Benjamin Guthrie, Lauren Blake, Marilyn Nickel, Shane Ladas, Marc Pinaud January 18, 2007 Germany ISU

Germany: A Snapshot Size: 357,021 km² (Just over 1/3 the size of Ontario – 6th largest European country) Population: (14th largest in World) Capital City: Berlin (also largest German city – population: 3.4 million) Official Language: German Currency: European Union (Initiated 1999) Exchange Rate vs. Canadian Dollar: 0.66 EUR GDP: $2.585 trillion (5th largest in the World) GDP per Capita: $ (17th largest in the World) Time: Central European Time (CET) + 1 UTC - 12:00pm in Ottawa = 6:00pm in Germany

Climate & Geography Temperate climate in which humid westerly winds predominate. Temperatures depend on ocean proximity or inland Highest point: 2,962 meters Lowest point: 3.54 meters below sea level Europe’s major rivers in Germany: Rhine, Danube and Elbe Borders with: Denmark, Poland, Czech Republic, Austria, Switzerland, France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands

History: Stunde Null (zero hour) to describe the near-total collapse of Germany Germany was divided into four military occupation zones by the Allies which divided Germany into West (Democratic) and East (Soviet) West Germany eventually came to enjoy prolonged economic growth beginning in the early 1950’s. Growing numbers of East Germans emigrated to West Germany East German was forced to resign in October, and on November 9th, East German authorities unexpectedly allowed East German citizens to enter West Berlin and West Germany. Hundreds of thousands of people took advantage of the opportunity; new crossing points were opened in the Berlin Wall Society:

Society: German society is a modern, open- minded society Most people – both young and old – are well-educated and enjoy a high standard of living The nucleus of their lives is the family, which is constantly adopting new forms. Yet society is faced with the challenge of solving important problems such as population trends – the ageing of society as well as immigration, which is increasingly varied in terms of ethnic culture. And there is one thing the Germans still have to overcome: the effects of the 45 years during which the country was divided

Government & Education Government: Democratic Federal Parliamentary Republic Education: 372 institutes of higher education in Germany, 102 of them universities 167 universities of the applied sciences. Foreign foreign students are enrolled at German institutes of students higher education. After the United States and Great Britain, Germany is thus third most attractive country world-wide for foreign students. Degrees available: Degrees Bachelor’s Master’s Ph.D. State Examination Diploma, Magister

Economy Exports and Imports: Germany exports a total of $1.131 trillion Germany imports a total of $934 billion Economy: DaimlerChrysler, Siemens, Porsche, Lufthansa, SAP, Mercedes Benz, Audi, and Volkswagen “Made in Germany” - cutting-edge technology “land of ideas” Germany produces iron, steel, coal, cement, chemicals, machinery, vehicles, machine tools, electronics, food and beverages, shipbuilding textiles GDP: $2.632 trillion GDP growth rate: 2.8% Only 1% of the GDP composite sector is agriculture, with another 30% under industry, and a staggering 69.1% in services. 1.7% inflation rate. Stable Euro currency

Resources Natural Resources Oil

Industries and Competitive Advantage Automotive Chemical Investment

Labour Force Qualification

Competitive Advantage? Problems The Upper Hand

International Agreements Status in trade Organizations: WTO (World Trade Organization): Member since January 1st, 1995 WEF (World Economic Forum): Member Since 2002 OECD: Member since September 27th, 1961 World Bank: Is a member of the World Bank. IMF (International Monetary Fund): Is a member. Germany is a member of the EU (European Union)

Joint venture between Canada’s Schenker distribution/logistics company and Germany’s Siemens. Both very successful companies Schenker owns 51% of the company while Siemens owns 49%

Germany & European Union Germany is also a part of the EU (European Union) Germany has played the leading role in the European Union At the forefront of European states seeking to exploit the momentum of monetary union to advance the creation of a more unified and capable European political, defense and security apparatus. EU regulations for trading abroad

Cultural Factors & Customs

Working in Germany German management has a distinct style and culture, but it also has a sense of the future and of the long term. The German style of competition is rigorous.  Companies generally seek market share rather than market domination.  Many compete for a specific niche.  German companies despise price competition. The German manager concentrates on two objectives: product quality and product service. Cooperation with government is fundamental. German management is sensitive to government standards, policies, and regulations.

German Labour Force

Infrastructure Transportation hub Dense and modern transportation networks Autobahn Germany has over km of paved roadway 550 airports World’s most technologically advanced telecommunications systems; Accommodations: Germany is host to over hotels Average rate roughly at $150 CAD per night Current Office Space in Germany: Berlin Office Space: 20 workstations available – rate: CAD/person Frankfurt Office Space: 5 workstations available – rate: CAD/person Munich Office Space: 160 workstations available – rate: CAD/person

Problem Areas in Germany Identifying Problems: Currently the Germany economy is facing structural problems. Germany is the world’s fifth largest consumer of energy, and two- thirds of its primary energy is imported. The energy-saving measures the German government policy now highly stresses emphasizes conservation and the development of renewable energy sources, such as solar, wind, biomass, hydro, and geothermal.

Ethics & Corporate Social Responsibility Germany is very advanced and similar to North America with ethical standards. The only current issue present in Germany is the environmental struggles Germany faces. With new environmental laws Germany has attempted to become socially responsible for the environment damage caused, future clean-up, and prevention.

International Marketing & Logistics Literacy: Definition: age 15 and over can read and write Total population: 99% Male: 99% Female: 99% (2003 est.)

International Marketing & Logistics Logistics is the third largest sector in Germany, employing around 2.6 million people. Companies such as Schenker Deutschland AG, UPS and Amazon. Seaports provide access to shipping lanes of the North Sea and the Baltic.

International Marketing Language is an important issue that must be evaluated when entering international markets. Electrical voltage:  Germany: 220V  Canada: 110V Electrical measures would be changed to ensure there are no voltage issues with products.

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