Coconuts and peaches

Reading one of my student's papers for PLA205, I came upon this wonderful description of managerial styles:

We received some insight into what the consultant called “coconuts and peaches.” He started by telling us to think about German managers as coconuts… A sturdy shell, hard to crack, but once cracked, the inside has lots of soft pulp. After some laughs, he continued to tell us that in Germany, people at work are very serious, you usually do not see your boss on a daily basis, and his door is always closed, you only see your boss when you are in trouble. On the other hand, you always know where you stand, and you can expect no surprises. Work is a very formal environment and while your boss may never become your friend, he always has a soft spot and cares a lot about their employees.

He continued with the analogy of the peaches. He told us that American managers are more like peaches. Peaches have the soft, fuzzy skin, but hard core inside. In other words, bosses leave their doors open, and they are always walking around talking to people, employees may think everything is fine because the boss is so friendly. But then, when you least expect, your boss makes “the hard decision” and gives you a pink slip, and the worst is that did not see it coming.