Guten tag!

Today were going to talk about the individualism in

Germany.
First of all well give a general definition of individualism
and then well talk about Hofstedes vision on this
subject.
Individualism refers to a self-orientation, an emphasis
on self-sufficiency and control, the pursuit of individual
goals that may or may not be consistent with in-group
goals, a willingness to confront members of the in-group
to which a person belongs, and a culture where people
derive pride from their own accomplishments. In an
individualistic environment, people are motivated by
self-interest and achievement of personal goals. They
are hesitant to contribute to collective action unless
their own efforts are recognized, preferring instead to
benefit from the efforts of others.

The fundamental issue addressed by this dimension is

the degree of interdependence a society
maintains among its members. It has to do with
whether peoples self-image is defined in terms of I or
We. In Individualist societies people are supposed to
look after themselves and their direct family only.
The German society is a truly individualistic one with a
score of 67 points on the Hofstedes scale. Small
families with a focus on the parent-children relationship
rather than aunts and uncles are most common. There
is a strong belief in the ideal of self-actualization.

Loyalty is based on personal preferences for people as

well as a sense of duty and responsibility. This is
defined by the contract between the employer and the
employee. Communication is among the most direct in
the world following the ideal to be honest, even if it
hurts and by this giving the counterpart a fair chance
to learn from mistakes.

In many respects, Germans can be considered the

masters of planning. This is a culture that prizes forward
thinking and knowing what they will be doing at a
specific time on a specific day. The German thought
process is extremely thorough, with each aspect of a
project being examined in great detail. Careful planning,
in ones business and personal life, provides a sense of
security. Most aspects of German living and working are
defined and regulated by structure, for example,
through laws, rules, and procedures, which are evident
in all economic, political and even social spheres. Rules
and regulations allow people to know what is expected
so that they can plan their lives accordingly. Germans
believe that maintaining clear lines of demarcation
between people, places, and things is the surest way to
lead a structured and ordered life. In German business
culture, this is reflected in the adherence to prescribed
business rules resulting in, a low degree of flexibility
and spontaneity in attitudes and values.
Although Germans are highly individualized; they still
consider the family as the fundamental importance. For
almost 90 percent of the population the family comes
first in their list of personal priorities. Moreover, 72

percent of the young people are of the opinion that

being happy is dependent on having a family.
To conclude we do have one question for you : knowing
all these aspects about the german culture do you think
you would fit in in their society?