ASSIGNMENT-1 International Business

Submitted By: Group D9Group Members:Anuj Sethi : 2015201Cheerag Bajaj : 2015210Mukul Pandey : 2015219Priyanka Mishra : 2015229Sanjukta Roy : 2015239Shubhankar Tandon : 2015249IntroductionGermany is the center of Europe, not only geographically, but also in the political and economic geography. In European countries, its population is the second largest after Russia, with more than 81 million people, according to The World Factbook. Germany is the largest economy in the continent and the world's fifth largest after US, China, Japan and UK.Although there has been German influence on the border countries - Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Poland but all these cultures, to varying degrees, have a hand in shaping the current Germany as well.91.5% of the population of Germany is Germans, with Turkish being the second largest ethnic group at 2.4 percent. According to the World factbook, the remaining 6.1% consists mainly Greek, Russian, Italian, Polish, Serbian - Croatian and Spanish descents.ValuesGermany places a high priority on the structure, privacy and timeliness. The German people prefer to embrace the values like thrift, hard work and diligence and there is great emphasis on the need to ensure that "the trains run on time." According to trade 2.0 Passport, a guide to etiquette online business from the University of Salford in Manchester, England, " Germans are most comfortable when they can organize and compartmentalize their world into controllable units. Time, therefore, is managed carefully, and calendars, schedules and agendas must be respected."Germany is full of stoic people who strive for perfection and precision in all aspects of their lives. They do not admit mistakes, even joking, and rarely share the praise. At first their attitude may seem unfriendly, but there is a strong sense of community and social humanitarism and the desire to belong.LanguagesAccording to Angelo State University Center for International Studies, not surprisingly, the country's official language is German. More than 95 percent of the population speak German as their first language. Other languages used are Serbian in East Germany; North and west Frisian, spoken around the river Rhine; and Danish being spoken mainly in areas along the Danish border. Romani, which is a native language, Turkish and Kurdish are also spoken.ReligionChristianity is the dominant religion, with 65 to 70 percent of the population identify themselves as Christians. This number includes 24 million Catholics, according to CBS News. Muslims make up to 3.7 percent of the population, according to Angelo State University, while 28.3 percent are not affiliated or have a different religion from Christianity or Islam.German Food & DrinksGermans love rich, hearty cuisine, though each area of Germany has its own definition of what a traditional meal looks like. Pork is the most consumed meat, Schweinshaxe (braised pork hock) and Saumagen (porkstomach) are a couple of traditional pork dishes.Bratwurst, a form of sausage, is closely associated with German food. Cabbage, beets, and turnips are commonly incorporated into meals, as they are native to the region, and potatoes and sauerkraut are also stars of German cuisine.Beeris the most popular alcoholic beverage, and the country is known as the birthplace of a number of beer varieties, including Pilsner, Weizenbier (wheat beer) and Alt. These beers were crafted according to Reinheitsgebot, or the "Purity Law," a 16th-century Bavarian law that decreed that beer could only be brewed from barley, hops and water, according toNPR. Brewers used the yeast available in the air. Brandy and schnapps are also favorite German alcoholic beverages.The ArtsCulture doesn't just refer to how people interact and look. Germans have made tremendous contributions to classical music, and the traditions of famous German or Austrian composers such as Johann Sebastian Bach, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig vonBeethoven, Johannes Brahms, Richard Wagner and Gustav Mahler live on today.With their penchant for precision and engineering, it is not surprising that Germans have a strong tradition of printmaking by woodcut and engraving. There is also a strong representation of all phases of architecture including Romanesque, Gothic, Classicist, Baroque, Rococo and Renaissance represented in cathedrals, castles and public buildings. One well-known example of classic German art is theBrandenburg Gate, a former city gate that is now used to symbolize Berlin's unity.Business CultureThe desire for orderliness spills over into thebusinesslife of Germans. Surprises and humor are not welcomed. Everything is carefully planned out and decided upon, with changes rarely occurring after an agreement is made. There is a high regard for engineers in German, as evidenced by the countrys success in the automotive industry. Because of this high level of respect for hands-on expertise, companies tend to be headed by technical experts rather than lawyers or those with a financial background.Workers at all levels are judged heavily on their competence and diligence, rather than interpersonal skills. Communication with co-workers as well as outsiders tends to be direct and not always diplomatic.Holidays and CelebrationsGermany celebrates many of the traditional Christian holidays, including Christmas and Easter. German Unification Day on October 3 marks the reuniting of East and West Germany and is the only federal holiday.While the countrys big beer bash is called "Oktoberfest," its starts each year on a Saturday in September and ends 16 to 18 days later, on the first Sunday in October. The tradition started in 1810, with the wedding of Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria to Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen, according to thecity of Munich.