Stairs and Silence: Navigating the Cultural Gap Between German Management and Thai Efficiency.

The lift in our apartment building has been out of order for about a month (exactly last month). Naturally, breakdowns happen and repairs are necessary, but what truly shocks me is the German management system.

I can’t understand why it took nearly a month just to put up a notice stating the lift was broken. There was no explanation, and no sign was posted immediately. Even now that the warning sign is up, no repairs have been carried out, and there’s no indication of when they will be finished.

In contrast, if this happened in Thailand, I’m confident the lift would be fixed as soon as possible. We would be given a clear timeline, the cause of the fault, and a polite apology for the inconvenience.

This experience has taught me a lot about the cultural differences in German management. What Germans consider a normal pace of work feels quite abnormal from a Thai perspective. For now, I’ll just have to keep watching to see when this lift finally gets repaired.

Natthaphon Jarat, PhD (Peace Studies) MCU

18.03.2026

Berlin