Abstract
The socioeconomic and political history of Germany is marked by forces working towards both international openness and provincial governance marked by corporatism. Coping with a succession of catastrophic events led to a unique combination of the capacity for the standardized management of large-scale problems with the case and situation specific solving of problems. A profession and occupation specific regulation of work and human resources led to a reluctance to accept general management ideas. Business and management institutions have become geared to the prevalence of medium-sized industrial enterprises, with technically demanding products and an orientation towards international markets, organized and run to resemble “well-oiled machines”. The institutional patterns of capitalism are marked by more long-term orientation and a lesser importance of stock markets. In management culture, this shows in the propensity to prepare for contingencies and uncertainty, in cohesive work forces with an emphasis on direct and sober interaction.
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Sorge, A. (2018). Management in Germany, the Dynamo of Europe. In: Crane, R. (eds) The Influence of Business Cultures in Europe. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-50929-1_3
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