Germany – understand-culture

Fern der Politik

Joachim Sauer is a quantum- and physio-chemist. He is a professor of physical and theoretical chemistry at the Humboldt University of Berlin. He is also the husband of Germany’s chancellor, Angela Merkel.

The election of his wife to the most powerful governmental position in all of Germany had no impact on his career. They seldom appear together in public. He declines to answer any interview questions that do not have to do with his own research. In federal elections his part is irrelevant.

Public life is clearly separated from private life. The home-life scene is irrelevant in determining political success. This same pattern can also be seen in the careers of Joschka Fischer (former German Foreign Minister) and Gerhard Schröder (Merkel’s predecessor as Chancellor). Both were married several times.

Colleague, not Facebook friend

In 2010 the online-career portal monster.de conducted a study regarding German behavior in social online networks. 61% of people said that they are not friends with their colleagues via social media.

Only 27% indicated that they talk to their colleagues on Facebook. 12% of the survey participants are friends with their colleagues on Facebook. However, most have different profile settings for colleagues. The survey results suggest that Germans separate their private life and their professional life.

Colleagues and friends

Differences in the workplace environment can be reflected in the sorts of extra-workplace relationships that develop between co-workers. Company policies aside, of course. Two recent independent surveys of couples in Germany and the U.S. yielded the results that 24.5% of U.S. couples met their partner at work, while in Germany this number lies at only 12%. However, the most common way in which couples met was the same for both countries: through friends.

Manager as Neutral Party

German team leads have an impersonal, business-like relationship with their team members. They maintain emotional distance from the team in order to guaranty neutrality and fairness. Especially when providing feedback on performance do they focus on results and not on the person.

This sachlich – impersonal, neutral, business-like – approach can be observed in the personal interaction between manager and team. When providing feedback German team leads are reserved, unemotional, their body language limited to a handshake. Neutrality is the key.

Whether discussing past performance or formulating new goals, the Germans focus on the facts, ideally on what is measurable. A discussion about development addresses professional skills and less so personal development. Critique is communicated in a respectful and serious way. Humour is considered disrespectful and unprofessional.

If the feedback discussion includes criticism, German managers strive to be particularly neutral, unemotional, fact-oriented. This reduces the potential for an escalation of emotions. The two parties should focus on performance. The discussion is impersonal and objective.

Duale Ausbildung

Apprenticeship System (Duale Ausbildung). The dual education system is a model of structured, objective feedback: apprentices receive regular, formal evaluations based on skill mastery and performance; feedback is standardized, unemotional, and focused on professional development; personal feelings are set aside; the focus is on competencies and meeting professional standards.

analytical observation

Thematic Exploration of Detachment: The tradition of professional detachment is also evident in the thematic exploration of roles and identities. Robert Musil’s Der Mann ohne Eigenschaften (The Man Without Qualities) presents a protagonist who is self-possessed and detached, navigating life with a sense of analytical observation rather than emotional engagement. This reflects the German cultural logic of evaluating situations and people based on objective qualities and performance, not personal sentiment.

awkwardness

Stromberg (2004–2012). Context: A satirical workplace comedy (German adaptation of “The Office”). Illustration: While the show is comedic and its main character is often inappropriate, much of the humor comes from the contrast between German directness in feedback and the awkwardness of mixing personal and professional spheres. The series lampoons, but also highlights, the expectation that feedback should be about work, not personality.

composure and impartiality

Modernist and Post-War Literature: German literary modernism and post-war literature frequently highlight the tension between emotional involvement and the need for objective, rational behavior-especially in the aftermath of social and historical upheaval. These works often depict characters struggling to maintain professional composure and impartiality, reinforcing the value placed on detached, performance-focused feedback .

rational, impersonal

Max Weber – The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism (1905). Though a sociological work, Weber’s analysis of rationalization and the rise of bureaucracy in German (and Western) society underpins the German approach to work and feedback. He describes a culture in which professional roles are defined by rational, impersonal rules, and performance is assessed objectively, not emotionally.

no personal sentiment

Heinrich Mann – Der Untertan (The Loyal Subject, 1918). This satirical novel examines the German tendency toward authority and order. The protagonist’s rise through the ranks is marked by strict adherence to performance expectations and formal evaluations, with little room for personal sentiment in professional interactions.