Suchergebnisse

This paper examines German trade and investment structures in relation to China, establishing for the 1990s: a severe trade imbalance, with stagnating German exports and sharply rising imports; it also establishes, despite occasionally substantial increases in contracted investment, a general pattern of steep decline in realized German investment. These findings contrast markedly with official surveys of German business opinions which seem to yield a very positive frame of mind by German businessmen regarding their business activity in China. Both grounds for disillusionment and success factors for foreign (German) business in China are explored, phenomena which are possibly shaping German conformance to the wider, distinct and apparently inexorable trend away from joint ventures towards wholly foreign‐owned enterprises. Regardless of such developments, Germany is a key business partner for China, not least because of its readiness to share sensitive high‐technology as, for example, in the field of environmental protection.

By building on its many strengths and addressing its current weaknesses, Germany is entering the decarbonized age at speed. (IPQ)

Diese Arbeit untersucht die Geschäftskommunikation zwischen deutschen und russischen Mitarbeitern im Hinblick auf interkulturelle Aspekte. Aufbauend auf bisherigen Forschungsergebnissen werden Interpretationsmuster in den täglichen deutsch-russischen Interaktionen sowie die Entstehung der dazugehörigen Interkultur untersucht. Die empirische Untersuchung umfasst 30 semi-strukturierte Tiefeninterviews mit deutschen und russischen Mitarbeitern. Zur Analyse dieser Interviews wurde ein ganzheitlicher Ansatz gewählt, der unterschiedliche makro- und mikro-analytische Ansätze zur Erforschung der interkulturellen Fragestellungen vereint sowie die Sichtweisen sowohl der deutschen als auch der russischen Seite berücksichtigt. Die Resultate der Untersuchung decken drei mögliche Interpretationsmuster auf: Attribuierung zu den individuellen Merkmalen eines Kollegen, Attribuierung zu der historischen und der sozialen Umwelt eines Kollegen und Attribuierung zu den eigenen individuellen Merkmalen. Die Ergebnisse der Untersuchung zeigen außerdem auf, dass die deutsch-russische Interkultur durch einen durchgehenden Konflikt der Kulturen geprägt ist, die zum größten Teil als stillschweigend abläuft und nur in seltenen Fällen offensichtlich wird. Die abgeleiteten Empfehlungen betreffen damit nicht nur die Interaktionen zwischen der deutschen und der russischen Kultur, sondern lassen sich auch auf die Verbesserung der interkulturellen Zusammenarbeit sowie der gegenseitigen Verständigung in anderen Kulturräumen übertragen

The surface indices of political life in Germany suggest that that nation has embarked upon a moderate pro-European and pro-Western course, and that political extremism and nationalism have no significant appeal at the present time. Thus the elections of 1953 produced an overwhelming majority for the "moderate" parties. Neither the Communist Party nor specifically neo-Nazi formations attained significant votes or representation in the Bundestag in the election of that year. On the whole, the statements made by governmental, political, and interest group leaders have been cautious and responsible. Occasional manifestations of neo-Nazism have been local and limited in character. There is no evidence to suggest that such tendencies have widespread organized support either aboveground or underground.

The goal of this study was to examine cultural differences in the value of family involvement in German and Chinese small businesses due to their differences in collectivism/individualism. Our analyses, based on a sample of 562 Chinese and German owners, showed that family involvement — measured as the number of family members that work in the business — is higher in China than in Germany. Compared to German business owners, Chinese owners received most of their start-up capital from family members. Moreover, we were interested in whether family involvement is related to the business owner's ability to make use of start-up capital to turn it into business outcomes. Building on existing literature and based on the match hypothesis we hypothesized that the effects of family involvement on business outcomes depend on the cultural values underlying a business. Our analyses revealed that family involvement negatively affected relationships of start-up capital with business outcomes both in China and in Germany. Our study contributes by showing that a negative effect of family involvement on the ability to make use of start-up capital is not only evident in individualistic cultures such as Germany but does also apply to collectivistic Chinese businesses. Practically, owners in both cultures are suggested to develop strategies in order to prevent and overcome negative effects of family involvement on business outcomes. Our results suggest fruitful avenues for future research.

Why do some business associations mobilize, engage in collective action, and take public stands against the populist right while others do not? This article examines business mobilization against the populist right in Germany, which is heavily export-oriented and reliant on the European and global market order. Drawing on interviews with three business associations, the article presents three key findings. First, economic self-interest is a powerful driver of business mobilization: perceived threats and vulnerability spurred two German associations to act collectively against right-wing populism. However, mobilization is driven not by declining revenues or profits but by a mixture of values and material interests. Second, business associations that mobilize stress the need to reform the system, democratize the European Union, and address those who feel "left behind." Third, medium-size, export-oriented manufacturers are the core business constituency supporting liberal democracy and the European Union. The article shows that some business factions can play a role in defending the liberal international order against right-wing populism.