Date/Time
Date(s) - 20/01/2026
6:00 pm - 7:30 pm
Categories
** Please click here to register for this event **
“Why do American managers focus on motivation, while German leaders focus on precision? What happens when two powerful business cultures try to collaborate, but miss the signals?”
Join intercultural expert Patrick Schmidt for a dynamic session based on his influential book Understanding American and German Business Cultures: a comparative text designed to decode how German and U.S. business cultures really work.
We’ll explore:
- ⚙️ How national cultural values shape organizational behaviour
- 🔁 The key contrasts in communication, hierarchy, decision-making, and trust
- 🧭 How to interpret and manage misunderstandings in German-American settings
This session will also feature interactive case studies and practical checklists that you can apply directly in your own work environment.
Key Outcome
Gain a clear, structured framework to understand, anticipate, and bridge business behaviour gaps between German and American professionals.
Why This Matters Now
“German-American collaboration is vital, but mutual respect isn’t enough. Understanding how the other side thinks is the true key to success.”
In a world of multinational partnerships and hybrid teams, learning to decode cultural logic is a leadership imperative, not a luxury. Whether you’re working in engineering, consulting, HR, or education, this webinar will equip you with the comparative insight to build stronger cross-border partnerships.
Important: this event will take place over Zoom and is open to anyone interested in this topic. You must register to participate. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
About the Speaker
Patrick Schmidt has been active in the intercultural field for over 30 years, working as a facilitator, lecturer and author. American by birth and education, he left the U.S. soon after finishing his studies and spent the next three decades living and working in France, Germany, Austria, Canada and Malaysia. His extensive work with the German automobile industry led to his first book Understanding American and German Business Cultures.
His second book, In Search of Intercultural Understanding, is a practical guide to living and working across cultures. Dancing to a Different Tune, his third book, is a collection of interviews, essays and commentaries on the intercultural experience. In 2024, he published Your Unconscious Biases, a book about how our biases dominate most of our actions.
He served as president of SIETAR Europa (2010–2011) as well as editor-in-chief of the SIETAR Europa Journal (2009–2021). He now lives in Strasbourg, France.