The World's Business Cultures: And How to Unlock Them

by Tomalin, Barry

• ISBN13: 9781854183699
• ISBN10: 1854183699
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2008-01-30
• Publisher: Stylus Pub Llc

Summary

With the aid of a specially developed model, expert authors demonstrate how to get your communications right internationally and ensure that meetings, both face-to- face and virtual, go according to plan. The authors provide a framework for understanding any culture in the world, offering strategies and tactics for getting people from different countries on your side, and detailing the knowledge you need to make the right impression and avoid giving offence. Barry Tomalin is Director of Cultural Training at International House in London, one of the largest language and cultural training organisations in the world, and Visiting Lecturer in Cross-cultural Communication at the University of Westminster. He is the author of many books and monographs on culture and has trained in 65 countries. Contents include: International business: A new approach; A business model for international cultural understanding; Communicating successfully internationally; Cultural expectations; How to be more culturally sensitive; Cultural bear traps; and Relocation and repatriation.

Author Biography

Barry Tomalin is a cross-cultural consultant and Director of Cultural Training at International House in London. He works with companies and organizations to improve their cultural skills and awareness, and runs the Business Cultural Trainers Certificate for teachers and coaches. He is the author of many books and has trained in 65 countries Mike Nicks is a journalist and media coach who has written widely on business cultures

Table of Contents

Risky business	p. 1
Conclusion	p. 9
How to unlock any culture in the world	p. 11
The curse of anecdotes	p. 12
The TRUST model	p. 13
The three ingredients of culture	p. 15
The importance of cultural knowledge	p. 16
Understanding values and attitudes	p. 19
Understanding behaviour	p. 19
The need for a cultural business model	p. 20
The Five C's of culture	p. 20
Stereotypes and generalizations	p. 21
Other factors: Race, religion, sexual orientation and disability	p. 26
Conclusion	p. 27
Key learning points	p. 28
How people think	p. 29
How to understand values and attitudes	p. 35
How do I find out what's what?	p. 40
Conclusion	p. 41
Key learning points	p. 41
Cultural behaviour	p. 43
Why me?	p. 45
Scheduled, flexible and listening cultures	p. 50
Conclusion	p. 55
Key learning points	p. 55
How to increase your cultural sensitivity	p. 57
It's all about perception	p. 58
The Personal Cultural Profile	p. 59
Comparing cultures	p. 70
Interpreting your Personal Cultural Profile	p. 71
The 80/20 rule	p. 71
Is it personal, procedural or cultural?	p. 72
RADAR	p. 72
Personal qualities	p. 74
The six personal characteristics of cross-cultural sensitivity	p. 79
Conclusion	p. 81
Key learning points	p. 81
Communication	p. 83
The English language	p. 85
Taking culture into account	p. 91
Feel the people	p. 96
Presentations	p. 96
Writing emails	p. 98
Conclusion	p. 100
Key learning points	p. 101
Leadership and decision-making	p. 103
Top-down or egalitarian?	p. 105
Company organigrams: are they reliable?	p. 106
Taking ownership and delegation	p. 106
Hierarchy	p. 108
Consensus or individually driven decision-making	p. 109
Speeding up decision-making	p. 110
Breaking the chain of command	p. 111
Maintaining status	p. 112
Conclusion	p. 114
Key learning points	p. 114
Teams, motivation and feedback	p. 115
Two types of team	p. 117
Team selection	p. 118
Team leadership	p. 119
The process of team-working	p. 120
What, how and why cultures?	p. 122
Team motivation	p. 123
Feedback	p. 124
Virtual distributed teams	p. 125
Conclusion	p. 126
Key learning points	p. 127
Meetings and negotiations	p. 129
Where are meetings held?	p. 130
Who attends?	p. 131
How are meetings arranged?	p. 131
Expectations of meetings	p. 132
An agenda or not?	p. 132
Meetings etiquette	p. 133
Results and outcomes	p. 134
Negotiating	p. 135
Conclusion	p. 138
Key learning points	p. 138
Gift-giving and hospitality	p. 139
Gift-giving	p. 141
Hospitality	p. 145
Conclusion	p. 153
Key learning points	p. 153
The top ten countries in 2050	p. 155
Doing business in China	p. 157
Doing business in the USA	p. 167
Doing business in India	p. 177
Doing business in Japan	p. 187
Doing business in Brazil	p. 197
Doing business in Russia	p. 207
Doing business in the United Kingdom	p. 217
Doing business in Germany	p. 227
Doing business in France	p. 237
Doing business in Italy	p. 247
Fact files	p. 257
Facts about Brazil	p. 258
Facts about China	p. 259
Facts about France	p. 260
Facts about Germany	p. 261
Facts about India	p. 262
Facts about Italy	p. 263
Facts about Japan	p. 264
Facts about Russia	p. 265
Facts about UK	p. 266
Facts about USA	p. 267
Further reading	p. 268
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