Team‐Meeting Behaviors in Germany and the United States

Intercultural theories describe core differences between the German and US cultures, and team meetings provide a context for examining such differences. This entry summarizes theoretical approaches to differences between Germany and the US and recent empirical findings on different team interactions in German and US American teams. These findings show that German teams focus more on problem analysis, whereas US teams focus more on solution production. Moreover, German team meetings are characterized by more procedural communication than US team meetings. Finally, US teams show more positive socioemotional meeting behavior such as providing support or encouraging participation than German teams. Recommendations for improving social interactions in intercultural teams are provided.