Discussion: View Thread

The view of world economies and cultures sitting in a developed country can get a bit distorted, e.g., see:

Globalisation? Globaloney.

http://www.economist.com/node/18584204?story_id=18584204&CFID=162763784&CFTOKEN=50383039

-and-
Florida, R. (2005). The World Is Spiky. Atlantic Monthly (10727825), 296(3), 48-51.
http://www.theatlantic.com/past/docs/images/issues/200510/world-is-spiky.pdf
Making pronouncements concerning the world from this lofty height is akin to speculating as to the environment and ecology of the ocean's depths from a luxury yacht on the surface.

Facebook:

• More than 500 million active users, about 0.0007% of the global population;
• 50% of active users log on to Facebook in any given day, about 0.0004% of the global population.

I do of course realise that Facebook & social network users in developed and major developing countries are the only really important people and the drivers of the global economy and cultures.

As for culture and circumstance, culture determines for the most part how people deal with and respond to circumstances (it's an adaptive feedback system, but culture determines responses in the near term).

As for, "Cultural awareness does not focus on a specific region of the world, but instead requires general sensitivity to other cultures", not true; culture is specific to regions of the world. "Cultural sensitivity" is an aid to learning, but does not prepare one for living in and doing business in a foreign culture. Being there helps.

From: Neerja Raman <neerja@RAMAN-NET.COM>
Subject: Re: Core readings for MBA course on cross-cultural management
To: IMD-L@AOMLISTS.PACE.EDU
Date: Tuesday, 24 May, 2011, 3:07

Speaking with a practioner (vs academic) hat, my observation is that studies on this subject can be behind the times.

 

Globalization, social media and internet speed visuals have changed business environment enough that the focus is back to people and what's hardwired vs. what is social conditioning; its back to being aware of yourself and of others. Software collaboration tools exploit this principle.

 

More so than ever, it does underscore the need to understand practical considerations imposed by geography and economic circumstance. This is easier said than done and gets confused with "culture". Overall I agree with the sentence quoted – just replace culture with "circumstance" (this is important because circumstance can be changed quickly, culture not so easily)

 

"Cultural awareness does not focus on a specific region of the world, but instead requires general sensitivity to other cultures."

 

Cheers,

Neerja Raman, http://neerja.raman-net.com

Blog http://fromgoodtogold.blogspot.com/

---

From: International Management Discussion List [mailto:IMD-L@AOMLISTS.PACE.EDU] On Behalf Of Romie Littrell
Sent: Saturday, May 21, 2011 1:17 PM
To: IMD-L@AOMLISTS.PACE.EDU
Subject: Re: Core readings for MBA course on cross-cultural management

 

Avoid "cookbooks", the "mix these behaviours and you'll have a successful business relationship"; e.g., don't expose the bottom of your shoe in the Middle East, take business cards with two hands in Japan and China , etc. Kurt Lewin is correct, there's nothing so practical as a good theory. I recommend: Fukuyama , Francis. (1995). "Trust: The Social Virtues and the Creation of Prosperity". London : Penguin. I've also attached a draft of a work in progress that is intended when completed as an introduction to the topic. I find all the major theories to lack E.T. Hall's understanding of the use of time, space, and contextual communication. I know of no overarching summary of Hall's theories, so: The Silent Language (1959) The Hidden Dimension (1966) The Fourth Dimension in Architecture: The Impact of Building on Behavior (1975, co-authored with spouse Mildred Reed Hall) Beyond Culture (1976) The Dance of Life: The Other Dimension of Time (1983) Handbook for Proxemic Research Hidden Differences: Doing Business with the Japanese Understanding Cultural Differences - Germans, French and Americans (1993) Hope for the USA ? "If something is unsustainable, it will stop."--Herb Stein, an economic adviser to Richard Nixon Romie F. Littrell, BA, MBA,PhD, FIAIR, An fánaí fiáin AUT Business School N.Z., romie.littrell@aut.ac.nz http://www.romielittrellpubs.homestead.com/ Facilitator, Leadership & Management in Sub-Sahara Africa Conferences Contents copyright Romie F. Littrell --- On Sat, 21/5/11, M.P.Fenton-OCreevy <m.p.fenton-ocreevy@OPEN.AC.UK> wrote: From: M.P.Fenton-OCreevy <m.p.fenton-ocreevy@OPEN.AC.UK> Subject: Core readings for MBA course on cross-cultural management To: IMD-L@AOMLISTS.PACE.EDU Date: Saturday, 21 May, 2011, 20:57 Dear IMDers, I am putting together an Executive MBA course on cross-cultural management and assembling a reading list. The course will take multiple perspectives on the challenges of managing across national boundaries. I am particularly looking for articles or book chapters which make academic ideas accessible to practitioners. Key topics include Impact of culture on management and business practice (going beyond simple frameworks like Hofstede) Institutional Theory perspectives ( varieties of capitalism and national business systems) The problems of knowledge transfer across national boundaries Traits and skills which make managers successful in international contexts (eg cultural intelligence, expatriate success factors) I would be very grateful for suggestions of key readings which others have found to work well for their students. Thoughts about exercises and student projects which have worked well in teaching these topics would also be very welcome. If you email suggestions to me directly rather than via the list, I will assemble all suggestions and feed them back to the list (fully attributed). Many thanks for your help. Mark Mark Fenton-O'Creevy Professor of Organisational Behaviour Open University Business School Walton Hall Milton Keynes MK7 6AA United Kingdom e-mail: m.p.fenton-ocreevy@open.ac.uk (DL) +44 (0)1908-655804 Mobile +44 (0) 7977 576721 Fax: +44 (0)1908-655898 -- The Open University is incorporated by Royal Charter (RC 000391), an exempt charity in England & Wales and a charity registered in Scotland (SC 038302).

 

The view of world economies and cultures sitting in a developed country can get a bit distorted, e.g., see:

Globalisation? Globaloney.

http://www.economist.com/node/18584204?story_id=18584204&CFID=162763784&CFTOKEN=50383039

-and-
Florida, R. (2005). The World Is Spiky. Atlantic Monthly (10727825), 296(3), 48-51.
http://www.theatlantic.com/past/docs/images/issues/200510/world-is-spiky.pdf
Making pronouncements concerning the world from this lofty height is akin to speculating as to the environment and ecology of the ocean's depths from a luxury yacht on the surface.

Facebook:

• More than 500 million active users, about 0.0007% of the global population;
• 50% of active users log on to Facebook in any given day, about 0.0004% of the global population.

I do of course realise that Facebook & social network users in developed and major developing countries are the only really important people and the drivers of the global economy and cultures.

As for culture and circumstance, culture determines for the most part how people deal with and respond to circumstances (it's an adaptive feedback system, but culture determines responses in the near term).

As for, "Cultural awareness does not focus on a specific region of the world, but instead requires general sensitivity to other cultures", not true; culture is specific to regions of the world. "Cultural sensitivity" is an aid to learning, but does not prepare one for living in and doing business in a foreign culture. Being there helps.

From: Neerja Raman <neerja@RAMAN-NET.COM>
Subject: Re: Core readings for MBA course on cross-cultural management
To: IMD-L@AOMLISTS.PACE.EDU
Date: Tuesday, 24 May, 2011, 3:07

Speaking with a practioner (vs academic) hat, my observation is that studies on this subject can be behind the times.

 

Globalization, social media and internet speed visuals have changed business environment enough that the focus is back to people and what's hardwired vs. what is social conditioning; its back to being aware of yourself and of others. Software collaboration tools exploit this principle.

 

More so than ever, it does underscore the need to understand practical considerations imposed by geography and economic circumstance. This is easier said than done and gets confused with "culture". Overall I agree with the sentence quoted – just replace culture with "circumstance" (this is important because circumstance can be changed quickly, culture not so easily)

 

"Cultural awareness does not focus on a specific region of the world, but instead requires general sensitivity to other cultures."

 

Cheers,

Neerja Raman, http://neerja.raman-net.com

Blog http://fromgoodtogold.blogspot.com/

---

From: International Management Discussion List [mailto:IMD-L@AOMLISTS.PACE.EDU] On Behalf Of Romie Littrell
Sent: Saturday, May 21, 2011 1:17 PM
To: IMD-L@AOMLISTS.PACE.EDU
Subject: Re: Core readings for MBA course on cross-cultural management

 

Avoid "cookbooks", the "mix these behaviours and you'll have a successful business relationship"; e.g., don't expose the bottom of your shoe in the Middle East, take business cards with two hands in Japan and China , etc. Kurt Lewin is correct, there's nothing so practical as a good theory. I recommend: Fukuyama , Francis. (1995). "Trust: The Social Virtues and the Creation of Prosperity". London : Penguin. I've also attached a draft of a work in progress that is intended when completed as an introduction to the topic. I find all the major theories to lack E.T. Hall's understanding of the use of time, space, and contextual communication. I know of no overarching summary of Hall's theories, so: The Silent Language (1959) The Hidden Dimension (1966) The Fourth Dimension in Architecture: The Impact of Building on Behavior (1975, co-authored with spouse Mildred Reed Hall) Beyond Culture (1976) The Dance of Life: The Other Dimension of Time (1983) Handbook for Proxemic Research Hidden Differences: Doing Business with the Japanese Understanding Cultural Differences - Germans, French and Americans (1993) Hope for the USA ? "If something is unsustainable, it will stop."--Herb Stein, an economic adviser to Richard Nixon Romie F. Littrell, BA, MBA,PhD, FIAIR, An fánaí fiáin AUT Business School N.Z., romie.littrell@aut.ac.nz http://www.romielittrellpubs.homestead.com/ Facilitator, Leadership & Management in Sub-Sahara Africa Conferences Contents copyright Romie F. Littrell --- On Sat, 21/5/11, M.P.Fenton-OCreevy <m.p.fenton-ocreevy@OPEN.AC.UK> wrote: From: M.P.Fenton-OCreevy <m.p.fenton-ocreevy@OPEN.AC.UK> Subject: Core readings for MBA course on cross-cultural management To: IMD-L@AOMLISTS.PACE.EDU Date: Saturday, 21 May, 2011, 20:57 Dear IMDers, I am putting together an Executive MBA course on cross-cultural management and assembling a reading list. The course will take multiple perspectives on the challenges of managing across national boundaries. I am particularly looking for articles or book chapters which make academic ideas accessible to practitioners. Key topics include Impact of culture on management and business practice (going beyond simple frameworks like Hofstede) Institutional Theory perspectives ( varieties of capitalism and national business systems) The problems of knowledge transfer across national boundaries Traits and skills which make managers successful in international contexts (eg cultural intelligence, expatriate success factors) I would be very grateful for suggestions of key readings which others have found to work well for their students. Thoughts about exercises and student projects which have worked well in teaching these topics would also be very welcome. If you email suggestions to me directly rather than via the list, I will assemble all suggestions and feed them back to the list (fully attributed). Many thanks for your help. Mark Mark Fenton-O'Creevy Professor of Organisational Behaviour Open University Business School Walton Hall Milton Keynes MK7 6AA United Kingdom e-mail: m.p.fenton-ocreevy@open.ac.uk (DL) +44 (0)1908-655804 Mobile +44 (0) 7977 576721 Fax: +44 (0)1908-655898 -- The Open University is incorporated by Royal Charter (RC 000391), an exempt charity in England & Wales and a charity registered in Scotland (SC 038302).