Riding the waves of culture : understanding cultural diversity in global business / Fons Trompenaars and Charles Hampden-Turner

An introduction to culture -- The one best way of organizing does not exist -- The meaning of culture -- Relationships and rules -- The group and the individual -- Feelings and relationships -- How far we get involved -- How we accord status -- How we manage time -- How we relate to nature -- National cultures and corporate cultures -- Toward international and transnational management -- Reconciling cultural dilemmas -- South Africa: The rainbow nation -- Gender, ethnicity and functional diversity.

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, sociopolitical environment and cultural system. Riding the Waves of Culture shows international managers how to build the skills, sensitivity, and cultural awareness needed to establish and sustain management effectiveness across cultural borders. This revised edition is updated with new research and statistics. ; ; More than an encyclopedia of cultures and customs, this essential guide: ; ; Describes successful and failed cross-cultural business transactions of multinational organizations such as AT&T, Heineken, Motorola and Volvo ; Offers techniques managers can use to anticipate and mediate some of the difficult dilemmas of international management ; Uses country-by-country graphs, examples, and other comparisons to illustrate how different cultures regard and respond to various management approaches ; Includes a CD-ROM of graphs, charts, and exercises to help readers evaluate their effectiveness as a global manager.