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DifferencesofEnterpriseCulture一．Culturalfoundation1.Germancompanies:EnterprisecultureinGermanisbasedontheChristianrationalspiritsandthehumanisticthoughts.ButscienceandlegislationaremoreimportantinGerman.2.Chinacompanies:EnterprisecultureinChinaisbasedontheConfucianculture.But“humanrelationship”and“morality”aremoreimportantinChina.二．PowerdistancePowerdistancemeanstheconcentrationofpowerandthedegreeofautocraticleadershipinanorganization.Soinacompany,itstandsforsocialdistancebetweenmanagersandstaffs.Chinacompanieshaveabiggerpowerdistancerelatively,peoplethinksuperiorsdeservethespecialrights.Besides,thissituationalsoleadstothebigsalarydifference.Chinahasapyramidstructureofcentralizationofauthority,youcantellbossandstaffeasily.Statushierarchyandseparationofpowersareobviousgreatly.Onthecontrary,Germanisacountrywhohasasmallerpowerdistance,theythinkallemployeesshouldhavethesametreatmentwiththeirbosses.Everyoneisequal.Theythinkitiswrongtogetthespecialrightsbyusingtheirpower.InGerman,thestandardizedskillsandprofessionsaremoreimportant,sothepowerdistanceisnotobviousbetweensuperiorsandinferiors.三．IndividualismandcollectivismInGerman,peoplepraiseindividualismhighly.Althoughtheyrequirecooperativespirit,subjectiveinitiativeandcreativityarestronglyemphasized.InChina,peoplethinkcollectivismisbetter.Employeesconsiderthecollectiveasfirstthing.Whenpersonalinterestsisconflictingwithcollectiveinterests,peoplealwayschoosetoprotectthecollectiveinterestswithgivingupthepersonalinterests.四．TimemanagementGermanhasstrictsenseoftime,theythinktimeislimited.Timemanagingisaprerequisiteforeffectiveactionandanessentialcomponentofprofessionalism.Asuccessfulmanagermusthavetheabilitytoarrangetheworktimeofemployeesandhimself.Timeshouldbeplannedaswellaspossible.Theythinktimeisforarrangement.ButChinesethinkitinadifferentway.InChina,itisverynormaltobreakanappointmentandchangeaplancasually.Whenfacinganewsituation,peoplealwayschangetheplantheyhavealreadymade.Theylikeworkinginanuncertainstate.Nowadays,flexibilityisabasicabilityforChinese,theybelievethatpreparingtheirselvesforunanticipatedthingsisnecessary.五．CommunicationsystemThroughtheapplicationofHall’sHigh-andLow-ContextOrientation,inhigh-contextcultures,suchasChina,mostoftheinformationisinthephysicalcontextorisinternalizedinthepeoplewhoareapartoftheinteraction.Peopletendtobemoreawareoftheirsurroundingsandtheirenvironmentanddonotrelyonverbalcommunicationastheirmaininformationsource.Inlow-contextcultures,suchasGerman,however,mostoftheinformationiscontainedintheverbalmessage,andverylittleisembeddedinthecontextorwithintheparticipants.InChina,whenpeoplecommunicatewiththeircustomers,theywillthinkfirstlyhowtokeepaharmoniousrelationship.Whenwenegotiatewitholdcustomers,weshouldchattorememberourfriendship,thenbegintonegotiatewithpoliteness.Andwhensomeonemakesmistakes,hecanknowitthroughotherpeople’stoneandeyes.Soifsomeoneiscriticized,hemayhaveabadmoodinseveraldays.InGerman,managersthinkthechatbeforethenegotiationisabehaviourofwastingtime.Theyshouldnegotiatedirectly,includingoldcustomers.Inthenegotiation,theywilltalkwhattheysaid.Andifsomeonemakesmistakes,thebosseswillcriticizehimatthefirsttime,theyneverconsideraboutthefacesandthebearingcapacityofstaffs.DifferencesofBusinessLetterGermanusemorenegativepolitenessstrategiesthanChinese,andChineseareunwillingtodestroythenegativefacetobusinesspartnersinsomedisputes.GermansaredirectivetotheconflictswithTactmaxim.ChineseculturalrankandcollectivenessconceptconsidertheapprobationmaximwhileGermanculturalequalityandindividualismputtheagreementmaximatthefirstplaceinbusinesscommunications.InChina,whenwewriteabusinessletter,thebusinesscontextisformal,thebusinessrelationshipisnotkinorfriend.Sothekin-typeAddressandinformalnameshouldnotbeusedinbusinessarea.Itwillbeawareofthechoiceofaddressifthereaderhaspoliticalstatus,professionalposition.