Managing Across Cultures ^{2nd Ed.}

As more and more companies have a global reach, managing cultural differences is increasingly a part of every job. This book demonstrates how culture affects management practice, from organizational structure to strategy and human resource management. Drawing upon evidence from the authors' research, it encourages managers to reconsider, explore and transfer alternative practices across national boundaries. As well as providing an insight into other cultures, it also provides readers with an increased awareness of their own culture.

The second edition of this book, expands the discussion of the impact of culture on effective management and on utilizing differences to create competitive advantage. Using tools of observation, questioning and interpretation, the book challenges assumptions and encourages critical reflection on the influences of culture in business.

Managing Across Cultures will appeal both to managers and executives working in an international business environment, as well as to students on a growing number of MBA and other undergraduate, postgraduate and post-experience courses.

• Part One: The Meaning of Culture
1. The undertow of culture
• Converging cultures?
• Culture as a source of competitive advantage/disadvantage
• Recognizing culture
• Discovering cultural advantage
• Notes
  
2. Exploring culture
• The search for meaning
• Artifacts and behavior
• Beliefs and values
• Basic assumptions
• Interpreting patterns of culture
• Notes
  
3. Interacting spheres of culture
• Cultural spheres of influence
• Creating competitive advantage: interacting spheres
• Notes
  
• Part Two: Culture and Management Practice
4. Culture and organization
• Different schools, different cultures
• Culture and structure
• Culture and process
• Transferability of best practice? Alternative approaches
• Notes
  
5. Culture and strategy
• The cultural roots of strategy
• Cultural models of strategy
• The tale of two banks
• Interaction effects
• Strategic implications of culture
• Appendix: Internationalization – the role of national culture
• Notes
  
6. Culture and human resource management
• The cultural meaning of HRM
• Choosing from the HR menu
• Making HRM meaningful across cultures
• Questions to ask
• Notes
  
• Part Three: Managing Cultural Differences
7. The 'international' manager
• Lessons from abroad
• Competencies for managing internationally
• Developing cultural competencies
• Personal strategies for managing across cultures
• Suggestions for managing differences
• Notes
  
8. The 'multicultural' team
• Why multicultural teams?
• Task strategies
• Process strategies
• Reweaving differences: Joseph's coat
• Suggestions for managers
• Questions to ask
• Appendix: Virtual teams
• Notes
  
9. The 'global' organization
• Strategies for managing cultural differences
• Ignoring cultural differences: business is business
• Minimizing cultural differences
• Utilizing differences: going global?
• Less global than we thought
• Creating culturally strategic alliances
• Gaining competitive advantage from cultural differences
• Suggestions for managing cultural diversity
• Questions to ask
  
• Notes
  
10. Citizens of the world: business ethics and social responsibility
• Taking care of business
• Why firms exist
• Making economic versus moral sense
• The globalization imperative
• Are ethics culture-free?
• Strategies for managing ethical dilemmas
• Global citizens: the role of managers and companies
• Towards a global civilization
• Notes
  

An excellent compilation about cultural issues and research, presented in a readable and useable format.

This is a book you should read if you're into global or cultural HRM.