Cultural Imperative: Global Teams in the 21st Century [Paperback]

Richard D. Lewis (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 193193035X | ISBN-13: 978-1931930352 | Publication Date: May 30, 2007

Will the tidal wave of globalization homogenize the world? Or will culture, which drives human behavior, maintain its influence?In The Cultural Imperative: Global Trends in the Twenty-first Century, Richard D. Lewis explores these questions and examines the forces that keep us tied to our cultural heritage. According to Lewis, throughout history and across the globe, we all have worn cultural spectacles, glasses tinted with our own cultural biases. These glasses ensure that our individual cultural traits will always be a part of us, as they are a part of the very way in which we see the world.As he examines the world after 9/11, with focus on the rise of Islam and the current state of the West, Lewis disproves the theory of inevitable globalization and identifies the forces that ensure that cultural perspective will always play a role in our lives.Richard Lewis's approach has been an absolutely marvelous way to get my students to appreciate how and why cultures are different, and how to benefit from this. It is great to see him now turn his practical wisdom to the future in such a spellbinding, readable and timely new book. A real imperative for understanding cultural trends! -Ulla Ladau-Harjulin, Principal Lecturer FRSA, Swedish School of Economics and Business Administration, Helsinki, Finland A very revealing and sometimes shocking vision of confrontation and/or cooperation of world cultures in the twenty-first century. A must-read in MBA programs and to be highly recommended to everyone involved with the study or practice of cross-cultural interaction and management. -Peter N. Shikhirev, PhD, Director, Centre for Social and Psychological Studies, Graduate School of International Business, Academy of National Economy by the Government of Russia Richard Lewis has developed a rich and powerful tool that serves to disseminate cultural complexities, which allows for leveraging opportunities and minimizing threats. Such issues would be paramount in any international business situation. A global mindset is imperative for us all. -Marta Szabo White, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, J. Mack Robinson School of Business, Georgia State University [The] thesis of the book is the argument linking cultural dimensions of nations to national competitive advantage. Richard Lewis develops a simple yet convincing model for understanding the historical evolution of the major national cultures and their juxtaposition to the rest of the world to day. The value of [The Cultural Imperative] is its new way of weaving a new explanation for considering the role of national cultures, language development, national aspirations and history in understanding the sources of future conflicts relating to global economic development. -Arie Y. Lewin, Professor, Director Center for International Business Education and Research, The Fuqua School of Business, Duke University Richard Lewis' extensive experience and knowledge of many cultures provides rich anecdotes coupled with interesting insights and opinions. The book stimulates personal reflection on the continuing importance of culture in a globalizing economy. -Susan Schneider, Chaired Professor of Human Resource Management, HEC University of Geneva ContentsPrefaceAcknowledgmentsIntroduction: Genetic, Economic, and Cultural Determinism1 From 2,000,000 B.C. to A.D 2000: The Roots and Routes of Culture2 Culture and Climate3 Culture and Religion4 Cross-Century Worldviews5 Cultural Spectacles6 Cultural Black Holes7 Cognitive Processes8 The Pacific Rim: The Fourth Cultural Ecology9 The China Phenomenon10 Americanization versus Asianization11 Culture and Globalization12 Empires- Past, Present, and FutureConclusionEpilogueAppendix A: Cultural Categorization CharacteristicsAppendix B: Leadership TestAppendix C: National TraitsAppendix D: National Communication StyleGlossaryBibliographyAbout the AuthorIndex

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Richard Lewis's approach has been an absolutely marvelous way to get my students to appreciate how and why cultures are different, and how to benefit from this. It is great to see him now turn his practical wisdom to the future in such a spellbinding, readable and timely new book. A real imperative for understanding cultural trends!" --Ulla Ladau-Harjulin, Principal Lecturer FRSA, Swedish School of Economics and Business Administration, Helsinki, Finland "A very revealing and sometimes shocking vision of confrontation and/or cooperation of world cultures in the twenty-first century. A must-read in MBA programs and to be highly recommended to everyone involved with the study or practice of cross-cultural interaction and management." --Peter N. Shikhirev, PhD, Director, Centre for Social and Psychological Studies, Graduate School of International Business, Academy of National Economy by the Government of Russia "Richard Lewis has developed a rich and powerful tool that serves to disseminate cultural complexities, which allows for leveraging opportunities and minimizing threats. Such issues would be paramount in any international business situation... A global mindset is imperative for us all." --Marta Szabo White, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, J. Mack Robinson School of Business, Georgia State University "[The] thesis of the book is the argument linking cultural dimensions of nations to national competitive advantage. Richard Lewis develops a simple yet convincing model for understanding the historical evolution of the major national cultures and their juxtaposition to the rest of the world to day. The value of [The Cultural Imperative] is its new way of weaving a new explanation for considering the role of national cultures, language development, national aspirations and history in understanding the sources of future conflicts relating to global economic development." --Arie Y. Lewin, Professor, Director Center for International Business Education and Research, The Fuqua School of Business, Duke University "Richard Lewis' extensive experience and knowledge of many cultures provides rich anecdotes coupled with interesting insights and opinions. The book stimulates personal reflection on the continuing importance of culture in a globalizing economy." --Susan Schneider, Chaired Professor of Human Resource Management, HEC University of Geneva

About the Author

Richard D. Lewis was knighted in 1997 by President Ahtisaari of Finland for his services to the country spanning fifty years. He is chairman of Richard Lewis Communications, an international institute for cross-cultural and language training with offices in more than a dozen countries. Richard Lewis lectures and consults worldwide with clients that include Mercedes-Benz, Nokia, Rolls Royce, Volvo, Deutsche Bank and Unilever. Among his many books are When Cultures Collide and Finland: Cultural Lone Wolf. For more information, visit his website at www.crossculture.com

Product Details

• Paperback: 634 pages
• Publisher: Nicholas Brealey Publishing (May 30, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 193193035X
• ISBN-13: 978-1931930352
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #343,354 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Insightful!, May 5, 2004

By 

Rolf Dobelli "getAbstract" (Switzerland) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Cultural Imperative: Global Trends in the 21st Century (Hardcover)

Those who extrapolate trends and predict the future say that economic, political and even genetic factors will determine the future of the world. But, in fact, culture makes the world go around, according to Richard D. Lewis, a well-traveled scholar who reflects here on the origins and implications of human cultures. Culture has deep roots in history, religion and language, so it will probably be a more potent factor in shaping the future than many observers grant. Now it is fashionable to say that cultures are coalescing into one global culture. This author strenuously opposes that easy assumption. He also offers a deeper look at Islamic culture in a post-Sept. 11 addendum. Overall, his intriguing arguments might have been much more involving if a good editor had pared away some of his more facile references and observations. At times, the book seems to serve up a tad too many stereotypes and clichés. We also find that it offers some fascinating, thought-provoking suggestions, and recommends it for a rainy weekend at the beach or for airplane reading.

5.0 out of 5 stars Thought-provoking., March 26, 2010

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RARC - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Cultural Imperative: Global Teams in the 21st Century (Paperback)

This is a well-written, thought-provoking book that provides an intriguing look at cultural differences across the globe. It will be particularly useful for those planning to do business in foreign lands. It also forces the reader to look into the mirror and assess the idiosyncrasies of his or her own culture.

4.0 out of 5 stars Worldview Dynamics in Business, March 2, 2009

By 

Orville B. Jenkins "Research Guy" (Arlington, Texas) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Cultural Imperative: Global Teams in the 21st Century (Paperback)

This analysis of cross-cultural dynamics was read as a source for a research project for my work. Lewis makes a good presentation of the concept of worldview and how that affects approaches to decision-making. This book is written in the business context, to enlighten Americans involved in international business.

Lewis captures key aspects of cognitive culture, providing practical suggestions for overcoming cultural differences and avoidng misunderstandings. This is more than a superficial introduction to the known problems of cultural differences. Lewis probes the underlying character of worldview -- assumptions about the world, values and expectations.

He presents good examples of real situations between members of different cultures, in the execution of modern business discussions and finalizing joint decisions involving international partners. Business is no longer a national entity.

Companies have operations, branches and shareholders all over the world. Multinational management is a challenge. Lewis presents a good grasp of various cultures and their traits, and points out where clashes have occurred and are likely to occur.

Lewis has some good practical suggestions on how to achieve synthesis across cultures, bridging worldview gaps for clear communication that will foster openness, cooperation and change. He makes some suggestions of possible future alliances for business or political ventures among major worldview blocs he defines.

Lewis previews possible developments to watch for based on an analysis of the current cultural factors. Even for someone not involved in the business world this will be an insightful resource on cultural dynamics and components of cross-cultural communication. This book provides valid insights into what constitutes culture and worldview.