Cultural Intelligence: A Guide for Working With People from Other Cultures

by Peterson, Brooks

• ISBN13: 9781931930000
• ISBN10: 1931930007
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-01-04
• Publisher: HACHETTE

Summary

Packed with dozens of engaging stories, case examples and humorous contemporary cartoons, Cultural Intelligence is the perfect antidote for overcoming cross-cultural differences, improving workplace communication, building solid business relationships and contributing positively to your organization's bottom line.
More than 15,000 people have used the Peterson Cultural Style Indicator. Here, Dr. Peterson defines what cultural intelligence is and explores the skills and characteristics required to work effectively with international clients, customers and business partners - or inside any team, department or organization with a rich mix of cultural perspectives. Using a set of twenty business-oriented dimensions, the author helps you examine your own cultural style and determine that of others in six vital areas: management, strategy, planning, personnel, communication and reasoning. The crowning piece is a set of key action steps for increasing your own cultural intelligence.

Author Biography

Brooks Peterson is founder and president of Across Cultures Inc., an international consulting firm serving global leaders.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	p. vii
Introduction	p. 1
What Is Culture?	p. 15
Defining Culture	p. 16
Culture Analogies	p. 18
Cultural Values	p. 22
Values and Behaviors	p. 23
Big "C" versus Little "c" Culture Themes	p. 24
Stereotypes versus Generalizations	p. 25
Do Cultures Change over Time?	p. 28
Five Basic Culture Scales	p. 29
Overlapping the Five Scales	p. 56
Every Culture Ranks Somewhere	p. 60
The Importance of Culture in Daily Work and Life	p. 63
Cultural Programming	p. 65
The Scale of Differences	p. 67
Bottom-Line Business Choices	p. 71
Areas of Widespread Change	p. 72
Taking Your Business Global	p. 78
Cultural Differences Will Always Matter	p. 83
What Is Cultural Intelligence?	p. 87
Defining Cultural Intelligence	p. 88
Multiple Intelligences Theory Factors In	p. 89
The Culturally Intelligent Professional	p. 95
Can Cultural Intelligence Be Increased?	p. 98
Gaining Cultural Intelligence--a Process	p. 99
Many Ways to View the World	p. 99
Applying Cultural Intelligence in Daily Work and Life	p. 107
Dos and Don'ts Are a Don't	p. 107
Management Issues	p. 112
Strategy Issues	p. 122
Planning Style	p. 129
People and Communication Issues	p. 131
Reasoning Styles	p. 138
Communication Style	p. 144
Knowing Your Cultural Style	p. 153
Differing Cultural Styles Lead to Clashes	p. 153
You Have a Culture	p. 154
You Also Have a Communication Style	p. 155
Yes, Cultural Intelligence Is a Soft Skill	p. 158
Don't Rely on Local Amateurs	p. 159
Traits for Success	p. 161
What Is Your Cultural Style?	p. 167
Learning about Others' Cultural Styles	p. 171
Insularity Is Never Self-Proclaimed!	p. 175
Increasing Your Cultural Intelligence	p. 177
Weaving Together the Strands	p. 177
Dealing with Differences in the Five Scales	p. 179
Communication Skills	p. 189
Ten Tips for Making the Most of Your English	p. 190
Learn to Speak a Relevant Foreign Language	p. 196
Be a Sympathetic Native Listener	p. 202
A Word on Using Translators and Interpreters	p. 204
Target Country Knowledge	p. 209
International Ethical Issues	p. 212
Afterword	p. 219
Appendix	p. 221
Recommended Readings	p. 225
About the Author	p. 231
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