Managing Corporate Responsibility

German Language and Culture

German Language and Culture This article is the direct result of a thread (of related messages) in one of our forums. The discussion centered around the supposedly simple concept of being nice, as in smiling or wishing someone a nice day. It soon became apparent that just because you CAN say something in German does not mean you SHOULD. The phrase Ich wà ¼nsche Ihnen einen schà ¶nen Tag! sounds rather odd. (But see the comment below.) Trying to say Have a nice day! in German is a good example of language that is culturally inappropriate- and a good illustration of how learning German (or any language) is more than learning just words and grammar. It is becoming more common in Germany to hear the phrase Schà ¶nen Tag noch! from sales people and food servers. In an earlier feature, Language and Culture, I discussed some of the connections between   Sprache  and  Kultur  in the broadest sense. This time well look at a specific aspect of the connection, and why it is vital for language learners to be aware of more than just the vocabulary and structure of German. For example, if you dont understand the German/European approach to strangers and casual acquaintances, youre a prime candidate for cultural misunderstanding. Take smiling (das Lcheln). Nobodys saying you should be a grouch, but smiling at a German for no particular reason (as in passing on the street) will generally get the (silent) reaction that you must be a little simple-minded or not quite all there. (Or if theyre used to seeing Americans, maybe youre just another one of those weird smiling  Amis.) On the other hand, if there is some apparent, genuine reason to smile, then Germans can and do exercise their facial muscles. But what I may consider nice in my culture may mean something else to a European. (This smiling thing applies to most of northern Europe.) Ironically, a scowl may be better understood and accepted than a smile. Beyond smiling, most Germans  consider the phrase have a nice day an insincere and superficial bit of nonsense. To an American, its something normal and expected, but the more I hear this, the less I appreciate it. After all, if Im at the supermarket to buy anti-nausea medicine for a sick child, I may have a nice day after all, but at that point, the checkers polite have-a-nice-day comment seems even more inappropriate than usual. (Did she not notice I was buying nausea medicine, rather than, say, a six-pack of beer?) This is a true story, and a German friend who was with me that day happens to have a good sense of humor and was mildly amused by this strange American custom. We smiled about that because there was a real reason to do so. I personally prefer the custom of German shopkeepers who rarely let you out the door without saying Auf Wiedersehen!- even if you didnt buy anything. To which the customer replies with the same farewell, just a simple good-bye without any dubious wishes for a nice day. Its one reason many Germans would rather patronize a smaller shop than a big department store. Any language learner should always keep in mind the saying: Andere Lnder, andere Sitten (roughly, When in Rome...). Just because somethings done in one culture doesnt mean we should assume it will automatically transfer to another. Another country does indeed mean other, different customs. The ethnocentric attitude that my cultures way is the best wayor equally unfortunate, not even giving culture a serious thoughtcan lead to a language learner who knows just enough German to be dangerous in a real-life situation.

Slp bus 499 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Slp bus 499 - Essay Example Also the last objective as already been discussed is the commitment to sustainable development. Wal – Mart ensures complete usage of its resources and helps in improving the environment. Here customers realize that the organization supports them and also cares for the satisfaction of the customer needs. Also the organization has shown social responsibility to the society. The above mentioned strategies support one another in all aspects. It is noted that all the objectives and the strategies that have been set down by the company are linked to one another in a manner – the mission and vision of the company. This allows and shows that the company is headed only in one direction and thus the strategic goals of the company will be met easily and more efficiently due to the united approach. Thus it is clear that the strategies developed by the company support each other in all manners and allow the company to grow evenly towards the same goals. Wal – Mart has very carefully planned and designed its strategies based on the mission and vision that have been set. The company’s strategies in all aspects, including the strategies based on the customer perspective, financial perspective, learning and growth perspective of the company. Thus the strategies that have been built are well linked and the casual chain is clear with completeness to the company’s main vision and mission. The one new objective that can be included to improve the performance of the company is to include a better learning and growth perspective for the employees. This is one of the only parts of the organisation that does not have importance to employee development. The organisation has been accused for a number of issues where the employees have been wrongly treated and the no importance has been given to employee development. Thus one of the major strategies that Wal – Mart should accommodate in their strategy is to provide emp loyees with a ground for learning and self