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MANAGING CULTURAL DIFFERENCES, Robert T. Moran, Philip R. Harris and Sarah Moran, Elsevier Science and Technology, 2007

In the authors’ own words :

"Two skills are of fundamental importance today for global people. The first skill is listening to understand. Many global leaders, particularly of nation-states, do not seem to possess this skill to a high degree. Listening is a symbol of respecting the dignity of others.

The second is the skill of locating and using many very sophisticated cultural interpreters. It is impossible for any individual, given the complexity of culture, to have a free understanding of other systems.

However, cultural interpreters, individuals from each culture, can teach leaders. Having listened and been a student with cultural interpreters as teachers, the global leader is equipped to face the many opportunities and challenges that will be continually presented.

Having a sense of culture and its related skills is a unique human attribute. Culture is fundamentally a group problem-solving tools for coping in a particular environment. It enables people to create a distinctive world around themselves, to control their own destinies, and to grow. Sharing the legacy of diverse cultures advances our social, economic, technological, and human development. Culture can be analyzed in a macro-context, such as in terms of national groups, or in a micro sense, such as within a system or organization.

Increasingly, we examine culture in a global sense from the perspective of work, leadership, or markets. Because management philosophies and practices are culturally conditioned, it stands to reason that there is much to be gained by including cultural studies in all management or professional development. This is particularly relevant during the global transformation under way. Culturally skilled leaders are essential for the effective management of emerging global corporations as well as for the furtherance of mutually beneficial world trade and exchange. In these undertakings, the promotion of cultural synergy by those who are truly global managers will help us to capitalize on the differences in people, while ensuring their collaborative action."

A sample chapter here.