Business
In Germany, business is conducted in a very formal
manner. A conservative, formal sense of dress is to be adhered to.
Punctuality is vital at all meetings and it is considered rude to
be late. Germans love titles; men are referred to as 'Herr' and
women as 'Frau', followed by their last names until otherwise
specified. Meetings are often purely business and may not occur
over lunches, which are generally more social. Shaking hands at the
beginning and end of the meeting is common. The exchange of
business cards is common but there is no accompanying ritual.
Decisions are often made behind closed doors. Business hours are
generally 9am to 6pm Monday to Friday with an hour taken over
lunch.
