Managing Across Cultures: The 7 Keys to Doing Business with a Global Mindset

Book excerpt: hether you run a giant corporation or workin a small business, it’s more than likely thatyou regularly deal with people of differentcultures—from customers and suppliers tosalespeople and colleagues. It simply can’t be overstated: You will havetrouble succeeding in business today if youdon’t appreciate and know how to activelymanage global cultural diversity. ManagingAcross Cultures examines why people aroundthe world behave as they do and providesactionable tactics for succeeding in today’sglobal business environment. Experts in the field of cross-cultural training,Michael Schell and Charlene Solomondescribe seven readily recognizable behaviorsand explain what they mean, how tointerpret them, and most importantly, howto respond to them. Managing Across Cultures is filled with casestudies illustrating the importance of understandingand dealing with cultural differencesin all aspects of business. You’ll learn how: Intel’s powerful global corporateculture is a critical element of itshistoric success Colgate-Palmolive integratescultural understanding into itsglobal marketing programs GE adapts its effectivemanagement style to localbusiness cultures You’ll also find out how underestimatingcultural influence caused serious problemsfor organizations like DaimlerChrysler andWal-Mart. Managing Across Cultures takes you far beyondother books that simply catalog thecustoms, gestures, and language vagaries ofother cultures. This in-depth, strategic guidewill help in every facet of business—fromhiring and motivating employees to developingwinning sales pitches and marketingcampaigns.