BERLIN BUSINESS SCHOOL

LECTURES
23/03/2016
9.30AM-1.00 PM
CALANDRELLISTR. 1-9, D- 12247
Sebastiaan Debou 2IBM04

WORKSHOP 1 : HOW TO DO BUSINESS WITH

GERMANS
(MICHAEL BAHLES)

WORKSHOP ON INTERCULTURAL COMPETENCES

M.BAHLES : EXPERIENCE AS AN INTERNATIONAL DIRECTOR FOR PUBLIC
AGENCIES, LECTOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF PRAGUE, HAS INTERNATIONAL
EXPERIENCE IN DIFFERENT FIELDS OF BUSINESS

Sebastiaan Debou 2IBM04

SOME EXAMPLES TO START WITH

CAMEL => JAPENESE => NO CRITICISM IN GROUP
LOREAL => FRENCH => MORE OPEN
NIVEA, ALLIANZ, VW => GERMAN => MORE CLOSED, QUALITY,
PLANNING AND CLEARNESS
SKODA => CZECH-GERMAN => CLEVER ENGINEERING WITH A HUMAN
TOUCH
MERGE DAIMLER-CHRYSLER => GERMAN VS AMERICAN CULTURE =>
FAILURE ($50 BILLION )
NIKE => AMERICAN SPOT => DRAGONS CAN NOT BE DEFEATED IN
CHINA (HOLY)

HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=BPJPE6KTI7G

Sebastiaan Debou 2IBM04

INTERNATIONAL COMPETENCE

OPEN ATTITUDE
SENSITVE
FLEXIBILTY IS NOT EVERYTHING E.G. VW
SELF-REFLECTION
TOLERANCE
READINESS OF LEARNING
=> GLOBAL PEOPLE :
- RESPECT OTHER CULTURES WITH AN OPEN MIND
- SEEING THINGS FROM A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE
=> PERCEPTION ( THE ICEBERG MODEL)
Sebastiaan Debou 2IBM04

VALUES IN THE WEST

U.S. : SUCCESS, FIGHTING SPIRIT, RULES, EQUALITY, OPENNESS, FAIR
PLAY, RELIGION, PATTRIOTISM, OPTIMISM, INDIVIDUAL FREEDOM AND
FAMILY
GERMANY : DIRECTNESS, RUDE, HONESTY, CLARITY, PLANNED,
ORGANIZED, RESPONSIBLILTY, GERMAN QUALITY, EDUCATION,
RELIABILITY, QUALITY OF WORK, REASON, SCIENCE, STRUCTURE AND
GEMTLICHKEIT (COSINESS)
BELGIUM : CONNECTIONS, ON-TIME, WORK, VARIETY, PERSONAL LIFE VS
WORK-LIFE
Sebastiaan Debou 2IBM04

HIGH AND LOW CONTEXT CULTURES

GERMANY => LESS TALK, MORE ACTION
NORTHERN COUNTRIES => COLD = KEEPING MOUTH CLOSED IN ORDER
TO KEEP WARM
SOUTH-AMERICA => MORE TALK, LESS ACTION
BELGIUM => FACT-ORIENTED
E.G. SCHABLE VS VAROUFAKIS

Sebastiaan Debou 2IBM04

HOFSTEDE : 5 CULTURAL DIMENSIONS INDEX

FLANDERS = GERMANY => MOLISTIC APPROACH HOLISTIC APPROACH = U.S.
=>BASED ON HISTORY, EXPERTS AND LITERATURE TALKING & OBSERVING
METHAPHORS
U.S. = AMERICAN FOOTBALL ( FIGHTING, SHOW)
MEXICO = FIESTA (MUSIC, CELEBRATING)
RUSSIA = RUSSIAN BALLET (BEAUTY)
ITALY = OPERA (LOUD, SINGING)
GERMANY = SYMPHONY ( CLASSICAL MUSIC, DETAIL, SERIOUS, ON-TIME)
BELGIUM = LACE ( THOUGH MATERIAL, HARMONY)
SOURCE : NEGOTIATE ANYTHING ANYONE ANYWHERE AROUND THE WORLD, FRANK L,ACUFF
Sebastiaan Debou 2IBM04

THE CULTURE MAP : THE 8 CULTURAL

DIFFERENCES
DEALING WITH EACH OTHER = WORKING TOGETHER
1. COMMUNICATION (LOW CONTEXT VS HIGH CONTEXT)
2. EVALUATING (DIRECT NEGATIVE FEEDBACK VS INDIRECT NEGATIVE FEEDBACK)
3. PERSUADING (CONCEPT-FIRST VS APPLICATION-FIRST)
4. LEADING (EGALITARIAN VS HIERARCHICAL)
5. DECIDING (CONSENSUAL VS TOP-DOWN)
6. TRUSTING (TASK-BASED VS RELATIONSHIP-BASED)
7. DISAGREEING (CONFRONTATIONAL VS AVOIDS CONFRONTATION)
8. SCHEDULING (NON-FLEXIBLE TIMING VS FLEXIBLE TIMING)
Sebastiaan Debou 2IBM04

CONCLUSIONS
TO DEAL WITH GERMANS YOU HAVE TO BE :
ON-TIME (OR EVEN A BIT EARLIER)
HAVE ONLY A SHORT SMALL TALK
DEAL WITH BUSINESS SERIOUSLY
BE THOROUGHLY PREPARED
PRESENT EVERYTHING IN A LOGICAL STRUCTURAL WAY
BE AWARE OF THE DIRECT QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS
DONT TAKE CRITIQUE PERSONAL
COME UP WITH PROOFS, ARGUMENTS, FACTS AND SOURCES
CREATE TRUST BY BEING HONEST (KEEP TO YOUR WORD, GERMANS TAKE EVERYTHING LITERALLY)

Sebastiaan Debou 2IBM04

WORKSHOP 2 :ENTREPREUNURIAL HOTSPOT

BERLIN
FOR START-UPS
3 MAIN QUESTIONS :
1. WHAT IS AN ENTREPRENEUR ?
2. WHY IS BERLIN A HOTSPOT ?
3. WHAT TOOLS DO ENTREPRENEURS USE ?

CURRENT HOTSPOTS FOR START-UPS : LONDON, TEL AVIV AND BERLIN

Sebastiaan Debou 2IBM04

EXAMPLES OF IDEAS MADE IN BERLIN

TEEKAMPAGNE
SUCCESSFUL BY SQUEEZING THE WHOLE SUPPLY CHAIN, USING E-COMMERCE AND SELLING ONLY ONE
SORT OF TEA

JUMPSUITS
E-ROCKET
CROSSOVER BETWEEN A MOTORCYCLE AND A BIKE. WHAT IS ITS PLACE IN THE MARKET? HIGH START-UP
COSTS => BANKRUPTCY

BETAHAUS
FACILITIES OPEN FOR ENTREPRENEURS IN ORDER TO WORK AND NETWORK WITH EACH OTHER, VERY
SUCCESSFUL E.G. GOOGLE

DRIVENOW
APPLICATION BY BMW AND MERCEDES TO RENT A CAR NEARBY YOUR CURRENT POSITION
Sebastiaan Debou 2IBM04

WHAT IS AN ENTREPENEUR ? 9
CHARACTERISTICS
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.

HATE THE STATUS QUO

EASILY BORED
LABELED A REBEL
RESIST AUTHORITY
FIRED FROM JOBS
OBSESSED
NEVER RELAXING
BAD AT SMALL TALK
DONT FIT THE NORM

Sebastiaan Debou 2IBM04

DEFINING AN ENTREPRENEUR

JOSEPH SCHUMPETER CREATIVE DESTRUCTION : DESTROYING TO MAKE

SOMETHING EVEN BETTER
SEEING AN OPPORTUNITY
INNOVATION = INVENTION + COMMERCIALIZATION
STATE-OF-THE-ART RESEARCH : ENTREPRENEURSHIP + INNOVATION
MANAGEMENT + SMALL BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

Sebastiaan Debou 2IBM04

WHY IS BERLIN A HOTSPOT ?

BERLIN IS POOR, BUT SEXY FORMER MAYOR KLAUS WOWEREIT MADE

BERLIN POPULAR
NO MILITARY SERVICE IN BERLIN => ATTRACTIVENSS FOR YOUNG
TALENTED PEOPLE FROM BRD
CHEAP TO RENT FLAT/HOUSE IN BERLIN => COMMUNISM IN FORMER
EAST-BERLIN
Sebastiaan Debou 2IBM04

5 FACTORS THAT DETERMINE THE SUCCESS OF

A START-UP HUB

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

TALENTS
INFRASTRUCTURE (QUITE CHEAP TO RENT BUILDINGS AND APARTMENTS)
NETWORK
PUBLIC IMAGE
CAPITAL (MORE AND MORE CAPITAL FLOWS IN)

Sebastiaan Debou 2IBM04

WHAT TOOLS DO ENTREPENEURS USE?

-THE BRAIN:
BRING SIMPLE IDEAS TO THE MARKET

-BUSINESS MODEL CANVAS:

A STRAIGHTFORWARD STRUCTURE TO EXPLAIN YOUR BUSINESS IDEAS. WHAT CAN WE DO
BETTER THAN THE OTHERS? WHAT ARE OUR RESOURCES,

BUSINESS PLAN:
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY, OPERATIONS, FINANCE SUMMARY,

ELEVATOR PITCH:
CAN YOU CONVINCE SOMEONE IN 1 OR 2 MINUTES ABOUT YOUR IDEA?

POPULAR NOWADAYS : FUCKED-UP SPEECHES

YOU LEARN MORE ABOUT PEOPLES FAILURES THAN FROM THEIR SUCCESSES
Sebastiaan Debou 2IBM04

WORKSHOP 3 : THE GERMAN ECONOMY AND

POLITICS IN A NUTSHELL
LECTURER BSP : DIPL. SOZ. KRISTIN SCHILLING
GERMANY FAMOUS FOR :
BEER
OKTOBERFEST
BRATWURST
CARS
DIE MANNSCHAFT
Sebastiaan Debou 2IBM04

CAPITAL OF GERMANY : BERLIN

SILICON BERLIN : THE NEW HUB FOR ENTREPRENEURS

DIFFERENT FIELDS OF FIRMS : GAMING, E-COMMERCE, HIGH TECH, 2500
INTERNET START-UPS
ATTRACTIVENSS :
CHEAP COST OF LIVING, INFRASTRUCTURE AND RENT
INTERNATIONAL MULTICULTURAL CITY : ARTISTS, WRITERS, MUSICIANS,
NETWORKING AND COWORKING SPACES : BETAHAUS, KAOS, CAF NEST,
Sebastiaan Debou 2IBM04

ECONOMY

4TH LARGEST ECONOMY WORLDWIDE

ECB HEADQUARTERS IN FRANKFURT
EXPORTING COUNTRY : CARS, MEDICAMENTS, PARTS OF VEHICLES
WELL-KNOWN COMPANIES : BMW, DEUTSCHE BAHN, DAIMLER, ALDI, VW,
BAYER AG,
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WEST AND EAST GERMANY STILL REMAINS
VISIBLE (BRAINDRAIN/MODERNIZATION)
Sebastiaan Debou 2IBM04

SOCIETY

3 MAIN PRINCIPLES : INDIVIDUAL FREEDOM, SOLIDARITY AND SUBSIDIARY

HIGH QUALITY LABOR FORCE => EDUCATION
MOST INDUSTRIALIZED NATION ( STILL 28% OF LABOR FORCE)

SMES = MITTELSTAND COMPANIES, COMPETITIVE FAMILY BUSINESSES

SERVICE SECTOR : 73.8% OF LABOR FORCE
INTERNATIONAL TRADE FAIRS AND CONGRESSES : HANNOVER, COLOGNE,

Sebastiaan Debou 2IBM04

INFRASTRUCTURE AND TECHNOLOGY

FOCUS ON RENEWABLE ENERGY (100% AGAINST 2050)

STRONG RAIL AND ROAD NETWORK INFRASTRUCTURE : AUTOBAHN
BIG INTERNATIONAL AIRPORTS : FRANKFURT, MUNICH,
EMPHASIS ON INNOVATION : START-UPS

Sebastiaan Debou 2IBM04

POLITICS

SEPARATION OF POWER
HEAD OF STATE : PRESIDENT JOACHIM GAUCK (CEREMONIAL ROLE)
HEAD OF GOVERNMENT : CHANCELLOR ANGELA MERKEL (CDU)
CURRENT GRAND COALITION : CDU/CSU AND SPD
BUNDESTAG
LABOR FORCE IS SHRINKING => IMMIGRANTS FROM SYRIA => RISE OF
THE AFD
Sebastiaan Debou 2IBM04

Sebastiaan Debou 2IBM04