Foreward
Over
the past twenty five years awareness of the need to adapt management behaviour
and style to cope with cultural diversity has increased dramatically as
globalization has become the dominant feature of the world’s major economies.
Mergers
and acquisitions, strategic alliances and the dominance of global brand
marketing are just some of the factors which have created this globalized
business environment.
The
latter are seductive. They are described in highly sophisticated terminology and
their conclusions supported by
impressive statistical data bases and create an illusion of control. The
result is often that these “converts” now feel that they can understand
cultural differences by sliding them through the model where all will be
revealed.
This
approach is at best preactive - planting a series of theoretical guidelines in
the minds of the participating executives. Further more it leaves the practical
application of these concepts entirely to the manager himself.
Our
experience in the process of internationalization with major global corporations
extends for almost three decades. Acting as consultants, facilitators and merger
counselors in management development Orbis Cultural Synergy and its subsidiary
SpeechMasters International
have implemented numerous programs developing management skills to
facilitate internationalization.
Thanks
to our working relationships with over a thousand managers whose
responsibilities have required a global dimension in their awareness and
mentality we have been able to focus on
their
practical needs and we have learned how to eliminate unnecessary theory and
ultimately give them control of their own development.
These
managers have been participants or trainees on our various courses throughout
the years. This publication is a compilation of what we have taught them - and
perhaps more importantly what we have learned from them.
This
publication has several purposes. In the first place it provides an introduction
to the subject of cross-cultural communication in its broadest sense; it should
also provide a summary and background reading for future participants in our
courses; but it is mainly intended
to enable
past participants
to maintain the level of excellence they have attained in our training programs
by developing their ideas as we develop ours.
This
first volume will be serialized on a monthly basis and can be supplied either by
e-mail or in hardcopy.
