Culture Clash: Managing the Global High-Performance Team (The Global Leader Series)

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Summary: An outstanding, innovative book
Review: "Culture Clash" is an outstanding book for anybody interested in the challenges of cross-cultural encounters, and, more importantly, for anybody who realizes that cultural issues are crucial determinants in business decisions. Too often underestimated, cultural issues are certainly key variables in the business decision-making process. The book is extremely rich in case studies, making it a comprehensive textbook for scholars and professors alike. Professor Zweifel's study is therefore a must for people operating in between or on the fault lines of cultures.
I would like to add that the book also enriches the current debate on improving the "Triple Bottom Line," which deals with socially-responsible investment strategies and sustainable entrepreneurship issues of multinational corporations and multilateral development agencies. Cross-cultural corporate interaction has too often led to corporate failures (in the North) or developmental disasters (in the South). The book is a powerful attempt to bridge that cultural gap of ignorance.
In sum, Professor Zweifel's book provides practical insights in avoiding cultural loopholes and pitfalls, which are more pronounced than most of us admit.
Regards,
Drs. Johannes van de Ven, M.A.
University of Louvain, Belgium

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Summary: Culture Clash by T.Zweifel
Review: Easy to read, funny and informative. Great book - you find yourself laughing out aloud and relating to the stories...I highly recommend this book. Anyone interested in learning about the do's and dont's of cultural integration will find this book very useful.

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Summary: A must read for multi-cultural understanding
Review: For people who have opportunities to work globally, this book is an important tool. Thomas Zweifel gives an insightful perspective on why some multi-cultural endeavors succeed and why others fail. His book provides anecdotes, tools and exercises to help develop the skills necessary to work globally. Now more than ever, these skills are vital to economic growth as well as diplomatic relations between countries.

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Summary: Culture Clash
Review: Having spent too many years traveling across Europe I can really relate to the key points in this excellent book! Sadly too many companies still believe they can manage International relationships without taking the time to understand the local culture...they find out "the hard way!!"
They should make this book compulsory reading for all executives who have any international responsibility within their job description.

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Summary: Culture Clash - Should be required reading for everyone!
Review: I couldn't put the book down. It's a quick read, yet extremely valuable book. As a result of reading the book, I experienced a greater appreciation and understanding of the many cultural differences that exist in the world today. In addition, the book made me more aware of my obligation as a global citizen to try to understand and better communicate with others. Dr. Zweifel's stories and examples are insightful and extremely helpful. Thank you, Dr. Zweifel for a wonderful book... it has inspired me to global work!

Rating:
Summary: Culture Clash - Should be required reading for everyone!
Review: I couldn't put the book down. It's a quick read, yet extremely valuable book. As a result of reading the book, I experienced a greater appreciation and understanding of the many cultural differences that exist in the world today. In addition, the book made me more aware of my obligation as a global citizen to try to understand and better communicate with others. Dr. Zweifel's stories and examples are insightful and extremely helpful. Thank you, Dr. Zweifel for a wonderful book... it has inspired me to global work!

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Summary: A must for aspiring International Managers
Review: I really enjoyed "Culture Clash." The book closely follows many of my experiences from working globally and provoked a lot more thinking on this whole area. I just wish "Culture Clash" had been available at the start of my personal globalisation, it would have saved me a lot of time and pain. I would recommend this book as essential reading for any international manager."

Rating:
Summary: A must for aspiring International Managers
Review: I really enjoyed "Culture Clash." The book closely follows many of my experiences from working globally and provoked a lot more thinking on this whole area. I just wish "Culture Clash" had been available at the start of my personal globalisation, it would have saved me a lot of time and pain. I would recommend this book as essential reading for any international manager."

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Summary: A great book, a useful tool.
Review: I really found this book is doing a excellent job in combing the subtle threads of cultural differences hence the clashes in nowsdays international settings. What I am more deeply impressed is that the book not only provides a tool for people in business, political sector in understanding the generally underestimated factor of culture clash in real world communication, but how to successfully manage the various problems arousing from this issue as well. Plus, the language itself in the book is amazingly vivid.

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Summary: Culture and communication
Review: In my work as a doctor and hospital manager, I use both books 'Communicate or Die' and 'Culture Clash' in my interactions with colleagues. (Being a radiologist in nuclear medicine, I have only 5 minutes per patient.) In many hospitals, a highly hierarchical structure often prohibits a culture of constructive criticism among colleagues. But I was able to use the tools and tips from both books very well -- in particular for my work as a team-leader of mostly younger colleagues, focused on producing specific research results. For example, I learned to listen between the lines, check my own assumptions, and save weeks of otherwise wasted research -- and time is money. Both books emphasize the importance of communication for doing business. But anyone who must communicate for results will improve communication abilities when learning these lessons. The importance of listening instead of speaking and the use of active listening as a tool for getting results are clearly outlined. Both books are written by someone who learned his lessons by trial and error. Thomas D. Zweifel does not get lost in communication theories and does not use scientific terminology. He gives real-life examples for situations where communication failed. The books also provide good examples for how to reveal and solve communication problems. The lessons, labs, and the 'dos and taboos' give good input for daily exercise as long as the reader has the will to improve his or her communication abilities.
-- Gerhard Goerres, MD, Division of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital, Zurich