Organizations and Management in Cross-Cultural Context

This is an excellent textbook that focuses on the important topic of working with different cultures. Few businesses are solely domestic these days so working across countries is a common challenge for managers. The combination of frameworks, examples and case studies used provides the reader with an insight into how to tackle one of the growing trends of our time and gives them the confidence to do so. -- Patrick Dunne
′Organizations and Management in cross-cultural context is an important and timely book.  Professors Zeynep Aycan, Rabindra Kanungo, and Manuel Mendonca are excellent scholars. Their new book will help students and managers alike navigate more successfully in the global business and cultural environment of the 21st century.  Their invitation to reflection raises and to web-based interaction among readers raises the quality of the discussion that this book will support above that of many of its competitors.′ -- Nancy J Adler
′This book provides an impressive integration of Organizational Behavior, Human Resource Management and Cross-Cultural Psychology. It covers a very broad set of topics, even ethics. It uses case studies, stories, pictures, diagrams and tables most appropriately to help the student reach specific learning objectives.   The first two authors are internationally known for their work in cross-cultural management. This will be the best text on these topics at this time.′ -- Harry Triandis
′I am most excited by this forthcoming text for two reasons. First, the integration of major theoretical orientations and research findings with cultural contexts within which they may be applied is most critical as globalization burgeons. Second, the authors are uniquely suited by background and expertise to accomplish the integration in an informative, scholarly fashion. Additionally the notion of including issues and questions for reflection cannot help but foster critical thinking on the part of the reader. The text should soon become a classic in our literature.′ -- Edward Levine
′This book has been long overdue, filling an acutely felt lacuna in the field of cross cultural human resource management and organizational behavior. Actively provoking thought and reflection, I consider this well structured volume a compulsory, highly suited read for graduate students as well as practitioners who wish to deepen their understanding of their multicultural organizational settings.′ -- Simcha Ronen
′Aycan, Kanungo and Mendonca adopt a non-U.S. lens to examine the important topics pertaining to managing in a global context.  Useful text for both U.S. and non-U.S. students to understand the dynamics and complexities of managing in the Twenty-first century.′ -- Rosalie L Tung
′Organizations and Management in cross-cultural context presents the much needed integration of three separate but inter related fields of cross-cultural management, HRM and OB. In the present global world of business organisations this will provide students, teachers and practitioners useful insights and critical knowledge needed to be successful in cross-cultural contexts. The text covers a range of topics which are key to someone new or a seasonal global professional to better understand the dynamics of learning and managing in cross-cultural contexts. Professors Aycan, Kanungo and Mendonca are leading scholars in the field and as expected have done a great job in putting this together. This will no doubt become a standard work in the field for years to come.′ -- Pawan Budhwar
′A much needed text which provides excellent cross cultural application to the study of organisation. Invaluable to students and practitioners alike.′ -- Paul Hill
very comprehensive outline of key concepts underpinned by very good illustrations -- Dr Abdoulie Sallah * drupal *
Use additional reading -- Dr Alhajie Saidy Khan * drupal *
A good book for undergraduate students. It includes a good selection of case studies. -- Dr Antoinette Saint hilaire * drupal *
This textbook aims at bringing out the cross-cultural perspectives and questions involved in a large number of the fundamental theoretical approaches in the areas that its chapters address: leadership, teamwork, motivation, communication, conflict management, ethics, corporate social responsibility and organizational structure and change.

It can be said that scientific theories and models are “studied perceptions of reality awaiting further corroboration.” When it comes to management theory and practice, it can move in several directions. The first, which we have seen too much of and which knows no sign of letting up, is that of colonization. The missionary position has been required not just by religious evangelism but by academic and organizational proselytism. The second is that of calling into question the assumptions drawn from one context before they are imposed in another. The latter is what this book attempts to do, though given the state of the art, a largely Western and Anglophone corpus of theoretical perspectives are the subject of examination. There is a historical completeness to the work, attempting to cover management thinking from Taylor to today, over 100 years of theory and models, much it familiar to me from my undergraduate and graduate studies half a century ago.

The increasingly visual and interactive nature of communication and learning driven by new technology, while it has not yet made paper textbooks obsolete, it has driven up their prices to the point where it is difficult for individuals to purchase them (I now begin to see rental schemes set up by the publishers themselves). It has also required them to become more visual and interactive accompanied by online references, websites and blogs. This book is no exception. The companion website is right up front, and a “Guided Tour” section uses images of actual pages to describe the eight kinds of reflective content and activities proposed in the body of the volume. This, of course, is a good argument for electronic versions of books, where a finger’s touch on an iPad can bring up a reference link for review, as few students will be inclined to engage in the frustrating task of typing out long URLs on their laptops.

The book does not purport to bring forth new or replacement theories for those examined. Rather it most often examines the existing ones to see where they may work and do not work, most specifically in terms of crossing cultures. Most of the cultures addressed the theoretical perspectives in this book are national cultures, however, one may certainly see that regional, organizational etc., cultural thinking and practices can equally put these theories to the test, if, in fact, not put some of them to rest. Sections on “key challenges” indicate where the relevance is lacking or questioned in the theories and sometime suggest strategies for policies and behaviors to bridge the gap. Unfortunately too many of these are platitudinous responses based on stereotypical interpretations of traditional dimensional approaches to culture and the more recent Globe studies rather than contextual analysis, which, one hopes, would at least be addressed in the classroom.

As in so many studies of intercultural impacts on other fields of study, cultural dimensional models are used as a handy way of opening the discussion about differences, though these themselves are born from the same kinds of Western theoretical perspectives as are the management theories being examined in the light of their findings.

Chapter Five on leadership styles largely compares this so-called “Charismatic Leaders” with “Paternalistic Leaders” in search of an ideal leadership style making broad brush differences in behavior clear, but not providing much in terms of adapting to one or the other style or describing synergizing behaviors.

Chapter Six on teamwork opens with a description of “The most powerful team leading the world (2008-2012)” touting the diversity of the Obama Administration. True that from a US perspective and definition of diversity by races and places of national origin, the “team” seems diverse. However, if one takes acculturation and US identity narratives into account, this pales into insignificance and the presentation of this team as multicultural seems indeed bizarre. Identity discourse determines cultural difference at the most basic level but its degree of relevance is contextual. The degree to which diversity is relevant in this “team” should be measured by how the diverse background and talents of the participants are identified, and exploited in the achievement of the team’s objectives. That discussion is missing. Real cultural assessment of management practice should start with an examination of the urculture of US domestic and foreign policy and how its values drive the behaviors used in executing it, then only with reflections on how the participants’ defined identities and “multicultural” synergy is a may or may not contribute to this.

Here as well as in following discussions, e.g., teamwork, feedback and work-life balance, there is little information about how to synergize rather than colonize with US and other Western perspectives. It becomes a question of intent versus impact, where the authors’ expressed intentions are to easily frustrated by the state of the subject matter, There is too much analysis about why “other” systems don’t work and little examination of the indigenous perspectives and indigenous efforts to correct and improve them. Such information, we suspect is absent here because it is lacking in the dominant literature and in the available approaches to the study of the dynamics of other cultures. Lack of language skills may be an important factor in creating this lacuna. We can ask, for example, is work-life balance desirable in itself, or just one more advanced management strategy for greater productivity? Perhaps it is the subtext that “worklife balance” is in fact "work-family balance", and therefore a question of over application of the individual-collective dimensional thinking as well as Western definitions of the forms of justice. Certainly there are additional factors, besides family, to be more amply considered in such a discussion.
When the book turns to organizational structure in Chapter Eight, it examines the different kinds of organizations in respect to their function, social, cultural models, and their strengths and weaknesses in regard to dealing with growth and change, as well as everyday management. I cannot help but be struck, perhaps shocked, by one of the book’s many quizzes, found here, whose title was, "Can you Delegate or are you a ‘Control Freak’?” This, to my mind, besides biasing the questionnaire by the use of such language, was one more reflection of the frequent dualistic and dyadic mentality and high level of judgmental assessment found in the book, in itself an important cultural feature that seems not to be recognized and dealt with adequately.
The book concludes with chapters on human resource management and the dilemmas of corporate social responsibility. Again, dimensional thinking tends to obscure a more culturally specific and contextual understanding of other people and their systems, though the final chapter returns to the important point of cautioning that differences in behavior across cultures is not necessarily an indication of ethical inferiority.
Were I a professor choosing to use this textbook, I would certainly do so with a great deal of caution and ample reflections on the both conscious and unconscious judgments that it makes. This is not to say that the authors are deliberately and consciously endorsing dichotomous thinking, but in fact so much of this is written into the models and resources existing in the field of management studies that it emerges inevitably if one presents them authentically. This added to the use of models of culture that easily lead to dichotomous and stereotyped thinking provides a rather dangerous cocktail that needs to be sipped and tasted very slowly and carefully if one is to discern its components. -- Dr George Simons * drupal *
Interesting book, well written. -- Dr Koen Kooy * drupal *
Excellent book to use with multi-cultural groups of students as highlights important areas that they could face in their working lives. Provides very useful examples and cases. -- Dr Sarah Gregory * drupal *
The cross-cultural aspects of the book are useful for students studying OB. -- Dr Suzanne Kane * drupal *
We have decided to adopt this text book as the primary text our MBA course on Cross-Cultural Communications. The organization of the text is well-suited for a management class. The selected 14 cultural dimensions covered in the text is a practical selection of concepts from the key scholars in the field (Hall, Hofstede, House, Trompenaars, and Azcan). Each of the nine key content area chapters illustrate how culture affects these business concerns. Supplemental lists of case studies, videos and other resources are a valuable addition. We are very much looking forward to teaching with this text. -- Mr David Henry * drupal *
This book provides a good overview of Organizational Behavior, Human Resource Management and Cross-Cultural Psychology.
Dr. Jens Hartmann, Dozent and Owner of HartmannConulting -- Mr Jens Hartmann * drupal *
A very impressive text, ideal for all students reading organisational behaviour, and HRM.
Very useful as a teaching and learning resource. -- Mr Michael Hall * drupal *
An excellent book to have. -- Mrs Tawa Edwards * drupal *
A really super book and great for international classes. It covers all the basic concepts of management with the cultural element. I will seriously consider adopting this for 2015 courses on management if colleagues agree and necessary course changes can be made. -- Ms Claire Forder * drupal *
A core element of the WBL (International) is its international dimension. In addition, most of the organisations that the WBL students work for have multinational presence. As some of their internship placements require them to work in a Cross-Cultural context, this book will a good term of theoretical reference to underpin their practical experience. -- Ms Marilia Angove * drupal *
This book includes some interesting questionnaires and also includes useful/relevant resources at the end of each chapter. -- Ms Wilma Garvin * drupal *
Good and informative book, very good examples and insightful views on cross-cultural perspectives. -- Sandy Drossou * drupal *