Managing Cultural Differences : Global Leadership Strategies for the 21st Century

Rating:
Summary: A Great Value for Students
Review: Celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the first edition of this work, the authors proffer an expanded version of a text that has come to be regarded as a classic reference work by students everywhere. Their message is still the same, the understanding of our differences, the celebration of diversity, and the creation of partnerships of long-term benefit.

While many of the chapter headings are still the same or similar, considerable content has been added and the emphasis in the first half of the book is on providing information to enhance the building of global leadership strategies. We see the reemphasis on the development of cross-cultural communication skills and their presentation of both the positive techniques and the pitfalls to avoid.

Much of the thrust of the first half of the book is on cultural synergy which they view as representing a dynamic process that involves adapting and learning, and which involves joint action in which the total effect is greater than the sum of effects when acting independently. Synergy to them creates an integrated solution that does not signify compromise because nothing is given up or lost and it develops the potential members by facilitating the release of team energies..

The remainder of the first half of this text looks at managing transitions and relocations, an all too short chapter on managing diversity in the global workforce, women in global business, and effective performance in the global marketplace.

This latter chapter on effective performance in the global marketplace addresses issues of global leaders and strategic alliances, the psychological dimensions involved in intercultural contracting, the development of human resources, the essential factors of global performance, integrity in business organizations, ethical relativism, cultural changes that are occurring in many countries, and the management of technology transfer.

What puzzled me is that in the entire first section there is only one quotation from Fons Trompenaars and his name never even made it to the index. There are four plus pages on Hofstede's early work and his name can be found in the index.
That aside, for a book that is focusing on global leadership strategies for the 21st century to omit any mention or analysis of Trompenaars seven dimensions and the ground breaking work that he has done seems, to put it mildly, somewhat strange. There would seem to be a need for today's readers to go beyond Hofstede and to transition into the data base and findings of Trompenaars research and its application for effective global strategies.

Further to this, in their discussion of cultural synergy, there is no mention of the Trompenaars/Hampden-Turner concept of reconciliation. To achieve the true culturally integrated solution that the authors are promulgating would seem to require a reconciliation approach such as can be found in Trompenaars/Hampden-Turner's writings.

The second half of Managing Cultural Differences provides data on regional cultural specifics and addresses doing business with North Americans, Latin Americans, Asians and Australians, Europeans, Middle Easterners, and Africans. In these sections, not all countries are considered but for those that are included there is a rich data base and keen insights of considerable benefit.

Overall, this is a good book and judging by previous editions, is one that will be of great value to students keen on understanding the world around them.

David C. Wigglesworth an intercultural/international management, organization, and human resource consultant is president of D.C.W. Research Associates International, 2606 Parkdale Drive, Kingwood, Texas 77339-2476 USA. Tel: [phone]. Email: [e-mail]


Rating:
Summary: Full of misinformation and false [information]
Review: Here are some of the MOST OBJECTIONABLE texts in this book on India -

India: Geography, Government, and People (adapted with permission from Venturing Abroad in Asia by Robert T. Moran International Management)

Page 444 - 8th paragraph

"There is not enough work for all their people, so poverty is prevalent. With an adult population of 326 million and official unemployment rate of 15 million, the last thing India needs is labor-saving modern equipment. Over the years, India has implemented intensive population control programs but none were successful. The high birth rate has been attributed to early marriage, the emphasis on bearing sons by the Hindu religion, the security of having children to take care of parents in old age, and the low level of education achieved by the rural masses.

Climate and culture contribute to the high incidence of disease and influence the patterns of work. The hot weather season brings constant dust, which results in various infections~ and eye irritations and also limits the outdoor physical activity. The cold, damp rainy season brings on colds, malaria and rheumatism. Their practice of vegetarianism contributes to malnutrition and protein deficiencies. The people of India have a general syndrome known as "weakness" brought on by their constant exposure to epidemic diseases such as cholera and typhus, and the malnutrition factor.

CORRECTION: This are very UNHEALTHY comments and illustrate pure ARROGANCE and IGNORANCE on the authors' part. They have NO MORAL right to blame India's culture and climate for its problems. Like everywhere else, people get used and adapted to the climate. And if they endure more, they should be stronger as they tend to develop immunity! Now, it has been proved that Vegetarian diet is as healthy (if not, more) as meat. For more info, please visit the link below -

[local website]STRANGE and INCORRECT!! - Why would the wealthy and educated with more resources suffer more often with malnutrition and the so called 'Weakness Syndrome' ?? ILLOGICAL!!

Page 445 - 5th paragraph

"Astrologers play an important role in India, as the people believe that nothing is accidental and the universe and all living components have a fundamental order."

Page 446 - 3rd - 4th paragraph

"It can be said that traditional Hindus are a nation of water drinkers"
"Western food is available in all the good hotels."

CORRECTION: Except health harming drinks, Hindus drink every good drink. Again, PURE ARROGANCE and IGNORANCE - good hotel does not mean Western food!!-

Rating:
Summary: Full of misinformation and false [information]
Review: Here are some of the MOST OBJECTIONABLE texts in this book on India -

India: Geography, Government, and People (adapted with permission from Venturing Abroad in Asia by Robert T. Moran International Management)

Page 444 - 8th paragraph

"There is not enough work for all their people, so poverty is prevalent. With an adult population of 326 million and official unemployment rate of 15 million, the last thing India needs is labor-saving modern equipment. Over the years, India has implemented intensive population control programs but none were successful. The high birth rate has been attributed to early marriage, the emphasis on bearing sons by the Hindu religion, the security of having children to take care of parents in old age, and the low level of education achieved by the rural masses.

Climate and culture contribute to the high incidence of disease and influence the patterns of work. The hot weather season brings constant dust, which results in various infections~ and eye irritations and also limits the outdoor physical activity. The cold, damp rainy season brings on colds, malaria and rheumatism. Their practice of vegetarianism contributes to malnutrition and protein deficiencies. The people of India have a general syndrome known as "weakness" brought on by their constant exposure to epidemic diseases such as cholera and typhus, and the malnutrition factor.

CORRECTION: This are very UNHEALTHY comments and illustrate pure ARROGANCE and IGNORANCE on the authors' part. They have NO MORAL right to blame India's culture and climate for its problems. Like everywhere else, people get used and adapted to the climate. And if they endure more, they should be stronger as they tend to develop immunity! Now, it has been proved that Vegetarian diet is as healthy (if not, more) as meat. For more info, please visit the link below -

[local website]STRANGE and INCORRECT!! - Why would the wealthy and educated with more resources suffer more often with malnutrition and the so called 'Weakness Syndrome' ?? ILLOGICAL!!

Page 445 - 5th paragraph

"Astrologers play an important role in India, as the people believe that nothing is accidental and the universe and all living components have a fundamental order."

Page 446 - 3rd - 4th paragraph

"It can be said that traditional Hindus are a nation of water drinkers"
"Western food is available in all the good hotels."

CORRECTION: Except health harming drinks, Hindus drink every good drink. Again, PURE ARROGANCE and IGNORANCE - good hotel does not mean Western food!!-

Rating:
Summary: Important and helpful information, mediocre execution
Review: Professor Moran's class at the American Gaduate School of International Management is one of the more memorable experiences at that unique multinational training institution. While the school draws students from throughout the world, as an American, I feel justified in admitting that those who grow up in the United States are generally poorly prepared for cross-cultural relationships. Although the lessons I learned in that course have held me in good stead throughout my career and personal life, parts of it were a struggle. So is it with the latest edition of the course's text book.

A clue to this can be found on the title page which, in place of an editor, lists an "Editorial Coordinator." This book could benefit from some serious editorial rigor. It is marred by many typos, including such unfortunate ones as, "the Qur'an, the scared book of Muslims." Virtually every page has a totally useless pullout, quoting some profound phrase from that page. Selectively used, pullouts are supposed to increase the reader's interest in the material, but when it is carried to this extreme, it just wastes margin space that could otherwise be used for jotting down notes. One short but deadly paragraph manages to use the buzzwords 'empowered,' 'actualize, 'synergy,' and 'connect', which a good editor would have surgically removed. In spite of these execution flaws, I do feel that the book has merit, and recommend it for those who are interested in being more effective in cross-cultural situations.

The book is divided into three units. Curiously enough, the first two units both have the same title, "Cultural Impacts on Global Management." The first cultural impacts unit begins with an introduction building the case for greater cross-cultural skills on the part of managers. It concentrates on the particular problems that American managers have working outside of their culture. The chapter on communications starts getting into some real meat, introducing concepts such as communication context. Anthropologist Edward Hall's illuminating concept of high -- context vs. low -- context communications is described here, and used throughout the book. (This concept was particularly significant to me, and I have also reviewed Hall's book, "Beyond Culture," on Amazon.) The chapter continues with descriptions of important communication conventions that differ between cultures, and concludes with a set of practical guidelines on how best to make yourself understood when speaking with people whose native language is not your own. The unit continues with some management cultural ideas that are not necessarily limited to multi-ethnic situations, but are applicable to any large organization. This was interesting to me, although it is oriented specifically towards managers who have direct reports.

The second cultural impacts unit begins with a section on common characteristics that typically vary from culture to culture, such as appearance, food, sense of self, beliefs, and time of consciousness. The concepts discussed here are applied in the final section of book, so this provides important background information. The unit includes a section on culture shock, and re-entry shock, which should be mandatory reading for all overseas assignees and their managers. I found a checklist of desirable characteristics for foreign employment candidates especially useful, and several of the expatriates I work with agreed that it was consistent with what they had observed. This is followed by a very nuts and bolts section on preparing people for international assignments. The next chapter is entitled "Managing Diversity in the Global Work Culture." I have to say that I found the book to have a persistent politically correct theme, and I'm not sure that it is necessary to constantly harp on the value of diversity. This was a very popular HR activity at the time this book was written, but I found it distracting.

The final unit, which at 200 pages amounts to one-half of the book, is entitled "Culture Specifics and Business/Service Abroad." Choosing several representative cultures in each continent, it provides detailed discussions on their unique characteristics, along with helpful tips on dealing with people within that culture. This is similar to those books you may have read on "how to deal with X," but unlike those books, it is built on a strong foundation of sociological, anthropological, and organizational behavior disciplines that are introduced in the first two units.

Interestingly, the first chapter is on doing business with North Americans, which through self reflection, can help American readers better understand what it is like to look at a culture from the outside. I'm sure the chapter would also be helpful to non-American readers, but the book is generally aimed at North Americans. While constantly pointing out how important it is to avoid generalizations, each one of the individual cultural studies contains information on the people within those cultures that could be considered just that. One of the balances that I was never able to manage in professor Moran's class, was maintaining a safe distance between sensitivity and prejudice. Attempting to apply these lessons over 15 years, I've learned that cultural sensitivity can help you understand why someone acts in a particular way, and it can also help you anticipate their feelings or reactions, allowing you to better connect with them. The trick is in avoiding either value judgments, or in assuming that cultural guidelines will always be predictive. This helps explain why it is difficult in a book like this to highlight cultural characteristics that may be considered negative. Continuing their politically correct agenda, the authors identify several cultures as being "hard working." No culture was identified as being lazy, so presumably everyone is above average. A difficult balance, but a necessary one.

Such a whirlwind tour really obviously can't do justice to an entire world. It isn't meant to cover the entire world--it is meant to help you apply the lessons in the book yourself, and it succeeds. Although the treatment of various cultures is somewhat uneven, I did find this a very useful and helpful unit, and I will keep if for reference. I do think there are many flaws in this book, and I don't find it particularly easy to read, but in spite of that, I strongly recommend it for everyone who finds themselves in a multi-cultural situation. If you will be dealing with a multi-cultural environment, I recommend reading this book first, and then finding several books on the specific culture you will be exposed to. I highly recommend also finding the time to read Edward Hall. He's entertaining and enlightening.

Rating:
Summary: Important and helpful information, mediocre execution
Review: Professor Moran's class at the American Gaduate School of International Management is one of the more memorable experiences at that unique multinational training institution. While the school draws students from throughout the world, as an American, I feel justified in admitting that those who grow up in the United States are generally poorly prepared for cross-cultural relationships. Although the lessons I learned in that course have held me in good stead throughout my career and personal life, parts of it were a struggle. So is it with the latest edition of the course's text book.

A clue to this can be found on the title page which, in place of an editor, lists an "Editorial Coordinator." This book could benefit from some serious editorial rigor. It is marred by many typos, including such unfortunate ones as, "the Qur'an, the scared book of Muslims." Virtually every page has a totally useless pullout, quoting some profound phrase from that page. Selectively used, pullouts are supposed to increase the reader's interest in the material, but when it is carried to this extreme, it just wastes margin space that could otherwise be used for jotting down notes. One short but deadly paragraph manages to use the buzzwords 'empowered,' 'actualize, 'synergy,' and 'connect', which a good editor would have surgically removed. In spite of these execution flaws, I do feel that the book has merit, and recommend it for those who are interested in being more effective in cross-cultural situations.

The book is divided into three units. Curiously enough, the first two units both have the same title, "Cultural Impacts on Global Management." The first cultural impacts unit begins with an introduction building the case for greater cross-cultural skills on the part of managers. It concentrates on the particular problems that American managers have working outside of their culture. The chapter on communications starts getting into some real meat, introducing concepts such as communication context. Anthropologist Edward Hall's illuminating concept of high -- context vs. low -- context communications is described here, and used throughout the book. (This concept was particularly significant to me, and I have also reviewed Hall's book, "Beyond Culture," on Amazon.) The chapter continues with descriptions of important communication conventions that differ between cultures, and concludes with a set of practical guidelines on how best to make yourself understood when speaking with people whose native language is not your own. The unit continues with some management cultural ideas that are not necessarily limited to multi-ethnic situations, but are applicable to any large organization. This was interesting to me, although it is oriented specifically towards managers who have direct reports.

The second cultural impacts unit begins with a section on common characteristics that typically vary from culture to culture, such as appearance, food, sense of self, beliefs, and time of consciousness. The concepts discussed here are applied in the final section of book, so this provides important background information. The unit includes a section on culture shock, and re-entry shock, which should be mandatory reading for all overseas assignees and their managers. I found a checklist of desirable characteristics for foreign employment candidates especially useful, and several of the expatriates I work with agreed that it was consistent with what they had observed. This is followed by a very nuts and bolts section on preparing people for international assignments. The next chapter is entitled "Managing Diversity in the Global Work Culture." I have to say that I found the book to have a persistent politically correct theme, and I'm not sure that it is necessary to constantly harp on the value of diversity. This was a very popular HR activity at the time this book was written, but I found it distracting.

The final unit, which at 200 pages amounts to one-half of the book, is entitled "Culture Specifics and Business/Service Abroad." Choosing several representative cultures in each continent, it provides detailed discussions on their unique characteristics, along with helpful tips on dealing with people within that culture. This is similar to those books you may have read on "how to deal with X," but unlike those books, it is built on a strong foundation of sociological, anthropological, and organizational behavior disciplines that are introduced in the first two units.

Interestingly, the first chapter is on doing business with North Americans, which through self reflection, can help American readers better understand what it is like to look at a culture from the outside. I'm sure the chapter would also be helpful to non-American readers, but the book is generally aimed at North Americans. While constantly pointing out how important it is to avoid generalizations, each one of the individual cultural studies contains information on the people within those cultures that could be considered just that. One of the balances that I was never able to manage in professor Moran's class, was maintaining a safe distance between sensitivity and prejudice. Attempting to apply these lessons over 15 years, I've learned that cultural sensitivity can help you understand why someone acts in a particular way, and it can also help you anticipate their feelings or reactions, allowing you to better connect with them. The trick is in avoiding either value judgments, or in assuming that cultural guidelines will always be predictive. This helps explain why it is difficult in a book like this to highlight cultural characteristics that may be considered negative. Continuing their politically correct agenda, the authors identify several cultures as being "hard working." No culture was identified as being lazy, so presumably everyone is above average. A difficult balance, but a necessary one.

Such a whirlwind tour really obviously can't do justice to an entire world. It isn't meant to cover the entire world--it is meant to help you apply the lessons in the book yourself, and it succeeds. Although the treatment of various cultures is somewhat uneven, I did find this a very useful and helpful unit, and I will keep if for reference. I do think there are many flaws in this book, and I don't find it particularly easy to read, but in spite of that, I strongly recommend it for everyone who finds themselves in a multi-cultural situation. If you will be dealing with a multi-cultural environment, I recommend reading this book first, and then finding several books on the specific culture you will be exposed to. I highly recommend also finding the time to read Edward Hall. He's entertaining and enlightening.

Rating:
Summary: Getting profitable with a little investment.
Review: These book will help the executives of your company or under your command to climb cultural walls and make successful negotiations with businessman's overseas. Also it will help understanding other cultures and becoming more culturally humble: much of the problems we have today as humans rely on the egocentric way we see the world, a lot of problems would disappear if we could just sit on a table and learn the way others think. A most read for international sales managers and embassy personal. Enjoy.

Rating:
Summary: Advice on how to operate in other countries/cultures.
Review: This book offers shrewd advice on how to operate in a cluster of countries separated by much more than language. The advice is useful for businesses operating overseas -- whether traveling or transfering for an international assignment.