Corporate Tribalism: White Men/White Women and Cultural Diversity at Work [Hardcover]

Thomas Kochman (Author), Jean Mavrelis (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2009 | ISBN-10: 0226449572 | ISBN-13: 978-0226449579 | Edition: 1

The 2008 elections shattered historical precedents and pushed race and gender back to the forefront of our national consciousness. The wide range of reactions to the efforts of Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and Sarah Palin dramatically reflected ongoing conflicts over diversity in our society, especially in the venue where people are most likely to encounter them: work. As more and more people who aren’t white men enter corporate America, we urgently need to learn how to avoid clashes over these issues and how to resolve them when they do occur.

Thomas Kochman and Jean Mavrelis have been helping corporations successfully do that for over twenty years. Their diversity training and consulting firm has helped managers and employees at numerous companies recognize and overcome the cultural bases of miscommunication between ethnic groups and across gender lines—and in Corporate Tribalism they seek to share their expertise with the world. In the first half of the book, Kochman addresses white men, explicating the ways that their cultural background can motivate their behavior, work style, and perspective on others. Then Mavrelis turns to white women, focusing on the particular problems they face, including conflicts with men, other women, and themselves. Together they emphasize the need for a multicultural—rather than homogenizing—approach and offer constructive ideas for turning the workplace into a more interactive community for everyone who works there.

Written with the wisdom and clarity gained from two decades of hands-on work, Corporate Tribalism will be an invaluable resource as we look toward a future beyond the glass ceiling.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Kochman and Mavrelis provide analyses, anecdotes, and examples from their research and training experiences that give richness and credibility to their reasoning. As a consequence, their discussions are vivid, insightful, and stimulating. Their arguments about the connection between the cultures of racial, gender, and ethnic groups and the conflicts that can surface between and among members of them are thought-provoking. And their timely conclusions will be relevant in the workplace and to society at large.”

(R. Roosevelt Thomas, author of Building on the Promise of Diversity )

“Full of interesting ideas, observations, and sensible suggestions, Corporate Tribalism offers an easily digestible but serious look at interethnic communication in organizational settings. Built on the authors’ own observations and experiences, Kochman and Mavrelis’s practical book will appeal to anyone working in human resources or diversity training as well as supervisors and managers in all kinds of organizations. This is a valuable work that deserves to be widely read.”

(Robert M. Entman, coauthor of The Black Image in the White Mind: Media and Race )

“Corporate Tribalism chronicles the multiple gender-specific ways that power and privilege are configured in the dominant American work context—the corporation—and identifies the behaviors that are influential in making it dysfunctional. In this pioneering work, Kochman and Mavrelis systematically unmask claims of a meritocratic reward system, pinpointing and naming the practices that have been invisible to white employees both male and female, yet painfully visible to the members of every other social group in corporate America. By insisting on a multicultural approach to social inclusion in the workplace, they seek to compel employees to learn from each other, and, in the process, transform corporate practices.”

(Signithia Fordham, author of Blacked Out )

About the Author

Thomas Kochman is the author of Black and White Styles in Conflict and Emeritus Professor of Communication at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He is COO and Jean Mavrelis is CEO of Kochman Mavrelis Associates.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: University Of Chicago Press; 1 edition (May 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0226449572
• ISBN-13: 978-0226449579
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.9 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #646,704 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Taught me a lot September 28, 2009

By Working Mom

Format:Hardcover

Over the years I've read a lot about diversity and attended sensitivity trainings, but this book offers a more comprehensive look at these issues. It not only points out the differences between cultures, but talks about why cultures communicate differently and offers strategies for improving workplace interactions. I can see how it would be useful to any manager, or corporate worker. Honestly it even can be applied to personal relationships outside of the workplace.

5.0 out of 5 stars good book May 6, 2013

By Misty L Rath

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

surprised how good of shape the book was in; especially coming from goodwill. not the easiest read but well worth it.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Cultural Diversity Demystified November 14, 2009

By Vi Brown

Format:Hardcover

Business partners and co-authors, Kochman and Mavrelis, have produced a work of art - Corporate Tribalism - that demystifies the subject of diversity and inclusion in the workplace. Based on years of research and training on the topic, they have applied bold new colors to an old conversation by asking the question, "What happens when different cultures and genders collide at work?" Using objective brush strokes, they answer the question by noting the differences in cultural styles and social experiences for several dominant groups in today's U.S. work force. Included in this vibrant discussion is the communication style for each group, and the holes in the communication canvas that can and do develop based on cultural differences and their unintended consequences. The co-authors properly frame this masterpiece by providing solutions to a number of social adjustment issues. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in better understanding diversity and inclusion and cultural conflicts in working and non-working environments.