Intercultural management report
“Bridge across cultures”
Aschaffenburg 2004
Dorien Broer Belgium
Edwin van der Horst The Netherlands
Gergely Tuskai Hungary
Markku Aho Finland
Sandra Herrmannsdörfer Germany
Table of Contents
Foreword 4
1 Facts 5
2 History 5
3 Structure 6
4 The interview 7
4.1 Introduction of MR. Hemberger 7
4.2 Facts and figures 7
4.3 Company Policy 7
5 Cultural dimensions of Mr Hofstede 7
5.1 Power distance 7
5.2 Uncertainly avoidance 8
5.3 Individualism or group 8
5.4 Femininity/ masculinity 8
5.5 Time 9
6 Conclusion 9
7 Evaluation of our group work 9
8 Time log 10
9 Appendix 11
2
Foreword
We joint a seminar called International Cultural Management: “Bridges Across Cultures” in Aschaffenburg, Germany. Here we met people from other countries: Belgium, Finland, Germany, Hungary and the Netherlands.
The course has 60 students, divided in 12 groups. Our group “The Pretenders Of The Throne” consists of 5 very motivated and interested members
Dorien Broer Belgium
Edwin Van der Horst The Netherlands
Gergely Tuskai Hungary
Markku Aho Finland
Sandra Hermannsdörfer Germany
This project had as purpose learning about different cultures, learning working in teams, improving presentation skills and living and working together with other cultures
After one week and after different tasks and when groups had got to learn each other we had to visit a company and finally we had to write a report and to hold a presentation based on the visit. We learned that our company, Viktoria - Logistik, has offices and storerooms in different parts of Germany. But in this assignment we will concentrate us on the one we visited and is located in Aschaffenburg.
1 Facts
Viktoria - Logistik is a German company, located in Aschaffenburg, Dieburg, Neuss and Riederich. The company in Aschaffenburg was established in 1948. Viktoria - Logistik is one of the leading companies in transport, and member of the groups IDS, ELIX and EAST, what makes the company international. A big year for Viktoria - Logistik, Aschaffenburg company was 2000, when Viktoria - Kontrakt - Logistik was established. In the same year, when the new terminal was built.
2 History
1948 Establishment of Viktoria - Logistik Aschaffenburg (VTAS) by Hans George Schäfer
1960 – 1970 Establishment of branches in Düsseldorf and Stuttgart
1962 Removal of VTA to Aschaffenburg- Leider, Römerstrasse
1978 Klaus Schäfer becomes a managing director in personal charge in the field free movement of goods
1986 Initial member of DTL (German Textile Logistics)
1989 Initial member of German Parcel (today: General Logistic Systems)
1995 Victoria - Logistik becomes a member of co-operation of transportation (IDS)
1995 – 1996 Independence and fusion of the branches Neuss and Stuttgart
1996 Move of WM Viktoria Neuss in the new forwarding business and logistics plant
Viktoria buys Log Speed in Dieburg
Separating of the logistics to Log Speed in Dieburg
1998 All divisions become one roof: Viktoria- Logistik- Systeme Holding
Viktoria - Logistik becomes member of co-operation of transportation ILS (east)
2000 Establishment of Viktoria- Kontakt- Logistik (VKL) in Aschaffenburg
New building of the forwarding terminal in Aschaffenburg
Viktoria - Logistik established with 13 partners of IDS the forwarding co-operation ELIX
2001 Buying of the remaining portions from Neuss (WM- Viktoria) and new naming in Viktoria- Spedition Neuss
Move of Viktoria – Logistik in the new forwarding agency terminal
Move of Viktoria – Kontakt – Logistic Aschaffenburg in the in the reconditioned logistic plant
Assumption of the Birkart – Oberflächenverkehre at the location Aschaffenburg
3 Structure
The structure of the Viktoria – Logistik – Systeme Holding in Aschaffenburg and in Neuss.
4 The interview
4.1 Introduction of MR. Hemberger
Mister Hemberger is the Management Director of Rhein - Main and Rhein - Ruhr. He has been working there for 6 years. He has a degree in Business Admistration. Before coming to Viktoria Logistik, he has done several projects all over the world, to improve the logistic systems.
4.2 Facts and figures
Viktoria - Logistik has 249 employees in Aschaffenburg. Annual turnover in Aschaffenburg is €15 million. They are also working with 30 trainees. The average age is 35 year.
Within the company there are working a lot of different cultures and nationalities. For example, Hungarian, Rumanian, Italian, Russian and Greece employees. It is very important for the company to respect different cultures and exclude discrimination.
4.3 Company Policy
The plant wants to keep his originality although they have international contacts. That’s why they don’t have an English website. In the company they speak English very well and they are able to speak English to their customers.
To improve the language skills of the employees, Viktoria - Logistik pays halve of the costs of an English course.
5 Cultural dimensions of Mr Hofstede
5.1 Power distance
There’s a very good relationship and working atmosphere between management and employees in Victoria - Logistik. During lunch they all eat together. According to Mister Hemberger managers in the company have to respect their employees and the reverse is also trough.
It’s also important to be critical in certain situations. Mister Hembergers’s office is always open but the management style is formal.
5.2 Uncertainly avoidance
Decisions are made in group but sometimes if the process is not going forward the boss makes the decisions. The management teams see most of the time just the results of the process and if the results are good there will be no problem. New situations are seen as important opportunities at Viktoria-Logistik. The company spends every year € 200 000 to improve their technological background.
5.3 Individualism or group
Teamwork is very important in the company because the logistic process has to go on. That’s a reason why employees don’t have regular working hours because if one team doesn’t finish their job the process will not go on. Every employee knows that if they stop the process, the company is not making business.
5.4 Femininity/ masculinity
Employees’ salary comes from hour salary, extra payment for efficiency and Christmas/ holiday bonuses. Hardworking people earn more money when they are working more effectively. That’s a good motivation for the workers.
Viktoria - Logistik rewards their employees by rewarding them by group and not as an individual. Managers earn a monthly salary.
Nearly 50 per cent of all employees are women. Women are not in high management positions in the company at the moment, but it is not impossible for them to be.
Quality is definitely the most important value of Viktoria - Logistik. There has been a discussion that they would lower their prices by reducing their quality but they aren’t going to do that because Viktoria-Logistik stands for quality and it is their best value in the business of logistics.
5.5 Time
In the company they do things quite simultaneously in all levels. The company is concentrated on the present because it’s the most important time in the logistic business.
Viktoria - Logistik is also looking to the future because the company made appointments which need to be reached in the future. The long term plan for company is to achieve a fifty million Euros turnover within 5 years. This aim needs to be achieved with corporation of both companies, Rhein Ruhr and Rhein Main.
6 Conclusion
Viktoria - Logistik is a globally operating German transporting company, member of the groups ELIX (Western Europe) , EAST (Eastern Europe) and IDS (International), what allows the company to provide high quality supplies all over the world. The company however proud to be an original German company, and while Viktoria - Logistik doesn’t have an English website, they are always ready to communicate in English with their costumers.
The policy of the company is that they are working with people, so the atmosphere between the management and the employees is familiar, and for the management is important that the employees should criticise their work.
The business policy of Viktoria - Logistik is to offer the best quality of all.
The power distance within the company is low, thanks to the familiar atmosphere. Viktoria-Logistik values collectivism over individualism. Almost 7 per cent of the workers are from other cultures, and nearly 50 percentage of the employee is women. Their work requires flexible working hours and to doing things simultaneously.
7 Evaluation of our group work
The beginning of the report, when we tried to gain some information about Viktoria - Logistik from the internet was a bad expression, because the company do not have any homepage in English language, only in German. It was good, that Sandra and Edwin were able to explain its content to us.
The meeting went very well. Our host, Mr Hemberger was very mindful, and our first impressions were very positive. All during the meeting he was really friendly. He answered all of our questions, even the delicate ones. He was informative and did not hesitate to talk about anything. We have got only one and a half hour to the interview, so we were a bit worried because we has a lot questions, but we managed to ask everything within time.
We decided to write our report after the meeting, while our impressions were still strong.
The co-operation went really well, even if everybody was a bit tired.
We found the assignment practical, and we think we learned a lot about the cultural differences. We really enjoyed.
8 Time log
When we got the assignment, our work started a bit slow because the website of the company was only in German. But after we got the translation, work started to on quite smoothly. The questionnaire was quite easy and fast to do and it was made as a group.
On Tuesday we went to the company by bus which took quite a long time. We came back with a cab because we wanted to start working as soon as possible. The time we had for the interview was ideal, one and a half hour.
9 Appendix
Questionnaire Viktoria Logistik
Edwin and Makku are making notes, Gergely is the observer, Doreen and Sandra are interviewing.
Introduction of ourselves; name, where we come from and education.
Purpose of the interview.
Tell something about the seminar.
Introduction of Mr. Hemberger
How long are you working for Viktoria
What is your position in the company?
What is your education?
Facts and figures
Can you tell us something about the company?
What is the business of Viktoria?
How many employees are working in your company. National, Western, Eastern and Oversee?
How many ‘foreign’ employees are working in your company?
Does Viktoria has employees of different ages? How many trainees?
How is the atmosphere between the employees and the relation between employees and management?
Is the communication formal or informal?
Do you eat lunches together? (Management and employees together?)
How can you describe the company culture? Autocratic? Discussions?
How is the competition in your market?
Can you see some big differences between your companies in Eastern and Western Europe?
(What is your vision about the EU? Working and culture?)
Company policy
Do you have brochures in different languages?
Why is the web site only in German/ English could give an improvement?
Do you offer Language courses for employees?
Is there an intercultural training for employees and if yes how is it organised?
Dimensions of Mr. Hofstede
Power distance
Is your management style formal or informal?
How is the hierarchy structure of Viktoria? Have you got a tree?
Do employees have a precise job description or are they self organised?
Uncertainly avoidance
Is everybody aloud to take decisions? How are they made?
Do you see new situations as an opportunity or as a threat?
How important is research and development in your company?
Individualism or group?
How important is teamwork in your company?
Femininity / Masculinity
How would you reward your employees? Extra payment/ holidays?
Does your company sponsor anything?
Are women also working in higher positions?
Are there any competitions in the company.
Are there any competitions between male and female?
Is quality or quantity important?
Time
Do you do things simultaneously?
Do you have flexible times of work? How many hours is the time of work?
How far is the planning horizon: Long-term / short-term?
Are you oriented towards past, present or future?
What about the company plans for the futures?
INTERCULTURAL MANAGEMENT
BRIDGES ACROSS CULTURES 2004
This is the LOG of group 10. The persons in this group are Markku Aho from Finland, Edwin van der Horst from the Netherlands, Gergely Tuskai from Hungary, Dorien Broer from Belgium and Sandra from Germany. As a group, we decided to make this report from individual experiences and perspectives. Reason for this was that so far you have seen us working only as a group. By this way you will experience our personal thoughts.
Part of Markku
We Finns had to learn to know ourselves first, because most of us didn’t know anything about each other. Now looking back, it was really good that we arrived a day before than the other nationalities. After getting to know other Finns, it was time to start to learn about other nationalities.
We were divided in international groups immediately on Sunday. My first experience was, that most people in my group are a bit shy but really nice. Now after ten days, we are all talking to each other really much and there are no shy people in this group anymore
In the tasks and group assignments at first, I had a feeling, that I was leading the group. Thankfully, after few days everybody was telling their opinions and were making themselves heard. In my opinion, especially the assignment about countries was really good for our group. Our presentation was really different from the other groups and I think it really showed the courage our group has. I already know that I will never again have such a great experience as ICM 2004. I will miss all the people that I have met, this has been awesome.
Part of Edwin
When I arrived in Aschaffenburg, I had actually no prejudices about the different cultures who are visiting this event. The Dutch part had discussed about the cultures, and we were wondering how the way of working is from each other. But I started this event ‘totally blanc’.