Global Business Leadership [Hardcover]

E.S. Wibbeke (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0750684089 | ISBN-13: 978-0750684088 | Publication Date: September 19, 2008 | Edition: First

Global Business Leadership discusses the urgent issues facing global business leaders and presents seven strategies found necessary for successful intercultural business ventures. It provides business professionals and students with insight into the failure of businesses to prepare leaders for stepping into complex cultural contexts.

The Geoleadership Model developed by Dr. Wibbeke is applied to global business situations using cases taken from leading companies such as Google and eBay. The book uses a case study format to present salient issues related to intercultural leadership and then principles of the model are applied to the case in discussion format. The concepts of care, communication, consciousness, change, capability and others are analyzed in relation to how each concept is seen in different parts of the business world. Each chapter concludes with a "bottom line" example of how each Geoleadership concept directly affects business results.

Global Business Leadership also provides instruction about entry into cultural contexts, negotiating, preventing and managing cultural-based local-global conflict, and preparing global leaders to increase intercultural awareness and sensitivity.

Dr. Wibbeke founded and managed the leading Internet website (Web of Culture) for cross-cultural information on the Internet and shares such global experiences with other would-be globetrotters.

* A goal-directed approach following adult learning principles and case studies to immerse the student in the learning context
* Research specifically targets intercultural experts worldwide and focuses on the leadership competencies necessary for business leaders in the era of globalization.
* Discusses the urgent issues facing global leaders and presents strategies necessary for successful intercultural business ventures

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Editorial Reviews

Review

This book is replete with vital information supporting success in both personal growth and business productivity. Naturally, the definition and measurement of " success " itself remains a germinal issue. A reading of Dr. Wibbeke's thoughtful work should stimulate, refl ection on the meaning of " success " at home and in the global marketplace. -- Walter F. Ulmer, Jr., Former President and CEO, Center for Creative Leadership, Former Commandant of Cadets at West Point<br /><br />Dr. Wibbeke's groundbreaking book on culture and leadership is a must-read for anyone venturing across borders to do business. I recommend it highly! -- John Sperling, Chairman, Apollo Group, Inc. , Founder, University of Phoenix<br /><br />Marshall Goldsmith, New York Times best-selling author of What Got You Here Won't Get You There, the Longman Award best business book of 2007 -- The leaders of the future cannot just work in their countries; they must work in the world. Dr. Wibbeke shows us how!<br /><br />One of the pernicious problems of globalization is that leadership exists only in the eyes of the followers - and followers are always local. Dr. Wibbeke undertakes the immensely important task of preparing American businesspersons for their culture shocks in trying to lead abroad. -- Geert Hofstede, Author of "Culture's Consequences"<br /><br />This book should be read by any person wanting to work skillfully in today's complex global business environment --Robert Moran, Professor of Global Management, Emeritus, American Graduate School of International Management (Thunderbird)

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Failure to Survive

It may be a small world but are we worlds apart? Increasing globalization has created greater complexity for those leading and managing organizations. More accurately, globalization has created an awareness of the complexity that was always there but not recognized. Now, there is no choice. Leaders at all levels of organizations, and especially those at higher levels, must work across national and cultural boundaries to achieve goals and objectives. While corporations have been expanding across international boundaries for some time, the rapid global advance of technology, as well as changes in investment processes and trade relationships, has eliminated previous barriers; thereby, opening markets and necessitating an even greater level of competence. The risk of not possessing the appropriate organizational competence, specifi cally in leadership, is enormous. How big is the problem?

Product Details

• Hardcover: 300 pages
• Publisher: Butterworth-Heinemann; First edition (September 19, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0750684089
• ISBN-13: 978-0750684088
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 7.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #428,333 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Indispensable in this borderless world, November 2, 2008

By 

Frederick R. Andresen "Author of “Walki... (Corona del Mar, CA ( and sometimes Moscow and St. Petersburg, Russia)) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Global Business Leadership (Hardcover)

This book, critical to effective leadership in this borderless world, begins with this truism: "The greatest challenge facing leaders in this era of globalization is working effectively through cultural barriers to achieve business goals and objectives." Simply said, but not simply done. As an international businessman with over forty years of success in Asia, Europe, and most recently in Russia, I can vouch for the critical importance of this rather intangible challenge to the businessman's success abroad. And that goes for the American in China or the Indian in Russia, or the Brazilian in the U.S. Technology has both accelerated and exasperated the issue. What Dr. Wibbeke accomplishes in this book is both simply put, and also well based and documented on the experience of many others. The author breaks the challenge in to five categories: Change, Capability, Care, Communications, Consciousness, Context, and Contrasts, leading to an interculturally competent leader. This helps separate and identify the solutions. At the end of each chapter there is a summary called "The Bottom Line"- I like that. This book is written for all of us, certainly the international business man or anyone working outside his or her native borders. It is also a valuable text book for the university business school with good case studies, such as the one on eBay in Japan. This book is indispensable, stating both the problems and the solutions.

Frederick R. Andresen, Author, "Walking on Ice, An American Businessman in Russia."

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Read this book, business leaders!, January 27, 2009

By 

Globetrotter (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Global Business Leadership (Hardcover)

I had thought that in our increasingly shrinking world American business leaders would have understood more about other cultures by now. Not so, as experience shows time and time again. Obviously, education about cultural differences, why they matter and how to navigate them should be required for everyone in business today. This book is just the way to start. It is a terrific primer for all those businesspeople trying to navigate our highly interdependent, complex and diverse global environment. Even if you only read the Bottom Line segments of each chapter, you'll come away knowing far more than your average businessperson today!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For every leader who wishes to broaden their perspective, December 28, 2008

By 

I.A.L. (Minneapolis, MN USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Global Business Leadership (Hardcover)

Global Business Leadership is for every leader who wants to broaden their perspective working in a multi-cultural environment. Having worked in the private and public sectors, I've seen how our constituencies and customers have changed over the last 20 years; specifically, we've had to learn to adapt to working with and serving others from different cultures on the fly. Let's face it; there is a lot of trial and error with this method of learning!

Because Global Business Leadership infuses the core competencies with cultural contexts, Dr. Wibbeke provides a direct approach to adapting our leadership to meet the cultural demands in the workplace which can translate into improving our organizations, products and services.

From a personal perspective, I appreciate the reflective self assessments along with the many current and relevant case studies to better understand organizational dynamics. Global Business Leadership is an eye-opening read and helpful in learning how to become a stronger, more versatile leader in today's work environment!