Poles and Germans: An International Business Relationship

Abstract

In this article, we aim to identify and explain how Polish managers, in the Polish affiliates of German companies, view their German partners. The theoretical background for this article comes from the field of social anthropology. The empirical data were collected during face-to-face, semi-structured interviews with executives in Poland. The findings presented here are the result of qualitative analysis. We argue that the Polish/German contrast, as perceived by Polish managers, bears a strong resemblance to other core/periphery ethnic relationships in Europe. Parallels are drawn from the British Isles. We argue that the characterizations discussed play an important role in allowing managers to understand their business roles and capabilities within an international business context. A major shortcoming in international business research is the poor understanding of these ingrained attitudes. Our study aims to fill this gap.