International Dimensions of Organizational Behavior [Paperback]

Nancy J. Adler (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0324057865 | ISBN-13: 978-0324057867 | Publication Date: June 13, 2001 | Edition: 4

This popular and highly successful book helps readers understand the implications of world cultures in the workplace. The book takes the point of view that culture does impact the organization, and that it has its most significant impact at the micro level--at the level of people communicating, working, and negotiating with other people.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Nancy J. Adler is a Professor of Organizational Behavior and International Management at McGill University's Faculty of Management in Montreal, Canada. She received her B.A. in economics, M.B.A. and Ph.D. in management from the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA). Dr. Adler conducts research and consults on global leadership, cross-cultural management, and women as global managers and leaders. She has authored over 100 articles, produced the film "A Portable Life," and published the books "International Dimensions of Organizational Behavior," "Women in Management Worldwide," "Competitive Frontiers: Women Managers in a Global Economy," and "From Boston to Beijing: Managing with a Worldview." Dr. Adler consults to private corporations and government organizations on projects in Asia, Africa, Europe, North and South America, and the Middle East. She received McGill University's first Distinguished Teaching Award in Management and is one of only a few professors to receive it a second time. She was elected to both the Fellows of the Academy of International Business and the Academy of Management Fellows, as well as being inducted into the Royal Society of Canada.

Product Details

• Paperback: 408 pages
• Publisher: South-Western College Pub; 4 edition (June 13, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0324057865
• ISBN-13: 978-0324057867
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #547,953 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Textbook About International Management, January 25, 2003

By 

M. A Netzley "mnetzley" (Singapore) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: International Dimensions of Organizational Behavior (The Kent International business series) (Paperback)

I have had the pleasure of using Adler's book for several years now. Simply put, it is far more enjoyable to read than the average textbook and is packed with useful information for those wanting to learn.

Adler does a superb job of addressing the various dimensions of culture. She explains culture quite clearly and makes many connections to management practice. But maybe what I like best is that Adler goes beyond explaining. Each chapter contains vignettes discussing different cultural experiences. The short descriptions are interesting and lively. I have also noticed that the quantity and quality of vignettes has improved in the fourth edition.

Overall, the scope of this book seems quite thorough. National culture, workplace behavior across cultures, communication differences across cultures, creating synergy, multicultural teamwork and negotiation, global leadership, and the expat experience are all discussed. My favorite chapters tend to be early in the book (culture, teamwork, and synergy). It appears that these areas represent the author's greatest strength. The research informing each chapter is thorough and quite up-to-date. Maybe the weakest chapter, in my view, is chapter three which deals with communication. I suspect that maybe the author steps a bit beyond her expertise and is not able to touch on the deeper issues of cross-cultural communication (as she touches on the deeper issues in teamwork or other chapters). The result is a good chapter and sound discussion that maybe lacks the richness found in other parts of the book. She sets the standard so high in other chapters and I was hoping for the same here.

I have used this text for several years in intercultural management courses for undergraduate business students. The students seem to enjoy the book and encourage me to keep using it. I guess that is the highest praise we can give any text--students like it.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Extremely Useful, May 8, 2001

By 

Daria I. Novak (Madison, CT, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: International Dimensions of Organizational Behavior (Paperback)

As a cross-cultural trainer based in the United States, I needed to find a pragmatic book that both students and sophisticated business people would find helpful. At the same time, it had to provide a lot of solid information in an easy-to-read format. Dr. Adler's book is it at ERUdyne! Actually, we have had to replace our copies many times as they keep disappearing after positive reviews from our clients!

My copy is dog-eared. I recommend it to anyone who needs to understand how culture impacts global business organizations today. It contains excellent questions for reflection, charts, summaries and references.

Dr. Adler's book makes a positive difference in one's perception and understanding of the real challenges facing global businesses. It also provides good case studies with a step-by-step guide for addressing global organizational behavior issues. I couldn't ask for more in one text.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good overview, nicely written, May 9, 2005

By 

M. Beise-Zee "Rian" (Bangkok) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: International Dimensions of Organizational Behavior (Paperback)

Nancy Adler presents a good overview on the topics in international HR Management. It is great as a textbook for class and a perfect starting point for novices who want to get into inter. HRM. The book is not overwhelmingly deep, but it is concise and has an efficient way of conveying the main concepts of culture and communication, synergy, teams, leadership, negotiations. Adler writes well making it easy to understand what she means and a fast read. She uses small cases to illustrate each problem she addresses, which are sometimes a little bit too simplistic for non-students. For me, a great advantage of the book is the comprehensive lists of references per chapter. This makes it easy to go further in topics I am especially interested in. The critique a have with almost all "international version" textbooks is, that it explicitly addresses Americans.