German work ethic
I met a German engineer at one of the Chinese factories I visited. He's lived in Xiamen for two years. I asked him if he thought he'd ever go back to work in Germany.
"I'm not sure," he replied. "German companies don't like employing people who've been working in Asia because they fear they've lost the work ethic."
"Surely your work ethic could not be in doubt?" I said. "You start work at 8am and finish at 9pm."
"They'd say I must be a very inefficient worker if I have to work such long hours. My boss at my previous company in Germany had a phrase, 'Stress is only known to those who are weak in performance.'"
posted by Whispering Walls at 12:03 am
6 Comments:
What do you expect in a country where the following word is actually a job title: "Donaudampfschiffahrtsgesellschaftskapitän".
LOL ED! What on earth does it mean?
I think Donau=Danube
dampschif=steamship
fahrts=journey( yes it does)
gesellschafts= company
kapitan= you must know that.
So he's the captain of a Danube river steamer.
When I lived in Tchermany as a pre-teen I picked up lots of odd words. None odder than Flughaven, which means airport. But I have to tell you, when breathed into the ear of a certain young American lady when I was a year or two older, it had magical effects....
KL! Trust you to turn such words into romance!
A no-win situation. But what an interesting insight.
Oh, dear! No one can win , then.
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