Seminar BSP

By Artur Movsisyan

do Business with
Germans?!
Resum of Professor
Bahles

Michael Bahles: Professor at BSP

What are intercultural

competences?

Skills
Knowledge
Behaviour
Attitudes

openness, flexibility, self reflection, empathy,

tolerance for ambiguity, readiness for learning

Iceberg Model
Visible aspects: rituals, language traditions, behaviour
already very hard to see
Non-visible aspects: beliefs, attitudes, norms and VALUES
For example US Values: success, achievement, results,
friendliness, FAIR play sport, equality, informality,
optimism, patriotism, religion, freedom, individualism, family
and pursuit of happiness)
Vs. German Values: Directness, honesty, clarity, Order,
responsibility, reliability, quality, education, work orientation,
reason, thoroughness, science, planning and structure,
expertise, Gumtlichkeit coziness, environment)

Hofstedes cultural dimensions

Long Term orientation
Power distance
Uncertainty avoidance
Individualism and collectivism
Masculinity/ feminity
CULTURAL DIFFERENCES

Holistic approach: Understanding

global cultures
a
a
a
a
a
a

metaphor
metaphor
metaphor
metaphor
metaphor
metaphor

for
for
for
for
for
for

the USA; American football

the Mexico; The Mexican Fiesta
Russia; The Russian Ballet
Italy; The Italian Opera
Germany; The German Symphony
Belgium; The Belgium Lace

Conclusion: Working with

Germans

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, structured way
Be aware of direct questions and comments
Dont take critique personal
Have a profound argumentation ( have it proved)
Be frank and create trust (by facts, always have a
source)

Seminar 2:
Entrepreneurial
Hotspot Berlin

Prof DR. Andreas Braun

Summary of the seminar

What is an entrepreneur?
Why is Berlin a hotspot?
What tools do entrepreneurs use?

Examples of entrepreneurial ideas

e-rockit UNSUCCESSFUL , something between a bike
and a motor , great idea however absolutely
unsuccessful

Drivenow ( Car to go is the mercedes version of

drivenow): Germany and San Francisco, partnership
between BMW and six.. buy the time you drive, 29 cents
per minute = Business model innovation

Why is Berlin a hotspot

Berlin is poor, but sexy! By Berlins former mayor Klaus
Wowereit
Hamburg Frankfurt etc.. are rich cities..
Berlin poor but high quality living, you have to do
something on yourself if you want to live in Berlin..
Factors largely determine the success as a start-up hub:
talents, infrastructure, network, public image, capital

Will Berlin become the next Sillicon Valley? Not sure,

silicon valley is about IT Berlin not .. However, Berlin is
booming

What tools do entrepreneurs use?

Business model canvas... Simple, easy way to display
business ideas
Business plan, cant be 200 pages
Elevator pitch: convince somebody of your idea in 1 to 2
minutes...

Elevator pitch

Seminar 3: The German

economy and politics in a
nutshell
By Kristin Schilling
Professor at BSP
Specialized in applied psychology

German economy
Berlin is not just Germany's political center, but is also among the most
dynamic economic regions in Europe.
Berlin has Germanys largest digital economy workforce.
The unemployment in Berlin has steadily declined for a decade now.
Berlin is Germanys most popular university city.
In general: the new hub for entrepreneurs, Berlin a major centre for
artists, writers, musicians and increasingly technology and web
entrepreneurs

Politics and demography

Population in Berlin: 3.459.218
Foreigners in Berlin: 472.321 = 13,65%
The governing mayor of Berlin: Michael Mller