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Working with the Germans
 Elisabeth Marx is a trained psychologist from Germany, working for a global executive research firm. She's a lecturer on management issues and is the author of "Breaking through Culture Shock". Though born in Germany, she has lived and worked in England for many years.
Here, she comments on the accounts of people with different experiences of working with the Germans - dispelling some myths and providing some expert advice. |
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The TV series is occasionally repeated on BBC Learning Zone, BBC TWO
Full schedule
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The experience of working in a different culture can bring about
symptoms of distress, from being maybe slightly nervous or restless
to quite serious symptoms of anxiety, depression and helplessness and
some of them can stay for a long time. This is known as culture shock,
and it is completely normal for these symptoms to arrive.
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Expert tips
- Be self-aware. If you're experiencing culture difference problems, try and adapt.
- Find social support: relate with locals or with other ex-pats
- Be pro-active: think about your own situation in a positive way
- Keep a sense of humour - it will help you to get a perspective on things.
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Germany: East and West
Trevor Wilson
DJ & Radio Presenter
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I find the East Germans have a far more healthy attitude to life and work life, or more life actually than the West Germans. They seem to be more happy-go-lucky and not too concerned about what's going to happen in 20 years' time. So they're good fun. I like the East Germans.
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| I think that the attitude of East Germans will take a very long time in terms of adaptation. The business pressure is certainly not as pronounced in East Germany compared to West Germany, and I would expect there is more fluidity between the work life and the personal life, and that's very different to West Germany.
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Elizabeth Marx
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Being there
