Essentials of International Management: A Cross-Cultural Perspective

The world of international management is no longer limited to jet-setting corporate trouble-shooters or seasoned expatriate managers. Virtually all business conducted today is global business. The need to understand the effect of culture on the practice of management has never been greater. This book examines cross-cultural management issues from a psychological or behavioral perspective. It focuses on the interactions of people from different cultures in organizational settings and helps the reader gain an understanding of the effect of culture that can be applied to a wide variety of cross-cultural interactions in various organizational contexts. The first section of the book describes the context in which the international manager functions including the major facets of the international management environment - legal, political, economic, and cultural. Culture is defined and demystified in practical terms and the reasons that cultures form and persist are discussed. The idea that cultural variation is not random but systematic is examined, as are the basics of social cognition as applied to cross-cultural interaction. Among the concepts discussed are selective perception, stereotyping, ethnocentrism, differential attributions, behavioral scripts, and cultural differences in motivation. The second section of the book focuses on the roles that dominate the activities of international managers: decision maker, negotiator, and leader. The process and behavioral aspects of negotiation are discussed in terms of the application of cross-cultural communication. The basis of communication, as concepts that transfer meaning across cultures, are presented as grounding for understanding negotiation across cultures. Western theories of leadership are contrasted with theories indigenous to other cultures, and a cross-cultural model of leadership is presented. The third section is devoted to challenges facing international managers including multi-cultural work groups and teams, the organization and design of international organizations, the unique influence of the multinational corporation on managerial roles, and the relationship of culturally different individuals to the firm. The challenges associated with the assignment of individuals overseas from both the perspectives of the firm and the individual expatriate are also explored. The final section of the book looks at the limitations of current management theory as it applies to international management and key methodological issues with regard to cross-national and cross-cultural research. The book includes extensive up-to-date references and a comprehensive index.David C. Thomas is the author of 'Essentials of International Management: A Cross-Cultural Perspective' with ISBN 9780761924685 and ISBN 076192468X.