Presentation for the Rotary Club of Cleveland on the cultural impact of German investments in the Tennessee Valley. ~July 10, 2012~

1. German Culture in
Cleveland & Bradley County
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Christian Hoeferle
Höferle Consulting
German-American Chamber of Commerce of the Southern U.S.

2. German Business is
rolling into Tennessee

3. German Heritage in
Bradley County

4. The Impact of German Investment
in the Tennessee Valley
• Social • Cultural
• Economic • Educational

5. Economic Impact
$1.5 billion+ investment
$1.8 billion investment

6. Social Impact
• at least 4,500 new jobs in the region
• influx of newcomers to the area (from inside
the U.S. as well as from abroad)
• new, sometimes different mindsets &
mentalities arrive in the TN Valley

7. Social Impact:
Maifest

8. Educational Impact
• drastically increased demand for German classes
• introduction of German style job training initiatives
• need for special programs at local schools for
expatriate children
• introduction of International Baccalaureate program
• German Language School (Montessori Kinder)

9. Cultural Impact

10. Peaches vs. Coconuts

11. Peach
- extroverted with strangers
- open & curious
- makes "friends" quickly
- talks openly in public
- public & private interwoven
Coconut
- reserved, needs time to warm up
with strangers
- private & public strictly separated
- social distance determined by
status, social role, profession
- close, very intimate sharing of
experiences with friends

12. Mind the Language Gap

13. ze German use of ze
Englisch language
• most Germans speak English
• many know English only on an academic/
school level
• most schools teach mainly British English
• => misunderstandings (esp. with Americans)
• difficulties in understanding nuances,
reading between the lines
• native speech is full of "would", "could",
"please", "thank you", "might"
• Germans use "should", "must", "have to",
"yes" and "no"

14. American Football =
US Leadership Style

15. Football (aka Soccer) = German
Leadership Style

16. Values & Traditions
• "Ordnung muss sein!" (= order must be)
• efficiency, tidiness, organization, clarity, duty
• clarity ("Klarheit")
• Germans are usually very direct & straightforward - even to the extent of being
brutally honest
=> they'll tell you what to do and how to do it
• "Paralysis by Analysis" - the process of analyzing a situation defeats the more
important goal of reaching a decision
• wish for clarity & honesty comes with a sense of duty; to say something and not do it
is seen badly
• doing your duty (what is widely believed to be the right thing) = important part of
peoples' lives
• sense of duty is linked to a belief in higher principles
• => the greater common good
• Gemeinschaft/Gruppenzugehörigkeit => consensus-driven society

17. Private vs. Public
• work hard <==> party hard
• strong distinction between work and play
• "Dienst ist Dienst. Schnaps ist Schnaps."
(= Work is work and drink is drink)
• friends & family <==> rest of the world
• Germans are experts in code switching
• formality vs. friends
• moral standards differ substantially from those in the
Southeastern US: nudity and sexually explicit material in the
media is perfectly acceptable, violence is not
• complaining isn't considered a rude behaviour, it is a control
mechanism to make sure rules are obeyed and systems are
adhered to

18. Business & Private
• Germans' analytical approach isn't limited to the
business world
• deep and detailed communication is a lifestyle
• German friends want to talk about politics, social
issues, philosophy, attitudes to life, etc.
• they will expect you to stand your ground and will
reprove you if they think you're not thinking things
through
• they'll treasure your directness and honesty

19. Managment Communication
• very direct & straightforward
• giving and receiving orders is important, as is carrying
them out to the letter
• Germans get to the point quickly with no or very little
small talk
• contained body language; not too much smiling
(= false mannerism in business environment)
• lack of praise: do not expect to be praised for doing
your job, because "excellence comes as standard"
• efficiency and charm don't have to go together

20. Presenting & Listening
• Germans are usually more reserved and serious
• Americans tend to misinterpret this as being unfriendly
• Germans want to be respected and seen as credible
• Americans want to be liked
• Germans present data & content centered
• Americans present audience centered
• => amount of humor/entertainment elements in
German business communication is far less than with
Americans

21. Thank you for
Your Attention!
(423) 284-5013
christian@hoeferle.com
christianhoeferle
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@Hoeferle
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