Riding the Waves of Culture: Understanding Diversity in Global Business

by Alfons Trompenaars (Author)

• Used

  Hardcover
  1994

  $3.24

  As U.S. organizations continue to explore overseas business opportunities, they will be challenged to adapt to the new market's local characteristics, legislation, fiscal regime, socio-political system, and cultural system. This book eases this transitory process, showing the emerging breed of international managers how to build the skills, sensitivity, and cultural awareness needed to establish and sustain management effectiveness across cultural borders.

• Used

  Paperback
  1993

  $3.24

  Many managers understand that cultural differences affect the process of doing business, but many underestimate by just how much. This book aims to dispel the idea that there is only one way to manager and encourages readers to get to know their own culture before doing business with others. The author explores the cultural extremes and the incomprehension that can arise when doing business across cultures - even when people are working for the same company. The book explains that there are five key factors or orientations that affect how people all deal with each other, do business and manage. The goal is the transnational organization - one in which the company can take from each country what is best, and for those who are sensitive to these differences, the opportunities are enormous. With many practical examples and case studies, this book brings new insights to the dilemma of reconciling corporate consistency with local conditions as business life rapidly internationalizes. In 1991 Fons Trompenaars was awarded the International Professional Pracice Area Research Award by the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD).

• Used

  Hardcover
  1993

  $3.24

  An international manager has a tough job, coping with three different cultures: the culture of origin, the culture in which he or she is working and the culture of the organization. Fons Trompenaars has been studying the effects of culture on management for many years, and he profoundly disagrees with the widely held theory that internationalization will create a common, worldwide culture. In this book, he claims that there is not, and can never be one best way of managing and organizing , regardless of where the company is located. This study provides cultural insights into the global versus local dilemma, and most importantly, gives readers a better understanding of their own culture and cultural differences in general. Containing case histories and anecdotes, the book is based on the author's own experience, plus field studies in 30 companies in a total of 50 countries, including Royal Dutch Airlines, KLM, Volvo, Lotus, Kodak, AT&T, Royal Dutch Shell, ICI, Heineken, Mars and Glaxo. Fons Trompenaars runs 900 cross-cultural programmes in 18 countries.