Götz W. Werner—the founder of dm-drogerie markt, who passed away in 2022—did not, as some claim, invent the "Dialogical Corporate Culture"; rather, he brought it into the world by challenging its very foundation: employee autonomy. Time and again, he deprived his employees of the opportunity to act in a dependent manner, and—conversely—created opportunities for them to experiment with autonomous action of their own accord. Anyone wishing to embrace this autonomy must clearly understand that:
• This mode of action does not tolerate compromise. Otherwise, one merely establishes something akin to "sheltered autonomy"—a contradiction in terms that has no place in real life.
• Autonomy cannot be demanded of others; it can only be cultivated within oneself, while encouraging others to do the same.
• Such individual autonomy simultaneously serves as the foundation for a new form of communal capability—one grounded neither in hierarchy nor in democracy.

The present volume bears witness to what this looks like in practice. The accounts contained herein address the handling of errors, the ongoing work on the concept of Dialogical Culture, and similar topics. Furthermore, two lectures by Götz Werner are summarized and annotated, alongside a roundtable discussion Werner held with five senior employees on the occasion of the introduction of the Dialogical Corporate Culture.
This new edition—a revision and substantial expansion of the first edition published in 2022—details the concrete measures undertaken by an entrepreneur to challenge the status quo, thereby making Dialogical Culture a reality. The volume is published as part of the Edition Dialogische Kultur series.