobby we were to meet, and what he looked like, so he would be easy to recognize. He was on time, standing exactly where he said he would be, and I knew him immediately. His BMW, shined and spotless, was waiting for us outside the hotel, ready to go. During the trip to our client, we carefully reviewed the agenda, and he brought me up to date on the details of our meeting, as well as the estimated length of time we would be there, the people we would be meeting, and the expectations on both sides. He was correct to the minute. When we left the meeting, he offered me the option of either being returned to the office for 2 hours to catch up on my e-mail and phone messages or being returned to my hotel. He provided me with a proposed walking tour of Munich, mentioning the safest area in which to dine and shop for souvenirs. I was impressed that the day was so well organized and that we had made the best use of our time. It was very comfortable for me since there were no surprises, and we got a lot accomplished in the allotted time." (New York)

German Culture

"The Germans have a reputation of being a very precise and rigid people. They are known for their punctuality. They are also very environmentally aware. For example, when you go shopping, you bring your own grocery bag, or you will get charged for one. The bag should be environmentally correct, that is, reusable. Driving is very well organized in Germany, more so than Americans think. Americans think of the autobahn as a speedway, with everyone trying to pass the other. But in many spots it is a two-lane road. You must have very good driving skills and know the rules. Everyone has a place on the road and is expected to conform to strict etiquette. The Germans don't tolerate Americans who weave in and out of traffic. I found that to be true even on tourist outings. I was visiting a castle, and there was a pace to walk (run) up the hill that you were supposed to maintain like everyone else. If you didn't, they called out to you in German to hurry up." (Half Moon Bay)

Germans view Americans as aggressive and overbearing, loud, and noisy. They express a certain amount of distaste for this style. They are not a loud people. I think you will notice how quiet it is when you compare their airports, train stations, offices, etc. to ours. You will also be impressed with how clean public places are.

People are expected to conform in Germany. Most Germans are very concerned about how their property and home looks to others. You will see immaculate houses with well-tended front yards. If your neighbors think your lawn is not up to par, they will tell you so.

The Germans keep their business and social lives separate. Most Americans will encounter only the public side of the Germans. As a whole, they are very concerned with how others view them and so how they present themselves is important. They are honest, organized, efficient, punctual, and well-educated. They live by the rules and expect others to do the same. German products are known for their quality. It would almost be a breach of their culture if something you bought broke down. Many Americans view the Germans to be very blunt and direct in their communication style, thinking in terms of black and white with no room for gray, and to a certain extent that is true. If they do not agree with you, they will tell you flat-out, without any attempt to soften the blow.

Status is very important in Germany, and hierarchy is respected. Manners are formal, and titles are used with pride. Proper etiquette is followed, and emotions are kept in check. Dress is conservative, and flashy clothes are disdained.

But when they are relaxed with family and friends, the Germans enjoy a good time. Drinking beer is popular and acceptable for both genders. In fact, each town tends to have a local pub so there is not a drinking/driving issue, as you walk to the pub and walk home. The pubs even have "local's tables," tables reserved for the town residents who meet every night after work for a drink and socializing.

Women in Management

Many of the women interviewed said that they found Germany the easiest place in which to do business, as work ethics and business style are similar to those of the U.S. They found the Germans to be straight-forward, direct. Most agreed that American businesswomen are accepted in Germany and in northern Europe as a whole.

Gee.... It's Like Home

"On my last trip to Europe, I had to make a few stops in different countries. I felt relief by the time I got to Germany. The Germans are more organized, less emotional, and more task-oriented, like the Americans. Our meeting ran smoothly and quickly, not like some of the meetings I had in Italy and France." (Minnesota)

Unfortunately, German woman do not share this view. Only about 2% of all top posts in industry and commerce are held by women, although women make up 40% of the workforce. A survey by Eurobarometer (1) reported that among the Europeans, the Germans were found to hold the most traditional views of the role of women in society. It is very difficult for women to reach positions of power in German companies because culturally they are not raised to aspire for it, and the Germans are chauvinistic.

"There are very few women in management in Germany. On my first trip to Germany, I learned that it is very rare to see a woman in top management since it is a very chauvinistic country. I was shocked to see, for example, in any setting, business or social, that it is still expected that the woman (no matter what her rank) will serve the guests with tea, coffee, etc. On a visit to my firm's subsidiary (American firm), my contact was a German woman who held the title of director. I was aghast when the men in the business meeting asked her to go fetch them some coffee. I was relieved when she suggested that they get it themselves as she was conducting the meeting. I realized that German women have a long haul in this country." (Long Beach)

In 1987, women made up 39% of the work force in West Germany, with 47% of these women between the ages of 15-65. There was an absence of women in the workforce until the mid-1980s when interest was spurred by the media, politics, and business. In 1988, a survey of 45,000 companies indicated that 5.9%of top managers and 7.8% of managers at the next level were women (2). Women accounted for only 0.7% of the managing board-members in public companies in West Germany in 1988 and 0.3% of supervisory board members (2). A study conducted by the Association of West German Women Business Owners in 1989 found that women held 10% of the upper management positions in female-owned companies (2), thus indicating that companies owned by women were more inclined to promote women. The levels of education and vocational training achieved by women have risen significantly in West Germany over the past few decades. Between 1970 and 1985, the age of working women who completed vocational training rose from 38 to 65%. Women accounted for 41% of university students in 1987.

The low representation of women in management is often attributed to the course of study and occupations that young women choose: 54% of young women are concentrated in only 10 of the 380 potential training occupations. These include such traditional female occupations as hairdresser, office clerk, and sales clerk. (2) At the university level, young women account for more than half the students in the arts, languages, and sports, with a very low representation in engineering and other technical subjects. (2) The most popular degree for both men and women is economics, and women account for almost 40% of the law students (2). Both economics and law degrees lead into management in Germany. MBA degrees were introduced recently (2). The increased number of women pursuing university degrees and their expansion into more suitable management careers gives reason to hope that the younger generation will achieve higher ranks than their mothers. However, higher education does not guarantee employment, and women university graduates have a higher unemployment rate than male graduates in Germany. These women account for 45% of unemployed graduates. (2) Research shows that German companies tend to rely on in-firm training, (2) This implies that if selection procedures filter out women early in their careers, they will not participate in training programs that are specially designed as a basis for promotion. The factors that are listed for promotion, such as professional competence, effectiveness, professional experience, length of time with the company, commitment to the job, professional and regional mobility, are factors that discriminate against women, while educational training plays a lesser role in decision-making. In 1987, 5.7% of working women in West Germany were entrepreneurs, as compared to 10.3% of men. It is estimated that in the 1980s women created 33% of all new West German companies (2).

In West Germany, women earn about 33% less than men. (2) The gap is generally attributed to structural reasons. Women are in lower paying sectors and jobs, and they work fewer hours.

Women's work is generally viewed as less valuable than men's. Studies in Germany indicate that women in the elite class of management do not receive the same pay as their male counterparts. Their salaries are 20% lower than those of comparable male managers. Further, an analysis of advertisements for management positions reveals a preference for men by the use of masculine nouns in the ads. (2)

Double Standard

"Before I worked in the high-tech industry, I worked in the banking industry in Germany. There were literally no women in management, and it was very conservative compared to the high-technology firms. I found that the one or two German women who were in any management role had to work 150% more than any male in the same role. It seemed to be so exhausting. To make it worse, women in general earn 25% less in salary than men. I recall one woman telling me that when she left her job, she was replaced by a man who got a significant increase in salary and a company car, all the things she wanted. I think there is incredible chauvinism in Germany." (Munich)

Childbirth has a significant impact on women's work patterns in West Germany. Almost 60% of 25-35 year-olds with children leave the labor market at least temporarily. A primary reason is that working life in Germany is not organized to support family responsibilities or household requirements. Only four out of ten women in middle management in West Germany are mothers, and they usually only have one child. By contrast, almost all their male colleagues have an average of two children. (2)

The reunification of East and West Germany has also had a major impact on women. In East Germany, a woman's right to work was mandated because the state needed them in the work force. Reunification forced the introduction of laws in West Germany that mandated equal opportunity and the creation of equal-opportunity jobs throughout the reunified Republic. In the 1980s, West Germany took the first step, requiring that all member states ensure that their legislation provide for equal treatment of women and men at work. In 1986, the federal government passed mandatory guidelines on the occupational promotion of women into the federal government.

East Germany has served as a reference point for West Germany, as it had introduced several measures in 1976 specifically to help women combine work and family responsibilities. These included a one-year paid leave and guaranteed job on return, with additional provisions made for a second child. Lack of childcare is listed as a prohibiting factor for women in conducting full-time careers. Only about 2% of infants born in West Germany can find a place in a crèche (childcare center), so most women have to make informal arrangements, leaving children with their own or other families. School hours were listed as more problematic for working women in West Germany. Unlike the schools in the U.S. and other European countries, in West Germany schools are only open for 4-5 hours in the morning, and the hours can vary day to day, making it very difficult for women to work full time. West Germany only provides for 4% of the 6-10 year-old children who need after school care. A drop in the birth rate was significant enough for the government to provide a parental leave law in 1986, allowing either parent to take an 18-month leave of absence, paid for by the state. In 98.5% of the cases, the mother, not the father, will take the leave. But 70% of these women became unemployed in doing so. (2)

The final prohibition is the attitude of the father and even of German women, especially older women. German men are resistant to change and do not see the home as their responsibility, except as the head of the household. Status is also threatened by a working wife. Younger women even have to face disapproval from their own mothers if they fail to keep their homes in pristine condition.

About the Author

Tracey Wilen is Author at http://www.globalwomen.biz/