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HR practiceRelationships at work

Germans mind their manners to boost productivity

by Personnel Today 22 Feb 2005
by Personnel Today 22 Feb 2005

Employers in Germany are embracing politeness as the best way to improve competitiveness.

In a country where unemployment has been hovering at 10%, the economy is weak and companies are threatening to move jobs abroad unless the working week lengthens, there has been a recent obsession with etiquette as a means to stay ahead.

Employers fear rude behaviour can harm productivity at home as well as cause embarrassment abroad. Staff – worried about job security and high unemploment – want to shine in the workplace.

Dieter Hundt, head of the German Employers Association, told the Wall Street Journal Europe that, in some companies “the simplest rules of co-existence are lacking”.

A one-off television show on the topic, the Grand Manners Show, was a big hit last year, and more shows on workplace manners are in the pipeline. Self-help etiquette books are in demand, as are training courses on the subject.

In the Saarland region in western Germany, there is even a workplace campaign called ‘Things Go Better When You’re Nice’.



Personnel Today
Personnel Today

Personnel Today articles are written by an expert team of award-winning journalists who have been covering HR and L&D for many years. Some of our content is attributed to "Personnel Today" for a number of reasons, including: when numerous authors are associated with writing or editing a piece; or when the author is unknown (particularly for older articles).

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