Doing Business in German with Siemens

German culture is diverse and complex. One way to evalutate the culture is to use Geert Hofstede’s five dimensions which helps to illustrate values that are embedded into the German people and how behavior manifests itself in a work related context. The German culture can be described as having a low power distance as they strongly expect power to be distributed equally. This is evident by the solid co-determination rights held for employees. Germans also demonstrate a high degree of uncertainty avoidance. They are a very analytical and data driven culture and prefer deductive approaches when presenting or planning as they are more comfortable with structure rather than ambiguity or risky situations. The high uncertainty avoidance correlates to Germany’s long-term orientation which is also validated by the employment agreements which allows employees and generations of their family to remain employed at firms for decades. Germany would also be considered a masculine society where performance is highly valued and people gain self-esteem from their tasks. The German society is also a truly individualistic one and many portray themselves as individuals with individual goals and needs. Siemens is a German based company, headquartered in Munich. It is the largest Europe-based electronics and electrical engineering company functioning globally in almost two hundred countries. Siemens operates in the fields of industry, energy and healthcare. The company provides a vast array of services and goods. A few examples of Siemens products in the industry and energy divisions produce automation systems ranging from process control systems to industrial communication and they also provide power generation, transmission and distribution services. Additionally, Siemen’s healthcare and mobility departments produce hearing instruments and MRI and medical imaging solutions as well as rail and tolling systems. The finance and services arms of Siemens offers clients