Managing Cultural Differences: Leadership Skills and Strategies for Working in a Global World 8th edition

Citation

Comber, S. (2013), "Managing Cultural Differences: Leadership Skills and Strategies for Working in a Global World 8th edition", Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, Vol. 32 No. 5, pp. 519-521. https://doi.org/10.1108/EDI-03-2013-0010

Working in a business school that focusses on building global mindsets for our students, I am always on the hunt for great books. Given the professional nature of our MBA and undergraduate business programs, I needed a book that provided engagement for our students and also focussed on applied skills and strategies.

I was also interested in the success of the authors; who doesn’t want to know more about the backgrounds and capabilities of successful authors? Philip R. Harris is the president of a global management consultancy and a visiting professor at the California School of International Management. Robert T. Moran is an organizational and management consultant with specialties in cross‐cultural training, organizational development, and international human resource management. He is a professor of International Management, Emeritus, and Former Interim Chair of the International Studies Department at Thunderbird School of Global Management. Sarah V. Moran developed a strong organizational and cross‐cultural relations background working with Motorola, Intel, and the US Army, Navy, and Air Force. She is currently a PhD student at McGill University, Montreal, Canada.

I was inspired to select this book for two reasons. First, it's been around for more than a quarter century so I knew it had staying power and I wanted to explore the nuances of its success. Second, I needed a text with a strong lens on both learning and application that would connect the theory with practice. Then, after reviewing the book, I found it be a very engaging and helpful resource for students.

The authors state from the outset that their goal is to find a balance between theory and practice, and they did just that. All three authors are what I refer to as “pracademics” (practitioner and academic) – those individuals with a strong practice in both industry and academia. This is demonstrated through the intriguing stories and examples and is one of the reasons the book is so accessible, practical, and applied focussed.

There are changes to this edition which include updates to demographic information, and a companion web site/CD‐ROM that includes new resources for students. The 550‐page online instructor manual has been revised and includes items such as exercises, lectures, learning exercises, test banks, and PowerPoint slides. However, what I found most useful were the new case studies that have been added to each chapter.

Now, let's dive into the contents of the book. Chapter 1 opens with, “The world has changed, and so must people living in this changed global world” and the book is designed with this in mind. It is organized in two sections: Cultural Impacts on Global Management, and Regional Cultural Specifics. In section two, the last six chapters (Chapters 10‐15) look at regional cultural specifics as they relate to business peoples of the world: Middle Easterners, central and south Americans, Asians and Australians, Europeans, Africans, and north Americans.

The first section, composed of nine chapters, addresses cultural impacts on global management. Four of the chapters in this section provide insight into global leadership: Global leaders and culture (Chapter 1), Global leaders and communications (Chapter 2), Global leaders learning from others and change (Chapter 4), and Women leaders in global business (Chapter 5). Highlights from Chapter 1 include building the dimensions of an “interculturally competent leader” and the use of “cultural interpreters” as a means to accomplish this. Chapter 2 introduces the concept of high‐ and low‐context communication. For me, this is one of the most intriguing aspects of intercultural communication and one that is addressed throughout the book. Chapter 4 deals with variations in cultural mindsets and seeks to expand ethnocentric thinking. Many students will discover that this chapter challenges their paradigms, beliefs, and mindsets. For example, two competing mindsets such as “the individual can influence the future” and “life follows a preordained course, and human action is determined by the will of God” are given. Students would then explore how the business areas of planning and scheduling might be affected by these mindsets. This chapter is rich with examples and comparisons and has a focus on self‐exploration. Women in global businesses still face significant challenge, nothing new here. However, Chapter 5 presents various strategies to overcome the obstacles facing women.

Other chapters in this section, such as Negotiating long term for mutual benefit (Chapter 3), stood out. The core element of this chapter focusses on the 12 variables in every international negotiation that impact the negotiation and associated outcome. Given the complexities of negotiation in a global environment, students may find this framework most useful. Further, negotiation concepts are revisited in some chapters in section two. Leadership in creating cultural synergy (Chapter 9) also impressed me, especially the ways in which understanding synergistic opportunities and the challenges related to creating synergistic leadership were presented. This is the chapter where leadership and transcultural teams are fully addressed and a call to action is made. These and other concepts from section one are then illuminated through the lens of the five global regions in section two.

Most chapters in section two, Cultural impacts on global management (Chapters 10‐15), begin with historical, political, economic, or contextual information followed by regional customs and protocols. The core of each chapter appears to focus on cultural characteristics of business and each of the chapters provides information related to social customs. For example, Chapter 11 (central and south Americans) illuminates themes and patterns that exist in cultures; themes are described as “those cultural aspects shared by most of the people in a particular region and their associated patterns of behaviour.” As noted earlier, a goal of each chapter is to understand aspects of cultural low‐ and high‐context languages in various global regions. As such, a cultural profile section outlining each region's values, standards, attitudes and beliefs, religion, decision making, building trust and friendship, etc., and tips for doing business are covered, with examples, in each chapter. Students should find this to be one of the most beneficial aspects of section two.

As may be expected, familiar themes such as historical context, political, social conditions, and business customs and protocols are all concisely explored as they are in other intercultural texts. Overall, I would like to have seen a more in‐depth exploration of ethical behaviors in global workplaces. Further, given the number of cross‐cultural virtual teams that exist, it seems that more is needed in this area. One last comment, I found the USA might have been overused in many of the examples and comparisons.

The pros of this particular edition are many. Therefore, I will highlight some newer propositions that are presented such as the distinction between low‐ and high‐context languages and the challenge of developing global mindsets while remaining true to your own culture. For example, it is critical that one learn to recognize and adjust to low‐ and high‐context languages and situations. A low‐context approach work best when communications are direct and more explicit. In contrast, a high‐context approach might work better when communications are indirect, vague and little is communicated through words. Also, I would like to commend the authors for focussing their efforts on five distinct regions and not attempting to thinly address every global culture.

All said, it is the intense focus on culture and its importance in developing a global mindset that sets this book apart from others. The authors compare culture to a jewel: “hold it to the light, turn it around and it reveals multiple dimensions.” The true value of this book is how the multiple dimensions of culture are revealed, turned over, and explored in‐depth. As well, it is the experience of the authors, their stories, and the finely tuned depth of understanding and nuance that comes from continuously honing a book for over 25 years while working across the globe.

Your students will be engaged by the concise, storytelling and practical approach this book offers. It provides intriguing examples from the world, allows for self‐reflection and learning, and challenges mindsets and stereotypes. Moreover, the authors bring the theory to life, and the “mind stretching” questions at the end of each chapter allow the reader to reflect on self and his or her own culture. It helps shifts students from ethnocentric mindsets to a “worldmindedness” that will prepare them to be effective in a global world.

If you are seeking a comprehensive textbook to prepare students to take on international assignments work on global teams or work for multinationals then look no further. Specifically, this book works nicely for business schools seeking an intercultural/global business book for graduate MBA or upper level undergraduate students. I would also recommend this text to be used in executive education (the business tips in section two are useful). Also, I find many of my students are price conscious, however, the price point for this book falls within a normal range for others of its type.

More importantly for me, this book shows global leaders, young and old, the skills, and strategies that are needed to create a different future full of global cultures and opportunities.