Description
Cultural Intelligence provides managers with practical techniques for functioning effectively in any culture. Thomas and Inkson do not provide a list of specific cultural do's and don'ts. Instead, they show how to acquire the kinds of universal global people skills that will allow managers to adapt quickly to, and thrive in, any cultural environment. Cultural Intelligence helps readers develop a mind-set that can be applied to any number of countries, cultures, and business situations. This book presents a three-stage process for becoming culturally intelligent. These steps involve learning the fundamental principles of cross-cultural interactions, such as what cultures are, how they might vary, and how they affect behaviour; practicing mindfulness and paying attention in a reflective and creative way to cues; and developing a repertoire of behavioural skills that can be adapted to different situations.
Cultural Intelligence: People Skills for Global Business (Paperback)
By David C. Thomas, Kerr Inkson
ISBN - 10: 1576752569
ISBN - 13: 9781576752562
Published by Berrett-Koehler http://www.bkconnection.com
Available also as used from http://www.amazon.com
Review
This is a well-written book, which provides a generalist approach to dealing with cross-cultural issues with many excellent examples. The core idea of the book is based on the Hofstede model. One of the central criticisms of this model has been that nation state and culture are always presumed to be the same. Local culture does not follow political boundaries. The authors seem to be unable to avoid this trap. Cultural Intelligence gives good insights on how to notice "Cultural Cruise-Control" and change own way of thinking. Providing some practical tools would have added to the value of this book, but this is a good book for international managers.
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