Management Across Cultures: Challenges and Strategies

459 Pages·2010·3.06 MB·English

by  Richard M. Steers

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ManagementAcrossCultures
ChallengesandStrategies
Management practices and processes frequently differ across national and regional
boundaries. What may be acceptable managerial behavior in one culture may be
counterproductive or even unacceptable in another. As managers increasingly find
themselves working across cultures, the need to understand these differences has
become increasingly important. This book examines why these differences exist and
howglobalmanagerscandevelopstrategiesandtacticstodealwiththem.
Keyfeatures:
c
Draws on recent research in anthropology, psychology, economics, and manage-
menttoexplaintheculturalandpsychologicalunderpinningsthatshapemanagerial
attitudesandbehaviors
c
Introducesalearningmodeltoguideintheintellectualandpracticaldevelopmentof
managersseekingenhancedglobalexpertise
c Offersuser-friendlyconceptualmodelstoguideunderstandingandexplorationof
topics
c
Summarizes and integrates the lessons learned in each chapter in application-
oriented“Manager’snotebooks”

CompanionwebsitefeaturinginstructionalmaterialsandPowerPointslidesisavailable
atwww.cambridge.org/management_across_cultures.
RICHARD M.STEERS isProfessorofOrganizationandManagementintheLundquist
CollegeofBusiness,UniversityofOregon,USA.
CARLOS J.SANCHEZ-RUNDE is Professor of People Management at IESE Business
School,Barcelona,Spain.
LUCIARANARDONisAssistantProfessorofInternationalBusinessattheSprottSchool
ofBusiness,CarletonUniversity,Canada.

Management Across Cultures
Challenges and Strategies
RICHARD M.STEERS
CARLOS J.SANCHEZ-RUNDE
LUCIARA NARDON
CAMBRIDGEUNIVERSITYPRESS
Cambridge, New York, Melbourne, Madrid, Cape Town, Singapore,
São Paulo, Delhi, Dubai, Tokyo
Cambridge University Press
The Edinburgh Building, Cambridge CB2 8RU, UK
Published in the United States of America by Cambridge University Press, New York
www.cambridge.org
Information on this title: www.cambridge.org/9780521513432
© Richard M. Steers, Carlos J. Sanchez-Runde, and Luciara Nardon 2010
This publication is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception and to the
provision of relevant collective licensing agreements, no reproduction of any part
may take place without the written permission of Cambridge University Press.
First published in print format 2010
ISBN-13 978-0-511-68356-5 eBook (Dawsonera)
ISBN-13 978-0-521-51343-2 Hardback
ISBN-13 978-0-521-73497-4 Paperback
Cambridge University Press has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy
of urls for external or third-party internet websites referred to in this publication,
and does not guarantee that any content on such websites is, or will remain,
accurate or appropriate.
Contents
List of exhibits page viii
Preface xiii
1 Global rea lities and ma nageme nt cha llenges 1
Globalization,change,andcompetitiveness 3
Thenewglobalrealities 12
Challengesfacingglobalmanagers 17
2 Developingglobalmanagementskills 24
Traditionalviewsofmanagement 26
Globalmanagers:varietyofthespecies 28
Rethinkingmanagerialroles 35
Rethinkingmanagerialskills 36
MANAGER’S NOTEBOOK:Developingglobalmanagementskills 39
3 Culture,values,andworldviews 45
Culture,socialization,andnormativebehavior 49
Coreculturaldimensions:astartingpoint 55

Regionaltrendsandculturaldifferences 64
Diggingdeeper:culturalcomplexitiesandcontradictions 66
MANAGER’S NOTEBOOK:Culture,values,andworldviews 76
4 Insidethemanagerialmind:culture,cognition,andaction 85
Culture,cognition,andmanagerialaction:amodel 88
Patternsofmanagerialthinking 91
Thegeographyofthought 96
Cultureandthemanagerialrole 102
Managementpatternsacrosscultures 106
v
vi CONTENTS
Aremanagementpatternsconverging? 115
MANAGER’S NOTEBOOK:Insidethemanagerialmind 118
5 Insidetheorganizationalmind:stakeholders,strategies,
anddecisionmaking 126
Stakeholdersandstrategicchoice:amodel 128
Thestrategy-structurenexus 134
Organizationaldecisionmaking:amodel 137
Decisionstrategiesacrosscultures 139
MANAGER’S NOTEBOOK:Insidetheorganizationalmind 149
6 Organizingframeworks:acomparativeassessment 155
Cultureandorganizationdesign:amodel 157
UScorporations 159
Japanesekaishaandkeiretsu 165
Chinesegong-si 175
Germankonzern 181
Mexicangrupo 186
MANAGER’S NOTEBOOK:Organizingframeworks 193
7 Communicationacrosscultures 199
Eyeofthebeholder 201
Cultureandcommunication:amodel 202
Language,logic,andcommunication 204
Linguafrancaandmessagecomprehension 210
Cross-culturalcommunicationstrategies 214

Communicationonthefly 228
MANAGER’S NOTEBOOK:Communicationacrosscultures 232
8 Leadershipandglobalteams 241
Themeaningofleadership 245
GLOBEleadershipstudy 253
Cultureandleadership:amodel 256
Globalteams 261
Workingwithglobalteams 262
MANAGER’S NOTEBOOK:Leadershipandglobalteams 270
CONTENTS vii
9 Culture,work,andmotivation 279
Theworldofwork 284
Workandleisure 290
Culture,motivation,andworkbehavior:amodel 292
Cultureandthepsychologyofwork 295
Incentivesandrewardsacrosscultures 299
MANAGER’S NOTEBOOK:Culture,work,andmotivation 310
10 Negotiationandglobalpartnerships 317
Seekingcommoncause 321
Cultureandnegotiation:amodel 328
Thenegotiationprocess:strategies,concessions,andcontracts 330
Negotiationpatternsacrosscultures 337
Buildingglobalpartnerships 342
Managingglobalpartnerships 346
MANAGER’S NOTEBOOK:Negotiationandglobalpartnerships 350
11 Managinginanimperfectworld 363
Rulesofthegame 364
Basesofcross-culturalconflicts 367
Ethics,laws,andsocialcontrol:amodel 373
Ethicalconflictsandchallenges 374
Institutionalconflictsandchallenges 384
MANAGER’S NOTEBOOK:Managinginanimperfectworld 395
12 Epilogue:thejourneycontinues 404

Learningfromthepast 405
Lookingtothefuture 407
AppendixA Modelsofnationalcultures 411
AppendixB OECDguidelinesforglobalmanagers 421
Index 430
Exhibits
1.1 The globalization enigma: contradictions and challenges page 8
1.2 Thechangingglobaleconomy 12
2.1 Globalmanagers:expatriates,frequentflyers,andvirtualmanagers 29
2.2 Buildingglobalmanagementskills 37
2.3 Theexperientiallearningcycle 40
2.4 Alearningstrategyforglobalmanagers 42
3.1 Hofstede’scultureratingsforSwedenandBahrain 49
3.2 Levelsofmentalprogramming 51
3.3 Selectedmodelsofculturaldimensions 56
3.4 Coreculturaldimensions 58
3.5 Anchorsforcoreculturaldimensions 60
3.6 Centraltendenciesofcoreculturaldimensionsacrossregions 65
3.7 Culturalcomplexitiesandcontradictions 69
4.1 Culture,cognition,andmanagerialaction 90
4.2 Cultureandpatternsofmanagerialthinking 92
4.3 Lookingoutside:patternsofEast-Westcognitivedifferences 99
4.4 Lookinginside:patternsofEast-Westcognitivedifferences 100
4.5 Culturaldifferencesandtheidealmanagerialrole 103

4.6 Cultureandactualmanagerialcharacteristics 104
4.7 Culturalinfluencesonmanagerialroles 105
4.8 Cultureandmanagementtrends:France,Malaysia,andNigeria 108
4.9 Convergenceanddivergenceinfuturemanagementpatterns 117
5.1 Thestrategicmanagementcycle 130
5.2 Centralizedversusdistributedstakeholdermodels 131
5.3 Culturalinfluencesonparticipationindecision-making 139
5.4 Managementchallenge:approachestoparticipation
anddecisionmaking 140
5.5 Centralizeddecisionmaking(e.g.,Australia,Canada,UK,US) 141
viii