EBookClubs

Read Books & Download eBooks Full Online

EBookClubs

Read Books & Download eBooks Full Online

Book China and Germany  Business Cultural Differences based on Hostede and Trompenaars

Download or read book China and Germany Business Cultural Differences based on Hostede and Trompenaars written by Lucy Ter-Minassian and published by GRIN Verlag. This book was released on 2019-07-12 with total page 22 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Seminar paper from the year 2019 in the subject Communications - Intercultural Communication, grade: 1,0, Fresenius University of Applied Sciences Hamburg, language: English, abstract: The following work aims to highlight cultural differences between Germany and China and their relevance for international relations. It will also give recommendations for business negotiations between German and Chinese parties. After this introduction a definition of culture follows and the reader is introduced to two different models that help develop an understanding of cultural differences. The first one is the model of cultural dimensions by Geert Hofstede, the second one is the model of cultural dimensions by Fons Trompenaars.

Book Business Cultural Differences between China and Germany

Download or read book Business Cultural Differences between China and Germany written by Tom Praxenthaler and published by GRIN Verlag. This book was released on 2018-04-20 with total page 14 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Seminar paper from the year 2018 in the subject Communications - Intercultural Communication, grade: 1,7, Fresenius University of Applied Sciences Munich, language: English, abstract: China is one of the biggest markets worldwide and thus the objective of many expanding German companies. In order to enter a new market, socio-cultural conditions always have to be taken into consideration. Chinese particularities in the context of communication, relationships or Guanxi and social reputation were observed in this work. Subsequently, cultural differences between China and Germany were compared according to Hofstede’s cultural dimensions Power Distance, Individualism vs. Collectivism, Masculinity vs. Femininity, Uncertainty Avoidance and Long-Term vs. Short-Term Orientation. As shown in the course of this work, there are multiple differences in every dimension between these two cultures. In order to perform business in China, German companies have to adapt to the given circumstances. Only with careful handling of the cultural differences, economic success can be achieved.

Book Cultural differences between Germany and China  Geert Hofstede s cultural dimensions theory

Download or read book Cultural differences between Germany and China Geert Hofstede s cultural dimensions theory written by Lorraine Möller and published by GRIN Verlag. This book was released on 2022-01-18 with total page 27 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Seminar paper from the year 2014 in the subject Cultural Studies - Empiric Cultural Studies, grade: 1,3, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (Deutsches Institut), course: G.3 Einführung in die interkulturelle Kommunikation und den Kulturvergleich, language: English, abstract: In order to explain the differences between German and Chinese culture and how these can be illustrated with the help of Hofstede's cultural dimensions theory, chapter 2.1 begins with an introduction to the concept of culture and the concept of cultural standards. This is followed by a differentiation between German and Chinese cultural standards. Since Hofstede's model works with so-called cultural dimensions, Chapter 2.2 deals with the intention and problems of cultural dimensions and names other cultural studies that have experienced great resonance and impact alongside Hofstede. The actual differentiation between German and Chinese culture, which is presented here primarily in the context of the corporate and family context, takes place in Chapter 3. To build up a basic understanding of Hofstede's work, important cornerstones of his study are outlined in Chapter 3.1. In the next step, the differences between German and Chinese culture are shown in Chapter 3.2 based on Hofstede's five cultural dimensions. In Chapter 4, Hofstede's study is critically appraised, with a focus on praise received, criticism experienced and its overall relevance in comparative cultural research. The thesis concludes with a summary and outlook in Chapter 5.

Book Cultural Differences in Managing Cross Cultural Interaction between German and Chinese Employees

Download or read book Cultural Differences in Managing Cross Cultural Interaction between German and Chinese Employees written by Laura Schiffner and published by GRIN Verlag. This book was released on 2013-01-21 with total page 25 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Studienarbeit aus dem Jahr 2012 im Fachbereich BWL - Unternehmensführung, Management, Organisation, Note: 2,0, Technische Universität Carolo-Wilhelmina zu Braunschweig, Veranstaltung: Topics in Intercultural Communication, Sprache: Deutsch, Abstract: The Chinese market is one of the most successful developing regions of the world. Today, it offers enormous possibilities for (German) companies to invest in this market i. a. though the delegation employees to China as well as the integration of Chinese employees in Germany. Due to the skill shortages it will become more necessary than ever to recruit high potentials, to transfer and to share knowledge about a certain business unit.Integrity and commitment are the most essential factors for a successful cooperation and teamwork within the company as well as for company`s success. Therefore it will be necessary to have a cooperative atmosphere with a mutual cultural understanding. Every employee “must use cross-cultural skills” (Adler 2002: 136). As Adler mentioned, organizations consist of work groups which form the organization structure. The quality of these teams depends on cultural heterogeneities and its productivity and performance “depends on how well the team works together and uses its resources to accomplish the task” (Adler 2002: 139). This goal can only be reached by understanding foreign cultures and using diversity. Diversity implies differences in “preferences, habits, languages and cultures” (Guirdham 2005: 305). Multinational working groups und cultural diversity can be the key for a much higher effectiveness and success than homogenous teams. To develop an understanding for this purpose, Hofstede`s dimensions will be considered and analyzed, esp. against the background of Doing Business. Although, Hofstede`s concept of culture will be the basis for this work but moreover, the works of Adler, Guirdham, Beamer/Varner and Hall/Hall will play an additional role in this paper. This work will focus on multinational companies only, since the importance of intercultural business and cultural diversity is very high in contrast to domestic, multidomestic or multinational companies (cf. Adler 2002: 134). The following work shows the different cultural concepts in China and Germany and its relevance for a successful business, good collaboration and teamwork. Hofstede`s dimensions will be explained and applied in different contexts, by way of using different examples of employee participation, work-related behavioral patterns and conflict solving in organizations of different cultures. The examples refer to settings in organizations in Germany and China.

Book Comparison of Germany China on the Basis of Geert Hofstede s Dimensions of National Culture

Download or read book Comparison of Germany China on the Basis of Geert Hofstede s Dimensions of National Culture written by Madeline Gremme and published by GRIN Verlag. This book was released on 2015-05-21 with total page 22 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Seminar paper from the year 2013 in the subject Sociology - Culture, Technology, Peoples / Nations, grade: 3,0, University of applied sciences Dortmund, course: Interkulturelle Kompetenzen, language: English, abstract: Coming across the term culture it is most certain that people tend to think immediately of the picture they have already created in mind towards the other culture. Comparing east to west while talking to other people within my family and my class I got usually the same answers: “China – isn’t it the country were lots of people live like ants, drinking tea and eating almost everything, mostly rice and even your dog – with chopsticks, driving with their bicycle through the streets smiling all the time; no matter what weather they have?” Unfortunately I do not know any Chinese people but the prejudices about Germany are widely known. Germany is the country with less people than China. Germans love to grump about the weather when it is raining, they love to drink beer and eat Bavarian veal sausages. In fact the prejudices of Germany mostly deal with the Bavarian part of Germany leaving the impression within peoples mind that all Germans are wearing a Dirndl all day and are distinct individuals. Having a look at the above mentioned images, illustrating people’s usual thoughts of the other culture towards a certain topic it is more a generalized attitude towards a certain country or culture. Today people define the term culture very differently. If they are asked “What does the term culture mean?” we can hardly get exact answers. In fact culture can be expressed in different ways. It can be seen in the language of a country, in its history and art but also in food, music and education. These things are all visible for our eyes but what about cultural behavior and ways of thinking? How do different cultures express their emotions and how are they living together? All these factors in one are illustrating a certain view on a culture for us.

Book British and German business culture

Download or read book British and German business culture written by Dennis Henners and published by GRIN Verlag. This book was released on 2007-04-25 with total page 23 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Seminar paper from the year 2005 in the subject Business economics - Business Management, Corporate Governance, grade: 1.3, University of Lüneburg, course: Intercultural Communication, language: English, abstract: Nowadays conquerors are big companies, hedge funds, the so-called “Global-Players”, etc. Mergers between companies from different countries have become very common. One of the most recent and most discussed is DaimlerChrysler. Not only globally, but also on a European level, we have experienced the urge of companies to expand their business operations into different parts of the EU with the result of settling on the targeted ground where they try to expand their market share. For this reason companies encounter more and more cultural diversity within their own borders. Therefore an effective cross-cultural-management becomes essential in order to work efficiently and build a strong union with the “foreign” branches. Throughout numerous vacations abroad, I have experienced cultural differences between nationalities. Having stayed in the U.S.A. with a host family I have started to investigate these diversities where they have their roots and how to deal with them effectively. Having worked on an internship program for a German company in the U.K. I have experienced what the specific problems were when the two national cultures clashed. Even having a “corporate culture” could not prevent the faut pas being made for example during meetings. These faux pas were triggered by cultural diversity. The complexity of this topic is immediately clear, if only from the number of definitions for the word „culture“, and from the number of theories trying to explain the problem. I have chosen to lay my focus on the work of three major theorists on the topic that best fit my experiences. In this paper I will therefore introduce the theorist’s works and their view of culture to the reader and then apply the results to several situations one will encounter while doing business in either one of the countries. Already several theorists have explored cross-cultural issues affecting the business environment. One theorist will always be outlined when talking about cross-culture: Geert Hofstede, but also will I briefly describe the work of Fons Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner.

Book A comparison of management styles in China and Germany

Download or read book A comparison of management styles in China and Germany written by and published by GRIN Verlag. This book was released on 2020-02-26 with total page 17 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Seminar paper from the year 2018 in the subject Business economics - Business Management, Corporate Governance, grade: 1,9, University of Cooperative Education Villingen-Schwenningen, language: English, abstract: In the following paper, important factors necessary to excel in international management with a clear focus on China will be discussed, while drawing a comparison to Germany. Throughout the examination, the way of approaching the Chinese market is described. Afterwards, culture is considered with relevant factors like power distance and the leader-follower relationship. Then, values are described with important topics like the decision making processes, meetings and negotiations and conflicts. Afterwards, key factors to success will be mentioned, including personal relationships and the feedback culture. Before drawing a conclusion, challenges likely to occur will be mentioned. Due to the increasing importance of globalization and the emergence of many competitors, management structures have become dramatically different in China. Behaviors, dynamics and team conformations change rapidly, requiring organizations to react respectively to stay competitive. Managers face the challenge to compromise different cultures within the workplace. Practical management techniques of one country cannot be easily adapted in another. They differ greatly depending on the culture. To what extent the organization benefits from a culturally diverse workforce is controversial. National values and culture are the biggest obstacle when it comes to achieving management excellence. It requires culture proficiency and responsiveness to meaningful differences in the working environment. But also other factors like the organization’s strategy, economic conditions or the labor market of the host country have an influence on how management practices should be applied. Thus, developing the ability to manage in a cross-cultural context is a prerequisite in doing business successfully in today’s world.

Book Cultural Differences in Daily Business Life Between Germany and Sweden

Download or read book Cultural Differences in Daily Business Life Between Germany and Sweden written by Yvonne Tornow and published by GRIN Verlag. This book was released on 2015-12-28 with total page 23 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Seminar paper from the year 2011 in the subject Business economics - Business Management, Corporate Governance, , language: English, abstract: This seminar paper deals with Sweden and Germany as negotiation partners from a German perspective. Although one would assume quite various similarities between these countries due to geographical proximity and same origin of language, they are indeed quite different – an issue also investigated by Eoro Vaara. The aim of this paper is to show that even slight or subtle differences in cultural patterns should be considered. Therefore only who can communicate without cultural misunderstandings can experience successful cross-cultural negotiations. Sweden has been chosen since there is a lot of research about cultural differences between American, Asian and Arab countries, but hardly any regarding inter-European. Another reason is also because of personal experiences in Sweden and with Swedish friends. It was challenging to investigate in a country, which does not seem to be culturally much apart from Germany. After a short introduction, the second chapter gives the reader a definition for culture and an overview of Hofstede’s model of dimensions. This chapter also presents the different kind of cultures from a German and Swedish perspective. Therefore the third chapter deals with negotiations between Germans and Swedes while doing business. This paper ends with the chapter “conclusion”.

Book Chinese Business Culture

    Book Details:
  • Author : Hannes Mungenast
  • Publisher : GRIN Verlag
  • Release : 2007-09
  • ISBN : 3638793885
  • Pages : 29 pages

Download or read book Chinese Business Culture written by Hannes Mungenast and published by GRIN Verlag. This book was released on 2007-09 with total page 29 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Seminar paper from the year 2007 in the subject South Asian Studies, South-Eastern Asian Studies, grade: 96, Dongbei University of Finance and Economics (School of International Business), course: Chinese History and Culture, 15 entries in the bibliography, language: English, abstract: China has become a global business power and therefore it is important for Western people to know about China and the way they do business. This paper is written preliminarily for Western people who want to know how to do business with Chinese. The paper puts much emphasis on comparing the different cultures. Therefore it is also interesting for Chinese who want to know more about the differences between their and Western culture. A mutual understanding of the different cultures can help to reduce misunderstandings and communicate more effectively. First of all, it is important to give a brief overview of the country. To get a better understanding of the information, China will be compared with the European Union (EU). Chapter 3 will give an overview of Chinese culture in general using Hofstede's and Hall's approach to describe culture. It is important to understand Chinese culture in general to understand Chinese business culture. Then chapter 4 deals with some important aspects of Chinese Business culture. Besides that learning the Chinese language can be a complementary part of getting a better understanding of Chinese business culture and Chinese culture in general. This paper does not deal with studying the Chinese language. If the business language in your special case is not English, it is advised to use an interpreter unless you speak Chinese fluently. However, just knowing the basics of the Chinese language can impress your business partner and shows the seriousness of your business relation.

Book American and German Culture  A comparison by using one aspect of Trompenaars  model of culture

Download or read book American and German Culture A comparison by using one aspect of Trompenaars model of culture written by Kimberley ten Broeke and published by Anchor Academic Publishing. This book was released on 2016-03-30 with total page 20 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The world and trade worldwide face a progress in globalization which is, among other factors, caused by improvements in technology, the rising trend to multicultural departments and lower labor costs. In 2009, there were 82,000 transnational corporations worldwide, thus making the understanding of multiculturalism become more important than anything else. The goal of this paper is to give a short introduction to Trompenaars’ model of culture, explain the dimension “diffuse versus specific”, compare the German and American culture and to validate this model by these chosen aspects.

Book The preparation of German entrepreneurs for the different cultural peculiarities of negotiations with Chinese business partners

Download or read book The preparation of German entrepreneurs for the different cultural peculiarities of negotiations with Chinese business partners written by Monika Koeckeritz and published by BoD – Books on Demand. This book was released on 2015-03-05 with total page 121 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Today People’s Republic of China is emerging as one of the major global economies. But a lot of negotiations between German and Chinese businessmen have failed in China because German entrepreneurs have not been sufficiently prepared for the different cultural peculiarities of negotiations with Chinese business partners. This dissertation will analyse the cultural peculiarities of negotiations with Chinese business partners. Different theories about culture, communication and negotiations and their interactions are examined. The researcher will analyse differences between the German and Chinese business culture including the values influencing the German and Chinese business behaviour and communication style. A comparison of the German culture and negotiation skills with the Chinese culture and negotiation skills will be drawn. Prerequisites to commitment in China will be investigated and the Chinese framework of communication will be identified. Furthermore the Chinese bargaining and negotiation tactics as well as the purpose and format of Chinese negotiations will be discovered and the importance of “guanxi” and “mianxi” and their effects on business behaviour will be identified. The researcher will also advance the hypothesis that China has faced and will face the influence of materialism as a force undermining traditional values. To prove this hypothesis, she will analyse potential factors and forces that influence Chinese culture and with it the negotiations with Chinese business partners.

Book Hofsteede s Cultural Dimensions

Download or read book Hofsteede s Cultural Dimensions written by Elisabeth Luger and published by GRIN Verlag. This book was released on 2009-02 with total page 66 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Seminar paper from the year 2002 in the subject Business economics - Business Management, Corporate Governance, grade: A/B, University of Linz (International Management), course: International Management, 5 entries in the bibliography, language: English, abstract: In the globalising world where multinational organisations work across borders the question of cultural differences and mutual understanding seems to be highly relevant and has been discussed by many researches in the last decades. National culture can be viewed as the norms, values and beliefs shared by individuals from a particular nation that distinguish it from other nations (Nov I., Schroll-Machl S. et al. (2001): Interkultur ln komunikace v r zen a podnik n ). Our cultural environment is natural for us but people from other cultures may not be comfortable with it or may not understand. The behaviors that are consistent with the norms of one culture may violate the norms of another like for example: the time that the German account executive expects the Mexican manager to arrive at their 12:30 lunch appointment is 12:30. When the Mexican manager agreed on 12:30, he didn′t know that she would be annoyed by him not arriving or calling before 1:00 (http: //tbs-intranet.tees.ac.uk/international/ccd/ccd_block2.htm,19. 6. 2002). Therefore when we talk about differences between cultures, then we are speaking in generalities. Therefore we should be aware of expectations that every idividual will behave in a manner consistent with those generalizations, because even within cultures, people differ from each other. Why do we study national culture anyway? The study of human behavior and the practice of leadership and management continually require the use of generalizations. It is still worth to search for models that predict human behavior, even if those predictions can′t always be accurate. Some of the most popular models are Hofstede′s Theory and the model of Trompenaars.

Book A Comparison of the U S  American and German Culture by one Aspect of Trompenaars  Model of Culture

Download or read book A Comparison of the U S American and German Culture by one Aspect of Trompenaars Model of Culture written by Marvin Brucker and published by GRIN Verlag. This book was released on 2015-02-20 with total page 22 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Seminar paper from the year 2013 in the subject Business economics - Miscellaneous, grade: 1,7, University of applied sciences, Duisburg (FOM Duisburg), course: 4. Semester, language: English, abstract: Due to the progressing globalization, characterized by improvements in communication technologies, rising trends to multicultural departments and the use of lower labor costs, the “understanding of multiculturalism is needed more than anything else”. This understanding is “for instance, a prerequisite to the effective entry into new markets and new countries, whether by establishing licenses, setting up new subsidiaries, merger, takeover, or setting up co-operative or joint-ventures.” Goal of this paper is to show Trompenaars ́ model of culture, explain the dimension universal-ism versus particularism and work out differences and similarities between two cultures, the German and the U.S.-American culture, referring to the chosen dimension. First of all, Trompenaars ́ model of culture is shown and explained roughly. Afterwards the author is enumerating the seven dimensions. One chosen dimension will be worked out in detail, to use it for a comparison then. In the comparison the author shows different surveys and results to validate the cultural dimension and the corresponding assumptions. The paper ends with summarizing the critical remarks towards Trompenaars ́ work, cultural theories in general and a short opinion from the author himself.

Book Managing Cultural Differences Between Uk and China

Download or read book Managing Cultural Differences Between Uk and China written by Matteo Fabbi and published by GRIN Verlag. This book was released on 2011-10 with total page 37 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Project Report from the year 2011 in the subject Economics - International Economic Relations, grade: 73%, University of Westminster, course: BA Global Marketing, language: English, abstract: The report aims to achieve three main objectives: the first is to determine the cultural differences between China and UK based on the fundamental theories of culture; the second is to analyze the issues related to functional areas such as Marketing and Human resources with theories of cross-cultural management and the third is to provide solutions and recommendations to managers involved in similar situations. The scenario provided by the task has been identified by this report as the case of a cross-border M&A companies between UK and China, where the UK Company will be the parental group and China, the target. Cross-border M&A is defined as a project in which a firm from one country buys the entire asset or controls percentage of an enterprise in another country (Zhang & Wang, 2004). When the cross-border M&A happens, it becomes the main task for the enterprise to combine resources and operations. Main goal of this report is to provide insights for managing cultural differences in order to reduce the costs of a lousy cross-cultural management and eliminate the conflicts caused from cultural differences in multinational enterprise.

Book Analysis and comparison of German and Japanese culture with special focus on leadership

Download or read book Analysis and comparison of German and Japanese culture with special focus on leadership written by Andreas Schmidt and published by GRIN Verlag. This book was released on 2018-08-23 with total page 23 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Seminar paper from the year 2017 in the subject Business economics - Business Management, Corporate Governance, grade: 2,0, University of applied sciences, Munich, language: English, abstract: The aim of this paper is to analyze the differences in business leadership in Germany and Japan, based on widely known and academically respected cultural frameworks. This is particularly important for globally operating firms in order to have the greatest possible success, to motivate the employees, and avoid business failure due to cultural clashes. The intention of chapter 2 is to provide the reader with an understanding of the terms culture and leadership. Furthermore, this chapter focuses on the description and explanation of the cultural theories of Edward T. Hall, Fons Trompenaars and Charles Hampden-Turner, as well as the Globe Study. Chapter 3 focuses on the description of Geert Hofstede’s cultural dimensions theory. In order to distinguish the German and Japanese culture and its leadership styles, two selected dimensions of his theory will be applied. At the end of this chapter, both cultures are differentiated again, and it is determined which style of leadership suits to which culture. Finally, the term work in chapter 4 comes to a conclusion that refers to the gained knowledge of the previous chapters.

Book Cross Cultural Differences

Download or read book Cross Cultural Differences written by Veronica Wellein and published by diplom.de. This book was released on 2008-10-24 with total page 118 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Inhaltsangabe:Introduction: We are living in an internationalized world; global trade keeps increasing and more companies from many countries around the world are going national at an astounding rate. This is a reflection of strong economic growth around the world and the globalization of the economy and corporations. Offices are spread from one continent to another and travel is essential to business. This is the reason why business travel is increasing, states Hubert Joly, president and chief executive officer of CWT. In today s business world, you might well find yourself as an international manager in a foreign subsidiary of an American firm, facing on a daily basis all aspects of international management. Or you could end up at the home office in Germany coordinating operations with foreign affiliates. Or you could travel to countries like Japan or China, negotiating export sales or dealing with suppliers, customers, or franchise parties. Many different kinds of positions are available in the global arena, and training in international and cross-cultural management and negotiation styles is becoming a critical ingredient in moving up to high-level positions in global organizations. In 2006, a record 30.1 million U.S. travelers visited overseas markets, an increase of five percent from 2005. One of the top five overseas markets visited by U.S. travelers in 2006 was Germany. China (if combining travel the PRC and Hong Kong) would have tied as second. Contributing to the new record for outbound travel, seven of the top 20 U.S. outbound destination markets posted records in 2006, including Japan and China. Hundreds of thousands of jobs in the Germany owe their existence and sustainment to business travel. In Germany, the effects of a growing European Union and worldwide business travel create a stable demand for modern transport infrastructures and services. The USA is one of the two most important business travel destinations for the German economy, closely followed by China. Two markets will dominate travel interests in the future: the USA and China. No other countries will be as important for business trips as these two different giants. China's economy still enjoys a huge growing potential although its gross domestic product (GDP) has maintained a double-digit growth for four straight years and hit a new high of 10.7 in the first three quarters of 2006. The growth rate of China's labor productivity stood at 9.5 percent last year, [...]

Book Cultural Differences in Business Life   Understanding German and American Business Culture

Download or read book Cultural Differences in Business Life Understanding German and American Business Culture written by Ulrike Ditzel and published by GRIN Verlag. This book was released on 2007-11 with total page 30 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Seminar paper from the year 2006 in the subject Business economics - Marketing, Corporate Communication, CRM, Market Research, Social Media, grade: 1,3, http: //www.uni-jena.de/ (Philosphische Fakultät - Lehrstuhl Interkulturelle Wirtschaftskommunikation), course: Interkulturseminar USA-Deutschland, 15 entries in the bibliography, language: English, abstract: Globalization has led to remarkable changes in the way we conduct the world's business. International Mergers and acquisitions are en vogue today. The advantages quoted by managers include advantages of scale, increased shareholder value, access to new markets, lower overheads and so on. The number of international mergers and acquisitions between German and American companies increased a lot during the last years, as well. At the beginning there are high hopes and elation connected with the deal. But the long-term reality, however, is much the opposite. At least 50 percent of all international mergers and acquisition activity fails, no matter how the success is measured. There are also lots of companies who failed, who are therefore not able to benefit from some positive synergy effects like cost reductions. Why did that happen? A survey tried to analyze the reasons for this. The surprising result was that just 30% of the failures were attributed to the "hard factors" of business, like planning, finance or technology. For the rest, the reason lay in the so-called "soft factors", which contain cultural and organizational behaviour. Somewhat less acknowledged, although hardly disputed, is the positive and negative impact of cultural aspects on the success of M&A activity. The following work reveals the differences between American and German business culture and also analyzes its historical and social background. Thereby, the main goal is to disprove that American and German business styles are almost similar. Furthermore, at the end the reader should know more about the existing differences between t