Open Access

Nadja Lohmann

• The increasing number of international working teams and cooperations demonstrates the need of intercultural competencies for employees to engage in successful encounters with colleagues, superiors, clients and partners. The aim of this thesis is to research, which specific intercultural competencies employees need in the field of German-French cooperation. To answer this question four employees of a German-French export consulting company have been interviewed in the form of a guideline interview. In the theoretical part cultural concepts, such as the cultural comparing studies by Hall and Hofstede, the cultural standards by Alexander Thomas and the concepts of transculturality by Welsch and polycollectivity by Hansen are discussed. Typical challenges in the intercultural encounter are indicated. Concepts of intercultural competence, such as the concepts of Domenig and Bolten, as well as typical practices of intercultural trainings are demonstrated. The most cited differences in the German and French business culture are presented too. The interview answers have been transcripted and analysed according to the summarizing qualitative content analysis by Mayring. The results show that the needed competencies for the German-French working field , next to linguistic skills in German and French, are theoretical knowledge of structural characteristics of Germany and France, theoretical knowledge of differences between the German and the French business culture, special self and social competencies, such as adaptability and openness, understanding and acceptance of other people's behaviours, a self-reflective attitude and metacommunication and mediation skills. The identified cultural differences between German and French business culture highly correspond to the cultural standards by Alexander Thomas for Germany and France. The results of the needed competencies can be used to develop a training program to prepare employees to work in a German-French working environment. Such a training concept can include role plays to motivate employees through conscious experiences to take over the perspective of other people, to self-reflect and to adapt to other people’s behaviours.