Indeed, if wage restraint were the main factor in Germany’s success, it would be hard pressed to outperform French, Italian, British, and Spanish exporters, who compete mainly on price by offshoring production to low-wage countries. Instead, the German focus on quality allows its firms to charge higher prices and gain new customers.
利用这一集体认知让德国能够拼质量而不是价格。事实上，如果工资约束是德国成功的主要因素，那么德国出口商很难战胜法国、意大利、英国和西班牙同行，它们主要通过将生产离岸化到低工资国家实现价格竞争。相反，德国专注于质量，这让德国企业能够获得更高的价格并赢得新客户。当出口商被问及它们的产品与市场平均水平相比如何时，40%的德国出口商将自己的产品归为质量顶尖，而只有10%的法国出口商这样做。