Cultural Sensitivity Learning, 27 May 2007
I have found this book very useful for new change consultants who are venturing out into a global environment, this at least prepares people to think about cultural norms and the way in which certain societies generally view the world, get along with each other and make decisions.. Be cautioned this is not an approach to stereotype cultures, rather to provide the student with an understanding of the normal cultural drivers.

It is not a cookbook of how-to's. It a research report into how cultural differences underlay everything you want to accomplish.

While the book is titled Cultures and Organisations, it is really about ethnic cultures, not corporate cultures.

If you are working in a multi cultural or international environment then this is a must. Success in an international environment only occurs when you possess cultural sensitivity. This book is a fantastic introduction into the world of international cultures




At last, something useful and based upon data rather than conjecture, 31 Aug 2006
I rarely write reviews of books on Amazon, this one however has made me want to recommend it.
The authors have managed to sum up some key differences between cultures, describe them clearly and advise on how to handle them based upon these 'dimensions' such as the extent to which a culture is individualist or collectivist.
In my travels I have picked up a lot of the data presented here through personal experience, but I could not present it back clearly into 'when in Rome do as the Romans do' type advice.
This book does. Simply and clearly, as soon as you've got past the data and the language style, there are some gems to be found.
The second best in this topic area (following in first place Trompenaars work 'Riding the Waves').

Excellent, 20 Dec 2005
Hofstede is, of course, the pioneer of culture studies in business and organizations. This book is a simpler and more accessible version of the more comprehensive - but also more difficult, 'Culture's Consequences'.

He begins with an excellent overview of culture and its levels and explains the concept of cultural `dimensions' - aspects of culture that can differentiate and measure differences among different cultural groups. The book then proceeds to present the four dimensions of culture that he identified as a result of a massive survey he conducted on IBM employees in 72 countries in 1968 and again in 1972. Additional data was later collected from other countries and populations, outside IBM, and used to verify and enhance the original results.

However, in this book, Hofstede discusses his four original dimensions of culture: Power Distance; Uncertainty Avoidance; Individualism & Collectivism; and finally Masculinity & Femininity. The fifth dimension which was later added based on results from the Far East and Asia - Long- versus Short-Term Orientation - is not discussed in this book. Despite that, it remains a very valuable and highly readable introduction to the topic from the man who pioneered the field and popularized it among business people, multinationals and business researchers alike.

Hofstede also uses these dimensions of culture to 'classify' organizations to different types according to where they fall on the Power Distance vs. Uncertainty Avoidance grid. The discussion is highly informative and touches on Mintzberg's theories as well typical models of organization in different cultures. In Part Four, he discusses how intercultural encounters are affected by these dimensions and how awareness and acceptance of these differences can yield more effective results.

Monumental piece of work on differences in cultures, 12 Aug 2005
Geert Hofstede is Emeritus Professor at Maastricht University in The Netherlands. He was Professor of Organisational Anthropology and International Management at the University of Limburg (which was later re-named Maastricht University). He is the founder and first director of the Institute for Research on Intercultural Cooperation (IRIC), where a lot of the research used in this book comes from. This paperback version was published 3 years after the hardcover and includes some updated references to political events. This book is largely an extension to Hofstede's 1980-book 'Culture's Consequences'. The book consists of 4 parts.

Part I - Introduction, consists of one chapter, and lays the foundation for the remainder of the book by introducing the meaning of 'culture' and a small vocabulary of essential terms. He also discusses the objective of the book: "to help in dealing with the differences in thinking, feeling, and acting of people around the globe. It will show that although the variety in people's minds is enormous, there is a structure in this variety which can serve as a basis for mutual understanding." With reference to the definition of culture, we need to understand the book's subtitle first. 'Software of the mind' is patterns of thinking, feeling and acting (which were learned throughout a lifetime). Hofstede's definition of culture is "the collective programming of the mind which distinguishes the members of one group or category of people from another." It is important to note that he believes that culture is learned and not inherited. He continues with a brief discussion on the 3 levels in human mental programming: 1. Human nature (universal; inherited); 2. Culture (specific to group/category; learned); and 3. Personality (specific to individual; learned and inherited).

Part II - National Cultures - is the largest section of this book with 6 chapters and deals with differences among cultures at national levels. Chapter 2-to-5 describe the four dimensions empirically found in research across more than 50 countries: (1) to wit power distance; (2) collectivism versus individualism; (3) femininity versus masculinity; and (4) uncertainty avoidance. Each of these 4 chapters follows the same structure: description of dimension, the scores of the various countries, the consequences of the dimension for family life, school, workplace, organisation, state, and the development of ideas. Chapter 6 looks at the consequences of the national culture differences in the way people in a country organize themselves, combining the dimensions from the previous chapters. The next chapter introduces a fifth cross-national dimension, which is long-term versus short-term orientation. This reveals deep differences between Eastern and Western thinking.

Part III deals with differences in organisational culture and consists of only 1 chapter in which the author describes the insights collected in IRIC's research project across 20 organisational units in Denmark and the Netherlands between 1985-1987.

Part IV - Implications - consists of 2 chapters and discusses the practical implications of the culture differences and similarities. The first chapter of this part discusses what happens when people from different cultures meet. It discusses phenomena, such as culture shock, ethnocentrism, stereotyping, differences in language and in humour. It also discusses the development of intercultural communication skills. The final chapter of the book summarizes the message of the book and translates it into suggestions for parents, managers and the media. There is also a speculation on future political developments, based on the cultural processes.

Yes, this is a monumental book on 'software of the mind'. I believe that this book is a fantastic piece of work on this subject, based on strong research, and is probably the starting point for anybody interested in this subject. I must warn people that the book is not a simple, fast read, since the information is very intense and the wide range of information covered. However, the writing style is good and there are plenty of tables, diagrams, figures to make the reading somewhat 'easier'. Highly recommended to all people interested in this subject, from parents through to managers. (Where is the 6-star button?)

Essential reading before a multi-country project!, 22 Jan 2004
This book was recommended to us in a cultural awareness course.
Interestingly, the subject has been most valuable to me in my
multi-country technical projects! The KEY usefulness of
this book is that it arrives at a numerical 'score' for various
components of 'culture'. It doesn't say "Americans are more
individualistic" as an opinion. Rather, "Americans are more
individualistic because they score X in the Individual VS
Collective Index" Isn't that brilliant?? The country profiles
are therefore objective, based on scientific, numerical method.
Not based on opinion, like most other books on the topic of 'Culture'. Great stuff.

Cultural Sensitivity Learning, 27 May 2007
I have found this book very useful for new change consultants who are venturing out into a global environment, this at least prepares people to think about cultural norms and the way in which certain societies generally view the world, get along with each other and make decisions.. Be cautioned this is not an approach to stereotype cultures, rather to provide the student with an understanding of the normal cultural drivers.

It is not a cookbook of how-to's. It a research report into how cultural differences underlay everything you want to accomplish.

While the book is titled Cultures and Organisations, it is really about ethnic cultures, not corporate cultures.

If you are working in a multi cultural or international environment then this is a must. Success in an international environment only occurs when you possess cultural sensitivity. This book is a fantastic introduction into the world of international cultures




At last, something useful and based upon data rather than conjecture, 31 Aug 2006
I rarely write reviews of books on Amazon, this one however has made me want to recommend it.
The authors have managed to sum up some key differences between cultures, describe them clearly and advise on how to handle them based upon these 'dimensions' such as the extent to which a culture is individualist or collectivist.
In my travels I have picked up a lot of the data presented here through personal experience, but I could not present it back clearly into 'when in Rome do as the Romans do' type advice.
This book does. Simply and clearly, as soon as you've got past the data and the language style, there are some gems to be found.
The second best in this topic area (following in first place Trompenaars work 'Riding the Waves').

Excellent, 20 Dec 2005
Hofstede is, of course, the pioneer of culture studies in business and organizations. This book is a simpler and more accessible version of the more comprehensive - but also more difficult, 'Culture's Consequences'.

He begins with an excellent overview of culture and its levels and explains the concept of cultural `dimensions' - aspects of culture that can differentiate and measure differences among different cultural groups. The book then proceeds to present the four dimensions of culture that he identified as a result of a massive survey he conducted on IBM employees in 72 countries in 1968 and again in 1972. Additional data was later collected from other countries and populations, outside IBM, and used to verify and enhance the original results.

However, in this book, Hofstede discusses his four original dimensions of culture: Power Distance; Uncertainty Avoidance; Individualism & Collectivism; and finally Masculinity & Femininity. The fifth dimension which was later added based on results from the Far East and Asia - Long- versus Short-Term Orientation - is not discussed in this book. Despite that, it remains a very valuable and highly readable introduction to the topic from the man who pioneered the field and popularized it among business people, multinationals and business researchers alike.

Hofstede also uses these dimensions of culture to 'classify' organizations to different types according to where they fall on the Power Distance vs. Uncertainty Avoidance grid. The discussion is highly informative and touches on Mintzberg's theories as well typical models of organization in different cultures. In Part Four, he discusses how intercultural encounters are affected by these dimensions and how awareness and acceptance of these differences can yield more effective results.

Monumental piece of work on differences in cultures, 12 Aug 2005
Geert Hofstede is Emeritus Professor at Maastricht University in The Netherlands. He was Professor of Organisational Anthropology and International Management at the University of Limburg (which was later re-named Maastricht University). He is the founder and first director of the Institute for Research on Intercultural Cooperation (IRIC), where a lot of the research used in this book comes from. This paperback version was published 3 years after the hardcover and includes some updated references to political events. This book is largely an extension to Hofstede's 1980-book 'Culture's Consequences'. The book consists of 4 parts.

Part I - Introduction, consists of one chapter, and lays the foundation for the remainder of the book by introducing the meaning of 'culture' and a small vocabulary of essential terms. He also discusses the objective of the book: "to help in dealing with the differences in thinking, feeling, and acting of people around the globe. It will show that although the variety in people's minds is enormous, there is a structure in this variety which can serve as a basis for mutual understanding." With reference to the definition of culture, we need to understand the book's subtitle first. 'Software of the mind' is patterns of thinking, feeling and acting (which were learned throughout a lifetime). Hofstede's definition of culture is "the collective programming of the mind which distinguishes the members of one group or category of people from another." It is important to note that he believes that culture is learned and not inherited. He continues with a brief discussion on the 3 levels in human mental programming: 1. Human nature (universal; inherited); 2. Culture (specific to group/category; learned); and 3. Personality (specific to individual; learned and inherited).

Part II - National Cultures - is the largest section of this book with 6 chapters and deals with differences among cultures at national levels. Chapter 2-to-5 describe the four dimensions empirically found in research across more than 50 countries: (1) to wit power distance; (2) collectivism versus individualism; (3) femininity versus masculinity; and (4) uncertainty avoidance. Each of these 4 chapters follows the same structure: description of dimension, the scores of the various countries, the consequences of the dimension for family life, school, workplace, organisation, state, and the development of ideas. Chapter 6 looks at the consequences of the national culture differences in the way people in a country organize themselves, combining the dimensions from the previous chapters. The next chapter introduces a fifth cross-national dimension, which is long-term versus short-term orientation. This reveals deep differences between Eastern and Western thinking.

Part III deals with differences in organisational culture and consists of only 1 chapter in which the author describes the insights collected in IRIC's research project across 20 organisational units in Denmark and the Netherlands between 1985-1987.

Part IV - Implications - consists of 2 chapters and discusses the practical implications of the culture differences and similarities. The first chapter of this part discusses what happens when people from different cultures meet. It discusses phenomena, such as culture shock, ethnocentrism, stereotyping, differences in language and in humour. It also discusses the development of intercultural communication skills. The final chapter of the book summarizes the message of the book and translates it into suggestions for parents, managers and the media. There is also a speculation on future political developments, based on the cultural processes.

Yes, this is a monumental book on 'software of the mind'. I believe that this book is a fantastic piece of work on this subject, based on strong research, and is probably the starting point for anybody interested in this subject. I must warn people that the book is not a simple, fast read, since the information is very intense and the wide range of information covered. However, the writing style is good and there are plenty of tables, diagrams, figures to make the reading somewhat 'easier'. Highly recommended to all people interested in this subject, from parents through to managers. (Where is the 6-star button?)

Essential reading before a multi-country project!, 22 Jan 2004
This book was recommended to us in a cultural awareness course.
Interestingly, the subject has been most valuable to me in my
multi-country technical projects! The KEY usefulness of
this book is that it arrives at a numerical 'score' for various
components of 'culture'. It doesn't say "Americans are more
individualistic" as an opinion. Rather, "Americans are more
individualistic because they score X in the Individual VS
Collective Index" Isn't that brilliant?? The country profiles
are therefore objective, based on scientific, numerical method.
Not based on opinion, like most other books on the topic of 'Culture'. Great stuff.

Excellent, 30 Jul 2005
This is an excellent book. From its marketing, I thought that "When Cultures Collide: Managing Successfully Across Cultures" pertained specifically to dealing with people of different nationalities in the business place. And indeed, it is a most useful book for that purpose. However, I was struck by how much one could apply Lewis' analyses to other situations, for example, dealing with people of other nationalities on a social level. Indeed, I have many aquaintances, and some close friends, from diverse backgrounds, and this book sometimes occupies us for entire evenings, discussing our experiences with one another. The chapter on Hungarians I found particularly accurate, and entertaining. I believe that Lewis would have enjoyed hearing some of these discussions (and arguments). My point is: don't dismiss this book thinking it is a businessman's tool. It's a good read for anybody who encounters people of other nationalities and cultures, irrespective of the context.

Great for anyone working in multi-cultural environments, 14 Dec 2004
I've travelled, competed in sport and worked in over 55 countries for over 25 years. The fascination of different cultures grows as I learn more.

This book can be used before embarking on life in a new country or life alongside someone who comes from a different culture to yours, whether the relationship is personal or work based.

Whilst the book provides an excellent appreciation of cultural differences, it is a fascinating and sometimes humourous read. It has made for some fun and interesting conversation with people from other cultures or those who are experiencing other cultures.

For any manager working in an international environment, this is a 'must-read'.

insightful, but thin on the US culture, 13 Aug 2003
I was expecting this book to give me deeper insights about Americans with whom I work extensively. Having read this and "Working with Americans" (Stewart-Allen, Denslow) at the same time, I did think Lewis could have provided more examples and more real-life answers to "what should I do when..." like the other book does. In any case, his style is good and the structure straightforward.

A modern classic for achieving inter-cultural competence, 22 Mar 2001
Lewis' book is a must read for global managers and students of international business alike. Explainations for global variations in perception, contrasting leadership styles and relation to time are highlighted with several good examples. 3 categories of culture are defined and both verbal and non-verbal communication techniques are extremely valid. The last third of the book is donated to specific countries, where the east-west contrasts are very helpful. Finally, the chapter on empathy puts everything together to give the reader a excellent standpoint from which to manage interculturally.

Cultural Sensitivity Learning, 27 May 2007
I have found this book very useful for new change consultants who are venturing out into a global environment, this at least prepares people to think about cultural norms and the way in which certain societies generally view the world, get along with each other and make decisions.. Be cautioned this is not an approach to stereotype cultures, rather to provide the student with an understanding of the normal cultural drivers.

It is not a cookbook of how-to's. It a research report into how cultural differences underlay everything you want to accomplish.

While the book is titled Cultures and Organisations, it is really about ethnic cultures, not corporate cultures.

If you are working in a multi cultural or international environment then this is a must. Success in an international environment only occurs when you possess cultural sensitivity. This book is a fantastic introduction into the world of international cultures




At last, something useful and based upon data rather than conjecture, 31 Aug 2006
I rarely write reviews of books on Amazon, this one however has made me want to recommend it.
The authors have managed to sum up some key differences between cultures, describe them clearly and advise on how to handle them based upon these 'dimensions' such as the extent to which a culture is individualist or collectivist.
In my travels I have picked up a lot of the data presented here through personal experience, but I could not present it back clearly into 'when in Rome do as the Romans do' type advice.
This book does. Simply and clearly, as soon as you've got past the data and the language style, there are some gems to be found.
The second best in this topic area (following in first place Trompenaars work 'Riding the Waves').

Excellent, 20 Dec 2005
Hofstede is, of course, the pioneer of culture studies in business and organizations. This book is a simpler and more accessible version of the more comprehensive - but also more difficult, 'Culture's Consequences'.

He begins with an excellent overview of culture and its levels and explains the concept of cultural `dimensions' - aspects of culture that can differentiate and measure differences among different cultural groups. The book then proceeds to present the four dimensions of culture that he identified as a result of a massive survey he conducted on IBM employees in 72 countries in 1968 and again in 1972. Additional data was later collected from other countries and populations, outside IBM, and used to verify and enhance the original results.

However, in this book, Hofstede discusses his four original dimensions of culture: Power Distance; Uncertainty Avoidance; Individualism & Collectivism; and finally Masculinity & Femininity. The fifth dimension which was later added based on results from the Far East and Asia - Long- versus Short-Term Orientation - is not discussed in this book. Despite that, it remains a very valuable and highly readable introduction to the topic from the man who pioneered the field and popularized it among business people, multinationals and business researchers alike.

Hofstede also uses these dimensions of culture to 'classify' organizations to different types according to where they fall on the Power Distance vs. Uncertainty Avoidance grid. The discussion is highly informative and touches on Mintzberg's theories as well typical models of organization in different cultures. In Part Four, he discusses how intercultural encounters are affected by these dimensions and how awareness and acceptance of these differences can yield more effective results.

Monumental piece of work on differences in cultures, 12 Aug 2005
Geert Hofstede is Emeritus Professor at Maastricht University in The Netherlands. He was Professor of Organisational Anthropology and International Management at the University of Limburg (which was later re-named Maastricht University). He is the founder and first director of the Institute for Research on Intercultural Cooperation (IRIC), where a lot of the research used in this book comes from. This paperback version was published 3 years after the hardcover and includes some updated references to political events. This book is largely an extension to Hofstede's 1980-book 'Culture's Consequences'. The book consists of 4 parts.

Part I - Introduction, consists of one chapter, and lays the foundation for the remainder of the book by introducing the meaning of 'culture' and a small vocabulary of essential terms. He also discusses the objective of the book: "to help in dealing with the differences in thinking, feeling, and acting of people around the globe. It will show that although the variety in people's minds is enormous, there is a structure in this variety which can serve as a basis for mutual understanding." With reference to the definition of culture, we need to understand the book's subtitle first. 'Software of the mind' is patterns of thinking, feeling and acting (which were learned throughout a lifetime). Hofstede's definition of culture is "the collective programming of the mind which distinguishes the members of one group or category of people from another." It is important to note that he believes that culture is learned and not inherited. He continues with a brief discussion on the 3 levels in human mental programming: 1. Human nature (universal; inherited); 2. Culture (specific to group/category; learned); and 3. Personality (specific to individual; learned and inherited).

Part II - National Cultures - is the largest section of this book with 6 chapters and deals with differences among cultures at national levels. Chapter 2-to-5 describe the four dimensions empirically found in research across more than 50 countries: (1) to wit power distance; (2) collectivism versus individualism; (3) femininity versus masculinity; and (4) uncertainty avoidance. Each of these 4 chapters follows the same structure: description of dimension, the scores of the various countries, the consequences of the dimension for family life, school, workplace, organisation, state, and the development of ideas. Chapter 6 looks at the consequences of the national culture differences in the way people in a country organize themselves, combining the dimensions from the previous chapters. The next chapter introduces a fifth cross-national dimension, which is long-term versus short-term orientation. This reveals deep differences between Eastern and Western thinking.

Part III deals with differences in organisational culture and consists of only 1 chapter in which the author describes the insights collected in IRIC's research project across 20 organisational units in Denmark and the Netherlands between 1985-1987.

Part IV - Implications - consists of 2 chapters and discusses the practical implications of the culture differences and similarities. The first chapter of this part discusses what happens when people from different cultures meet. It discusses phenomena, such as culture shock, ethnocentrism, stereotyping, differences in language and in humour. It also discusses the development of intercultural communication skills. The final chapter of the book summarizes the message of the book and translates it into suggestions for parents, managers and the media. There is also a speculation on future political developments, based on the cultural processes.

Yes, this is a monumental book on 'software of the mind'. I believe that this book is a fantastic piece of work on this subject, based on strong research, and is probably the starting point for anybody interested in this subject. I must warn people that the book is not a simple, fast read, since the information is very intense and the wide range of information covered. However, the writing style is good and there are plenty of tables, diagrams, figures to make the reading somewhat 'easier'. Highly recommended to all people interested in this subject, from parents through to managers. (Where is the 6-star button?)

Essential reading before a multi-country project!, 22 Jan 2004
This book was recommended to us in a cultural awareness course.
Interestingly, the subject has been most valuable to me in my
multi-country technical projects! The KEY usefulness of
this book is that it arrives at a numerical 'score' for various
components of 'culture'. It doesn't say "Americans are more
individualistic" as an opinion. Rather, "Americans are more
individualistic because they score X in the Individual VS
Collective Index" Isn't that brilliant?? The country profiles
are therefore objective, based on scientific, numerical method.
Not based on opinion, like most other books on the topic of 'Culture'. Great stuff.

Excellent, 30 Jul 2005
This is an excellent book. From its marketing, I thought that "When Cultures Collide: Managing Successfully Across Cultures" pertained specifically to dealing with people of different nationalities in the business place. And indeed, it is a most useful book for that purpose. However, I was struck by how much one could apply Lewis' analyses to other situations, for example, dealing with people of other nationalities on a social level. Indeed, I have many aquaintances, and some close friends, from diverse backgrounds, and this book sometimes occupies us for entire evenings, discussing our experiences with one another. The chapter on Hungarians I found particularly accurate, and entertaining. I believe that Lewis would have enjoyed hearing some of these discussions (and arguments). My point is: don't dismiss this book thinking it is a businessman's tool. It's a good read for anybody who encounters people of other nationalities and cultures, irrespective of the context.

Great for anyone working in multi-cultural environments, 14 Dec 2004
I've travelled, competed in sport and worked in over 55 countries for over 25 years. The fascination of different cultures grows as I learn more.

This book can be used before embarking on life in a new country or life alongside someone who comes from a different culture to yours, whether the relationship is personal or work based.

Whilst the book provides an excellent appreciation of cultural differences, it is a fascinating and sometimes humourous read. It has made for some fun and interesting conversation with people from other cultures or those who are experiencing other cultures.

For any manager working in an international environment, this is a 'must-read'.

insightful, but thin on the US culture, 13 Aug 2003
I was expecting this book to give me deeper insights about Americans with whom I work extensively. Having read this and "Working with Americans" (Stewart-Allen, Denslow) at the same time, I did think Lewis could have provided more examples and more real-life answers to "what should I do when..." like the other book does. In any case, his style is good and the structure straightforward.

A modern classic for achieving inter-cultural competence, 22 Mar 2001
Lewis' book is a must read for global managers and students of international business alike. Explainations for global variations in perception, contrasting leadership styles and relation to time are highlighted with several good examples. 3 categories of culture are defined and both verbal and non-verbal communication techniques are extremely valid. The last third of the book is donated to specific countries, where the east-west contrasts are very helpful. Finally, the chapter on empathy puts everything together to give the reader a excellent standpoint from which to manage interculturally.

BEST BOOK ON GLOBAL STRATEGY SO FAR!!!, 11 Nov 2007
For those readers who are not familiar with Prof. Ghemawat works but are involved in business operation expansion via internationalization, ABSOLUTELY this is the right book for you. I go so far that recommend holding your choice of expansion until you and your management team finish reading this book.

The whole content of the book is so well bind together and is so coherent that you have to just follow the steps and make a map of your plan with recommended below tools:
1. AAA Triangle ( Adaptation, Aggregation, and Arbitrage ): These describe what right mode of your expansion is; depend on type of your business and nature of competitors and market conditions.
2. CAGE ( Culture, Administration or politics, Geography, Economics) tool to analyze either the nature of countries you would like to enter or nature of industries in the country that you would like to enter.
3. Finally make a map of your plan for decision making by ranking your choices through using "ADDING ( Add volume or growth, Decrease costs, Differentiation, improving industry attractiveness, Normalizing risk and Generate knowledge) value score. This tool will clarify you and your organization what is/are the drivers for your company to expand.

Having been involved in B2B international business over 17 years, I recommend to use first the "ADDING" tool and then move to "AAA triangle" and then analyze and priorities your choices through using "CAGE" tool.

So many thanks to Prof. Ghemawat who really described and explained the SEMIGLOBALISATION and then also explain how to thrive in this world by first describing the above tools and then explicitly showing the application of these tools in business such as car industry ( Toyota), Cement Industry ( Cemex), Retail industry ( WAl Mart), Health care ( P&G), IT industry (IBM), Software services ( Cognizant), Coca-cola and several others

Cultural Sensitivity Learning, 27 May 2007
I have found this book very useful for new change consultants who are venturing out into a global environment, this at least prepares people to think about cultural norms and the way in which certain societies generally view the world, get along with each other and make decisions.. Be cautioned this is not an approach to stereotype cultures, rather to provide the student with an understanding of the normal cultural drivers.

It is not a cookbook of how-to's. It a research report into how cultural differences underlay everything you want to accomplish.

While the book is titled Cultures and Organisations, it is really about ethnic cultures, not corporate cultures.

If you are working in a multi cultural or international environment then this is a must. Success in an international environment only occurs when you possess cultural sensitivity. This book is a fantastic introduction into the world of international cultures




At last, something useful and based upon data rather than conjecture, 31 Aug 2006
I rarely write reviews of books on Amazon, this one however has made me want to recommend it.
The authors have managed to sum up some key differences between cultures, describe them clearly and advise on how to handle them based upon these 'dimensions' such as the extent to which a culture is individualist or collectivist.
In my travels I have picked up a lot of the data presented here through personal experience, but I could not present it back clearly into 'when in Rome do as the Romans do' type advice.
This book does. Simply and clearly, as soon as you've got past the data and the language style, there are some gems to be found.
The second best in this topic area (following in first place Trompenaars work 'Riding the Waves').

Excellent, 20 Dec 2005
Hofstede is, of course, the pioneer of culture studies in business and organizations. This book is a simpler and more accessible version of the more comprehensive - but also more difficult, 'Culture's Consequences'.

He begins with an excellent overview of culture and its levels and explains the concept of cultural `dimensions' - aspects of culture that can differentiate and measure differences among different cultural groups. The book then proceeds to present the four dimensions of culture that he identified as a result of a massive survey he conducted on IBM employees in 72 countries in 1968 and again in 1972. Additional data was later collected from other countries and populations, outside IBM, and used to verify and enhance the original results.

However, in this book, Hofstede discusses his four original dimensions of culture: Power Distance; Uncertainty Avoidance; Individualism & Collectivism; and finally Masculinity & Femininity. The fifth dimension which was later added based on results from the Far East and Asia - Long- versus Short-Term Orientation - is not discussed in this book. Despite that, it remains a very valuable and highly readable introduction to the topic from the man who pioneered the field and popularized it among business people, multinationals and business researchers alike.

Hofstede also uses these dimensions of culture to 'classify' organizations to different types according to where they fall on the Power Distance vs. Uncertainty Avoidance grid. The discussion is highly informative and touches on Mintzberg's theories as well typical models of organization in different cultures. In Part Four, he discusses how intercultural encounters are affected by these dimensions and how awareness and acceptance of these differences can yield more effective results.

Monumental piece of work on differences in cultures, 12 Aug 2005
Geert Hofstede is Emeritus Professor at Maastricht University in The Netherlands. He was Professor of Organisational Anthropology and International Management at the University of Limburg (which was later re-named Maastricht University). He is the founder and first director of the Institute for Research on Intercultural Cooperation (IRIC), where a lot of the research used in this book comes from. This paperback version was published 3 years after the hardcover and includes some updated references to political events. This book is largely an extension to Hofstede's 1980-book 'Culture's Consequences'. The book consists of 4 parts.

Part I - Introduction, consists of one chapter, and lays the foundation for the remainder of the book by introducing the meaning of 'culture' and a small vocabulary of essential terms. He also discusses the objective of the book: "to help in dealing with the differences in thinking, feeling, and acting of people around the globe. It will show that although the variety in people's minds is enormous, there is a structure in this variety which can serve as a basis for mutual understanding." With reference to the definition of culture, we need to understand the book's subtitle first. 'Software of the mind' is patterns of thinking, feeling and acting (which were learned throughout a lifetime). Hofstede's definition of culture is "the collective programming of the mind which distinguishes the members of one group or category of people from another." It is important to note that he believes that culture is learned and not inherited. He continues with a brief discussion on the 3 levels in human mental programming: 1. Human nature (universal; inherited); 2. Culture (specific to group/category; learned); and 3. Personality (specific to individual; learned and inherited).

Part II - National Cultures - is the largest section of this book with 6 chapters and deals with differences among cultures at national levels. Chapter 2-to-5 describe the four dimensions empirically found in research across more than 50 countries: (1) to wit power distance; (2) collectivism versus individualism; (3) femininity versus masculinity; and (4) uncertainty avoidance. Each of these 4 chapters follows the same structure: description of dimension, the scores of the various countries, the consequences of the dimension for family life, school, workplace, organisation, state, and the development of ideas. Chapter 6 looks at the consequences of the national culture differences in the way people in a country organize themselves, combining the dimensions from the previous chapters. The next chapter introduces a fifth cross-national dimension, which is long-term versus short-term orientation. This reveals deep differences between Eastern and Western thinking.

Part III deals with differences in organisational culture and consists of only 1 chapter in which the author describes the insights collected in IRIC's research project across 20 organisational units in Denmark and the Netherlands between 1985-1987.

Part IV - Implications - consists of 2 chapters and discusses the practical implications of the culture differences and similarities. The first chapter of this part discusses what happens when people from different cultures meet. It discusses phenomena, such as culture shock, ethnocentrism, stereotyping, differences in language and in humour. It also discusses the development of intercultural communication skills. The final chapter of the book summarizes the message of the book and translates it into suggestions for parents, managers and the media. There is also a speculation on future political developments, based on the cultural processes.

Yes, this is a monumental book on 'software of the mind'. I believe that this book is a fantastic piece of work on this subject, based on strong research, and is probably the starting point for anybody interested in this subject. I must warn people that the book is not a simple, fast read, since the information is very intense and the wide range of information covered. However, the writing style is good and there are plenty of tables, diagrams, figures to make the reading somewhat 'easier'. Highly recommended to all people interested in this subject, from parents through to managers. (Where is the 6-star button?)

Essential reading before a multi-country project!, 22 Jan 2004
This book was recommended to us in a cultural awareness course.
Interestingly, the subject has been most valuable to me in my
multi-country technical projects! The KEY usefulness of
this book is that it arrives at a numerical 'score' for various
components of 'culture'. It doesn't say "Americans are more
individualistic" as an opinion. Rather, "Americans are more
individualistic because they score X in the Individual VS
Collective Index" Isn't that brilliant?? The country profiles
are therefore objective, based on scientific, numerical method.
Not based on opinion, like most other books on the topic of 'Culture'. Great stuff.

Excellent, 30 Jul 2005
This is an excellent book. From its marketing, I thought that "When Cultures Collide: Managing Successfully Across Cultures" pertained specifically to dealing with people of different nationalities in the business place. And indeed, it is a most useful book for that purpose. However, I was struck by how much one could apply Lewis' analyses to other situations, for example, dealing with people of other nationalities on a social level. Indeed, I have many aquaintances, and some close friends, from diverse backgrounds, and this book sometimes occupies us for entire evenings, discussing our experiences with one another. The chapter on Hungarians I found particularly accurate, and entertaining. I believe that Lewis would have enjoyed hearing some of these discussions (and arguments). My point is: don't dismiss this book thinking it is a businessman's tool. It's a good read for anybody who encounters people of other nationalities and cultures, irrespective of the context.

Great for anyone working in multi-cultural environments, 14 Dec 2004
I've travelled, competed in sport and worked in over 55 countries for over 25 years. The fascination of different cultures grows as I learn more.

This book can be used before embarking on life in a new country or life alongside someone who comes from a different culture to yours, whether the relationship is personal or work based.

Whilst the book provides an excellent appreciation of cultural differences, it is a fascinating and sometimes humourous read. It has made for some fun and interesting conversation with people from other cultures or those who are experiencing other cultures.

For any manager working in an international environment, this is a 'must-read'.

insightful, but thin on the US culture, 13 Aug 2003
I was expecting this book to give me deeper insights about Americans with whom I work extensively. Having read this and "Working with Americans" (Stewart-Allen, Denslow) at the same time, I did think Lewis could have provided more examples and more real-life answers to "what should I do when..." like the other book does. In any case, his style is good and the structure straightforward.

A modern classic for achieving inter-cultural competence, 22 Mar 2001
Lewis' book is a must read for global managers and students of international business alike. Explainations for global variations in perception, contrasting leadership styles and relation to time are highlighted with several good examples. 3 categories of culture are defined and both verbal and non-verbal communication techniques are extremely valid. The last third of the book is donated to specific countries, where the east-west contrasts are very helpful. Finally, the chapter on empathy puts everything together to give the reader a excellent standpoint from which to manage interculturally.

BEST BOOK ON GLOBAL STRATEGY SO FAR!!!, 11 Nov 2007
For those readers who are not familiar with Prof. Ghemawat works but are involved in business operation expansion via internationalization, ABSOLUTELY this is the right book for you. I go so far that recommend holding your choice of expansion until you and your management team finish reading this book.

The whole content of the book is so well bind together and is so coherent that you have to just follow the steps and make a map of your plan with recommended below tools:
1. AAA Triangle ( Adaptation, Aggregation, and Arbitrage ): These describe what right mode of your expansion is; depend on type of your business and nature of competitors and market conditions.
2. CAGE ( Culture, Administration or politics, Geography, Economics) tool to analyze either the nature of countries you would like to enter or nature of industries in the country that you would like to enter.
3. Finally make a map of your plan for decision making by ranking your choices through using "ADDING ( Add volume or growth, Decrease costs, Differentiation, improving industry attractiveness, Normalizing risk and Generate knowledge) value score. This tool will clarify you and your organization what is/are the drivers for your company to expand.

Having been involved in B2B international business over 17 years, I recommend to use first the "ADDING" tool and then move to "AAA triangle" and then analyze and priorities your choices through using "CAGE" tool.

So many thanks to Prof. Ghemawat who really described and explained the SEMIGLOBALISATION and then also explain how to thrive in this world by first describing the above tools and then explicitly showing the application of these tools in business such as car industry ( Toyota), Cement Industry ( Cemex), Retail industry ( WAl Mart), Health care ( P&G), IT industry (IBM), Software services ( Cognizant), Coca-cola and several others


Packed With Knowledge!, 14 Jun 2004
Melissa Brayer Hess and Patricia Linderman's indispensable book covers all the practical aspects of adjusting to life in a foreign country. They pay particular attention to factors that can help or hinder an expatriot's adjustment. Every chapter includes short, personal sidebars recounting the experiences of those who've lived and worked abroad, an addition which brings the book to life with insightful, useful and often hilarious detail. We recommend this book to anyone who is considering relocation to another country. To be at home anywhere on the globe, supplement it with a couple of books about the specific country where you are going. Pay attention to the advice about planning ahead, then get your shots, tuck your passport in your pocket and head for the airport. (Don't forget to pack this book; you may need it for re-entry.)

A must-have on any expatriate's bookshelf, 03 Apr 2002
A must-have on the bookshelf of any future or current expatriate. With wisdom, insight, experience, and brimming with optimism, it covers all the bases from the practical to the emotional of moving and thriving abroad. You can't go wrong as this "Dr. Spock for Expatriates" steers you through all the important decisions you will need to make and helps you consider things you might otherwise overlook. I especially liked the sections on children, culture shock, and spouses. One feature of this book that I particularly enjoyed was that it was loaded with relevant anecdotes from expatriates from all over the world living in all sorts of countries.

Cultural Sensitivity Learning, 27 May 2007
I have found this book very useful for new change consultants who are venturing out into a global environment, this at least prepares people to think about cultural norms and the way in which certain societies generally view the world, get along with each other and make decisions.. Be cautioned this is not an approach to stereotype cultures, rather to provide the student with an understanding of the normal cultural drivers.

It is not a cookbook of how-to's. It a research report into how cultural differences underlay everything you want to accomplish.

While the book is titled Cultures and Organisations, it is really about ethnic cultures, not corporate cultures.

If you are working in a multi cultural or international environment then this is a must. Success in an international environment only occurs when you possess cultural sensitivity. This book is a fantastic introduction into the world of international cultures




At last, something useful and based upon data rather than conjecture, 31 Aug 2006
I rarely write reviews of books on Amazon, this one however has made me want to recommend it.
The authors have managed to sum up some key differences between cultures, describe them clearly and advise on how to handle them based upon these 'dimensions' such as the extent to which a culture is individualist or collectivist.
In my travels I have picked up a lot of the data presented here through personal experience, but I could not present it back clearly into 'when in Rome do as the Romans do' type advice.
This book does. Simply and clearly, as soon as you've got past the data and the language style, there are some gems to be found.
The second best in this topic area (following in first place Trompenaars work 'Riding the Waves').

Excellent, 20 Dec 2005
Hofstede is, of course, the pioneer of culture studies in business and organizations. This book is a simpler and more accessible version of the more comprehensive - but also more difficult, 'Culture's Consequences'.

He begins with an excellent overview of culture and its levels and explains the concept of cultural `dimensions' - aspects of culture that can differentiate and measure differences among different cultural groups. The book then proceeds to present the four dimensions of culture that he identified as a result of a massive survey he conducted on IBM employees in 72 countries in 1968 and again in 1972. Additional data was later collected from other countries and populations, outside IBM, and used to verify and enhance the original results.

However, in this book, Hofstede discusses his four original dimensions of culture: Power Distance; Uncertainty Avoidance; Individualism & Collectivism; and finally Masculinity & Femininity. The fifth dimension which was later added based on results from the Far East and Asia - Long- versus Short-Term Orientation - is not discussed in this book. Despite that, it remains a very valuable and highly readable introduction to the topic from the man who pioneered the field and popularized it among business people, multinationals and business researchers alike.

Hofstede also uses these dimensions of culture to 'classify' organizations to different types according to where they fall on the Power Distance vs. Uncertainty Avoidance grid. The discussion is highly informative and touches on Mintzberg's theories as well typical models of organization in different cultures. In Part Four, he discusses how intercultural encounters are affected by these dimensions and how awareness and acceptance of these differences can yield more effective results.

Monumental piece of work on differences in cultures, 12 Aug 2005
Geert Hofstede is Emeritus Professor at Maastricht University in The Netherlands. He was Professor of Organisational Anthropology and International Management at the University of Limburg (which was later re-named Maastricht University). He is the founder and first director of the Institute for Research on Intercultural Cooperation (IRIC), where a lot of the research used in this book comes from. This paperback version was published 3 years after the hardcover and includes some updated references to political events. This book is largely an extension to Hofstede's 1980-book 'Culture's Consequences'. The book consists of 4 parts.

Part I - Introduction, consists of one chapter, and lays the foundation for the remainder of the book by introducing the meaning of 'culture' and a small vocabulary of essential terms. He also discusses the objective of the book: "to help in dealing with the differences in thinking, feeling, and acting of people around the globe. It will show that although the variety in people's minds is enormous, there is a structure in this variety which can serve as a basis for mutual understanding." With reference to the definition of culture, we need to understand the book's subtitle first. 'Software of the mind' is patterns of thinking, feeling and acting (which were learned throughout a lifetime). Hofstede's definition of culture is "the collective programming of the mind which distinguishes the members of one group or category of people from another." It is important to note that he believes that culture is learned and not inherited. He continues with a brief discussion on the 3 levels in human mental programming: 1. Human nature (universal; inherited); 2. Culture (specific to group/category; learned); and 3. Personality (specific to individual; learned and inherited).

Part II - National Cultures - is the largest section of this book with 6 chapters and deals with differences among cultures at national levels. Chapter 2-to-5 describe the four dimensions empirically found in research across more than 50 countries: (1) to wit power distance; (2) collectivism versus individualism; (3) femininity versus masculinity; and (4) uncertainty avoidance. Each of these 4 chapters follows the same structure: description of dimension, the scores of the various countries, the consequences of the dimension for family life, school, workplace, organisation, state, and the development of ideas. Chapter 6 looks at the consequences of the national culture differences in the way people in a country organize themselves, combining the dimensions from the previous chapters. The next chapter introduces a fifth cross-national dimension, which is long-term versus short-term orientation. This reveals deep differences between Eastern and Western thinking.

Part III deals with differences in organisational culture and consists of only 1 chapter in which the author describes the insights collected in IRIC's research project across 20 organisational units in Denmark and the Netherlands between 1985-1987.

Part IV - Implications - consists of 2 chapters and discusses the practical implications of the culture differences and similarities. The first chapter of this part discusses what happens when people from different cultures meet. It discusses phenomena, such as culture shock, ethnocentrism, stereotyping, differences in language and in humour. It also discusses the development of intercultural communication skills. The final chapter of the book summarizes the message of the book and translates it into suggestions for parents, managers and the media. There is also a speculation on future political developments, based on the cultural processes.

Yes, this is a monumental book on 'software of the mind'. I believe that this book is a fantastic piece of work on this subject, based on strong research, and is probably the starting point for anybody interested in this subject. I must warn people that the book is not a simple, fast read, since the information is very intense and the wide range of information covered. However, the writing style is good and there are plenty of tables, diagrams, figures to make the reading somewhat 'easier'. Highly recommended to all people interested in this subject, from parents through to managers. (Where is the 6-star button?)

Essential reading before a multi-country project!, 22 Jan 2004
This book was recommended to us in a cultural awareness course.
Interestingly, the subject has been most valuable to me in my
multi-country technical projects! The KEY usefulness of
this book is that it arrives at a numerical 'score' for various
components of 'culture'. It doesn't say "Americans are more
individualistic" as an opinion. Rather, "Americans are more
individualistic because they score X in the Individual VS
Collective Index" Isn't that brilliant?? The country profiles
are therefore objective, based on scientific, numerical method.
Not based on opinion, like most other books on the topic of 'Culture'. Great stuff.

Excellent, 30 Jul 2005
This is an excellent book. From its marketing, I thought that "When Cultures Collide: Managing Successfully Across Cultures" pertained specifically to dealing with people of different nationalities in the business place. And indeed, it is a most useful book for that purpose. However, I was struck by how much one could apply Lewis' analyses to other situations, for example, dealing with people of other nationalities on a social level. Indeed, I have many aquaintances, and some close friends, from diverse backgrounds, and this book sometimes occupies us for entire evenings, discussing our experiences with one another. The chapter on Hungarians I found particularly accurate, and entertaining. I believe that Lewis would have enjoyed hearing some of these discussions (and arguments). My point is: don't dismiss this book thinking it is a businessman's tool. It's a good read for anybody who encounters people of other nationalities and cultures, irrespective of the context.

Great for anyone working in multi-cultural environments, 14 Dec 2004
I've travelled, competed in sport and worked in over 55 countries for over 25 years. The fascination of different cultures grows as I learn more.

This book can be used before embarking on life in a new country or life alongside someone who comes from a different culture to yours, whether the relationship is personal or work based.

Whilst the book provides an excellent appreciation of cultural differences, it is a fascinating and sometimes humourous read. It has made for some fun and interesting conversation with people from other cultures or those who are experiencing other cultures.

For any manager working in an international environment, this is a 'must-read'.

insightful, but thin on the US culture, 13 Aug 2003
I was expecting this book to give me deeper insights about Americans with whom I work extensively. Having read this and "Working with Americans" (Stewart-Allen, Denslow) at the same time, I did think Lewis could have provided more examples and more real-life answers to "what should I do when..." like the other book does. In any case, his style is good and the structure straightforward.

A modern classic for achieving inter-cultural competence, 22 Mar 2001
Lewis' book is a must read for global managers and students of international business alike. Explainations for global variations in perception, contrasting leadership styles and relation to time are highlighted with several good examples. 3 categories of culture are defined and both verbal and non-verbal communication techniques are extremely valid. The last third of the book is donated to specific countries, where the east-west contrasts are very helpful. Finally, the chapter on empathy puts everything together to give the reader a excellent standpoint from which to manage interculturally.

BEST BOOK ON GLOBAL STRATEGY SO FAR!!!, 11 Nov 2007
For those readers who are not familiar with Prof. Ghemawat works but are involved in business operation expansion via internationalization, ABSOLUTELY this is the right book for you. I go so far that recommend holding your choice of expansion until you and your management team finish reading this book.

The whole content of the book is so well bind together and is so coherent that you have to just follow the steps and make a map of your plan with recommended below tools:
1. AAA Triangle ( Adaptation, Aggregation, and Arbitrage ): These describe what right mode of your expansion is; depend on type of your business and nature of competitors and market conditions.
2. CAGE ( Culture, Administration or politics, Geography, Economics) tool to analyze either the nature of countries you would like to enter or nature of industries in the country that you would like to enter.
3. Finally make a map of your plan for decision making by ranking your choices through using "ADDING ( Add volume or growth, Decrease costs, Differentiation, improving industry attractiveness, Normalizing risk and Generate knowledge) value score. This tool will clarify you and your organization what is/are the drivers for your company to expand.

Having been involved in B2B international business over 17 years, I recommend to use first the "ADDING" tool and then move to "AAA triangle" and then analyze and priorities your choices through using "CAGE" tool.

So many thanks to Prof. Ghemawat who really described and explained the SEMIGLOBALISATION and then also explain how to thrive in this world by first describing the above tools and then explicitly showing the application of these tools in business such as car industry ( Toyota), Cement Industry ( Cemex), Retail industry ( WAl Mart), Health care ( P&G), IT industry (IBM), Software services ( Cognizant), Coca-cola and several others


Packed With Knowledge!, 14 Jun 2004
Melissa Brayer Hess and Patricia Linderman's indispensable book covers all the practical aspects of adjusting to life in a foreign country. They pay particular attention to factors that can help or hinder an expatriot's adjustment. Every chapter includes short, personal sidebars recounting the experiences of those who've lived and worked abroad, an addition which brings the book to life with insightful, useful and often hilarious detail. We recommend this book to anyone who is considering relocation to another country. To be at home anywhere on the globe, supplement it with a couple of books about the specific country where you are going. Pay attention to the advice about planning ahead, then get your shots, tuck your passport in your pocket and head for the airport. (Don't forget to pack this book; you may need it for re-entry.)

A must-have on any expatriate's bookshelf, 03 Apr 2002
A must-have on the bookshelf of any future or current expatriate. With wisdom, insight, experience, and brimming with optimism, it covers all the bases from the practical to the emotional of moving and thriving abroad. You can't go wrong as this "Dr. Spock for Expatriates" steers you through all the important decisions you will need to make and helps you consider things you might otherwise overlook. I especially liked the sections on children, culture shock, and spouses. One feature of this book that I particularly enjoyed was that it was loaded with relevant anecdotes from expatriates from all over the world living in all sorts of countries.

Should be in every international travel's suitcase., 23 Oct 1998
Although it is couched in humor and packed with adventurous tales, this book covers a serious subject! It is so easy to destroy a mutually-advantageous export sale by saying or doing the socially incorrect thing while in a foreign country. Regardless of your international travel experience, it is a good idea to read (or review) this book BEFORE you depart on your next overseas trip. Mr. Axtell is an expert on how to behave in foreign countries and has written other equally valuable travel books. Our consulting staff recommends the "Do's and Taboos Around the World" to every client who is planning an overseas business trip. John R. Jagoe, Director, Export Institute

Is to international business what fast food is to cuisine, 23 Apr 1998
The book is o.k.. It contains some good, practical, quick advice. However, it won't help you deeply understand the people you're dealing with. For that, a book like «The Seven Cultures of Capitalism» is a lot better. With «The Seven Cultures», you'll learn why Hollanders accept criticism a lot better than Italians and that the French and the Japanese are pretty much alike on many aspects. But then, haute cuisine isn't always what one looks for.

Cultural Sensitivity Learning, 27 May 2007
I have found this book very useful for new change consultants who are venturing out into a global environment, this at least prepares people to think about cultural norms and the way in which certain societies generally view the world, get along with each other and make decisions.. Be cautioned this is not an approach to stereotype cultures, rather to provide the student with an understanding of the normal cultural drivers.

It is not a cookbook of how-to's. It a research report into how cultural differences underlay everything you want to accomplish.

While the book is titled Cultures and Organisations, it is really about ethnic cultures, not corporate cultures.

If you are working in a multi cultural or international environment then this is a must. Success in an international environment only occurs when you possess cultural sensitivity. This book is a fantastic introduction into the world of international cultures




At last, something useful and based upon data rather than conjecture, 31 Aug 2006
I rarely write reviews of books on Amazon, this one however has made me want to recommend it.
The authors have managed to sum up some key differences between cultures, describe them clearly and advise on how to handle them based upon these 'dimensions' such as the extent to which a culture is individualist or collectivist.
In my travels I have picked up a lot of the data presented here through personal experience, but I could not present it back clearly into 'when in Rome do as the Romans do' type advice.
This book does. Simply and clearly, as soon as you've got past the data and the language style, there are some gems to be found.
The second best in this topic area (following in first place Trompenaars work 'Riding the Waves').

Excellent, 20 Dec 2005
Hofstede is, of course, the pioneer of culture studies in business and organizations. This book is a simpler and more accessible version of the more comprehensive - but also more difficult, 'Culture's Consequences'.

He begins with an excellent overview of culture and its levels and explains the concept of cultural `dimensions' - aspects of culture that can differentiate and measure differences among different cultural groups. The book then proceeds to present the four dimensions of culture that he identified as a result of a massive survey he conducted on IBM employees in 72 countries in 1968 and again in 1972. Additional data was later collected from other countries and populations, outside IBM, and used to verify and enhance the original results.

However, in this book, Hofstede discusses his four original dimensions of culture: Power Distance; Uncertainty Avoidance; Individualism & Collectivism; and finally Masculinity & Femininity. The fifth dimension which was later added based on results from the Far East and Asia - Long- versus Short-Term Orientation - is not discussed in this book. Despite that, it remains a very valuable and highly readable introduction to the topic from the man who pioneered the field and popularized it among business people, multinationals and business researchers alike.

Hofstede also uses these dimensions of culture to 'classify' organizations to different types according to where they fall on the Power Distance vs. Uncertainty Avoidance grid. The discussion is highly informative and touches on Mintzberg's theories as well typical models of organization in different cultures. In Part Four, he discusses how intercultural encounters are affected by these dimensions and how awareness and acceptance of these differences can yield more effective results.

Monumental piece of work on differences in cultures, 12 Aug 2005
Geert Hofstede is Emeritus Professor at Maastricht University in The Netherlands. He was Professor of Organisational Anthropology and International Management at the University of Limburg (which was later re-named Maastricht University). He is the founder and first director of the Institute for Research on Intercultural Cooperation (IRIC), where a lot of the research used in this book comes from. This paperback version was published 3 years after the hardcover and includes some updated references to political events. This book is largely an extension to Hofstede's 1980-book 'Culture's Consequences'. The book consists of 4 parts.

Part I - Introduction, consists of one chapter, and lays the foundation for the remainder of the book by introducing the meaning of 'culture' and a small vocabulary of essential terms. He also discusses the objective of the book: "to help in dealing with the differences in thinking, feeling, and acting of people around the globe. It will show that although the variety in people's minds is enormous, there is a structure in this variety which can serve as a basis for mutual understanding." With reference to the definition of culture, we need to understand the book's subtitle first. 'Software of the mind' is patterns of thinking, feeling and acting (which were learned throughout a lifetime). Hofstede's definition of culture is "the collective programming of the mind which distinguishes the members of one group or category of people from another." It is important to note that he believes that culture is learned and not inherited. He continues with a brief discussion on the 3 levels in human mental programming: 1. Human nature (universal; inherited); 2. Culture (specific to group/category; learned); and 3. Personality (specific to individual; learned and inherited).

Part II - National Cultures - is the largest section of this book with 6 chapters and deals with differences among cultures at national levels. Chapter 2-to-5 describe the four dimensions empirically found in research across more than 50 countries: (1) to wit power distance; (2) collectivism versus individualism; (3) femininity versus masculinity; and (4) uncertainty avoidance. Each of these 4 chapters follows the same structure: description of dimension, the scores of the various countries, the consequences of the dimension for family life, school, workplace, organisation, state, and the development of ideas. Chapter 6 looks at the consequences of the national culture differences in the way people in a country organize themselves, combining the dimensions from the previous chapters. The next chapter introduces a fifth cross-national dimension, which is long-term versus short-term orientation. This reveals deep differences between Eastern and Western thinking.

Part III deals with differences in organisational culture and consists of only 1 chapter in which the author describes the insights collected in IRIC's research project across 20 organisational units in Denmark and the Netherlands between 1985-1987.

Part IV - Implications - consists of 2 chapters and discusses the practical implications of the culture differences and similarities. The first chapter of this part discusses what happens when people from different cultures meet. It discusses phenomena, such as culture shock, ethnocentrism, stereotyping, differences in language and in humour. It also discusses the development of intercultural communication skills. The final chapter of the book summarizes the message of the book and translates it into suggestions for parents, managers and the media. There is also a speculation on future political developments, based on the cultural processes.

Yes, this is a monumental book on 'software of the mind'. I believe that this book is a fantastic piece of work on this subject, based on strong research, and is probably the starting point for anybody interested in this subject. I must warn people that the book is not a simple, fast read, since the information is very intense and the wide range of information covered. However, the writing style is good and there are plenty of tables, diagrams, figures to make the reading somewhat 'easier'. Highly recommended to all people interested in this subject, from parents through to managers. (Where is the 6-star button?)

Essential reading before a multi-country project!, 22 Jan 2004
This book was recommended to us in a cultural awareness course.
Interestingly, the subject has been most valuable to me in my
multi-country technical projects! The KEY usefulness of
this book is that it arrives at a numerical 'score' for various
components of 'culture'. It doesn't say "Americans are more
individualistic" as an opinion. Rather, "Americans are more
individualistic because they score X in the Individual VS
Collective Index" Isn't that brilliant?? The country profiles
are therefore objective, based on scientific, numerical method.
Not based on opinion, like most other books on the topic of 'Culture'. Great stuff.

Excellent, 30 Jul 2005
This is an excellent book. From its marketing, I thought that "When Cultures Collide: Managing Successfully Across Cultures" pertained specifically to dealing with people of different nationalities in the business place. And indeed, it is a most useful book for that purpose. However, I was struck by how much one could apply Lewis' analyses to other situations, for example, dealing with people of other nationalities on a social level. Indeed, I have many aquaintances, and some close friends, from diverse backgrounds, and this book sometimes occupies us for entire evenings, discussing our experiences with one another. The chapter on Hungarians I found particularly accurate, and entertaining. I believe that Lewis would have enjoyed hearing some of these discussions (and arguments). My point is: don't dismiss this book thinking it is a businessman's tool. It's a good read for anybody who encounters people of other nationalities and cultures, irrespective of the context.

Great for anyone working in multi-cultural environments, 14 Dec 2004
I've travelled, competed in sport and worked in over 55 countries for over 25 years. The fascination of different cultures grows as I learn more.

This book can be used before embarking on life in a new country or life alongside someone who comes from a different culture to yours, whether the relationship is personal or work based.

Whilst the book provides an excellent appreciation of cultural differences, it is a fascinating and sometimes humourous read. It has made for some fun and interesting conversation with people from other cultures or those who are experiencing other cultures.

For any manager working in an international environment, this is a 'must-read'.

insightful, but thin on the US culture, 13 Aug 2003
I was expecting this book to give me deeper insights about Americans with whom I work extensively. Having read this and "Working with Americans" (Stewart-Allen, Denslow) at the same time, I did think Lewis could have provided more examples and more real-life answers to "what should I do when..." like the other book does. In any case, his style is good and the structure straightforward.

A modern classic for achieving inter-cultural competence, 22 Mar 2001
Lewis' book is a must read for global managers and students of international business alike. Explainations for global variations in perception, contrasting leadership styles and relation to time are highlighted with several good examples. 3 categories of culture are defined and both verbal and non-verbal communication techniques are extremely valid. The last third of the book is donated to specific countries, where the east-west contrasts are very helpful. Finally, the chapter on empathy puts everything together to give the reader a excellent standpoint from which to manage interculturally.

BEST BOOK ON GLOBAL STRATEGY SO FAR!!!, 11 Nov 2007
For those readers who are not familiar with Prof. Ghemawat works but are involved in business operation expansion via internationalization, ABSOLUTELY this is the right book for you. I go so far that recommend holding your choice of expansion until you and your management team finish reading this book.

The whole content of the book is so well bind together and is so coherent that you have to just follow the steps and make a map of your plan with recommended below tools:
1. AAA Triangle ( Adaptation, Aggregation, and Arbitrage ): These describe what right mode of your expansion is; depend on type of your business and nature of competitors and market conditions.
2. CAGE ( Culture, Administration or politics, Geography, Economics) tool to analyze either the nature of countries you would like to enter or nature of industries in the country that you would like to enter.
3. Finally make a map of your plan for decision making by ranking your choices through using "ADDING ( Add volume or growth, Decrease costs, Differentiation, improving industry attractiveness, Normalizing risk and Generate knowledge) value score. This tool will clarify you and your organization what is/are the drivers for your company to expand.

Having been involved in B2B international business over 17 years, I recommend to use first the "ADDING" tool and then move to "AAA triangle" and then analyze and priorities your choices through using "CAGE" tool.

So many thanks to Prof. Ghemawat who really described and explained the SEMIGLOBALISATION and then also explain how to thrive in this world by first describing the above tools and then explicitly showing the application of these tools in business such as car industry ( Toyota), Cement Industry ( Cemex), Retail industry ( WAl Mart), Health care ( P&G), IT industry (IBM), Software services ( Cognizant), Coca-cola and several others


Packed With Knowledge!, 14 Jun 2004
Melissa Brayer Hess and Patricia Linderman's indispensable book covers all the practical aspects of adjusting to life in a foreign country. They pay particular attention to factors that can help or hinder an expatriot's adjustment. Every chapter includes short, personal sidebars recounting the experiences of those who've lived and worked abroad, an addition which brings the book to life with insightful, useful and often hilarious detail. We recommend this book to anyone who is considering relocation to another country. To be at home anywhere on the globe, supplement it with a couple of books about the specific country where you are going. Pay attention to the advice about planning ahead, then get your shots, tuck your passport in your pocket and head for the airport. (Don't forget to pack this book; you may need it for re-entry.)

A must-have on any expatriate's bookshelf, 03 Apr 2002
A must-have on the bookshelf of any future or current expatriate. With wisdom, insight, experience, and brimming with optimism, it covers all the bases from the practical to the emotional of moving and thriving abroad. You can't go wrong as this "Dr. Spock for Expatriates" steers you through all the important decisions you will need to make and helps you consider things you might otherwise overlook. I especially liked the sections on children, culture shock, and spouses. One feature of this book that I particularly enjoyed was that it was loaded with relevant anecdotes from expatriates from all over the world living in all sorts of countries.

Should be in every international travel's suitcase., 23 Oct 1998
Although it is couched in humor and packed with adventurous tales, this book covers a serious subject! It is so easy to destroy a mutually-advantageous export sale by saying or doing the socially incorrect thing while in a foreign country. Regardless of your international travel experience, it is a good idea to read (or review) this book BEFORE you depart on your next overseas trip. Mr. Axtell is an expert on how to behave in foreign countries and has written other equally valuable travel books. Our consulting staff recommends the "Do's and Taboos Around the World" to every client who is planning an overseas business trip. John R. Jagoe, Director, Export Institute

Is to international business what fast food is to cuisine, 23 Apr 1998
The book is o.k.. It contains some good, practical, quick advice. However, it won't help you deeply understand the people you're dealing with. For that, a book like «The Seven Cultures of Capitalism» is a lot better. With «The Seven Cultures», you'll learn why Hollanders accept criticism a lot better than Italians and that the French and the Japanese are pretty much alike on many aspects. But then, haute cuisine isn't always what one looks for.

An Admirable Primer for Understanding Business & Culture, 24 Jun 2004
Trompenaars, Fons and Peter Woolliams Business Across Cultures. Capstone Publishing Ltd. Chichester, England, UK: 2003.363 pages soft bound.

I think that we should consider this book to be a primer for the Business Culture Series coming out from Capstone Publishing by the Trompenaars/Hampden-Turner Group. It truly sets the framework for their Marketing Across Cultures, Managing People Across Cultures, and Corporate Cultures texts.

Additionally, it demonstrates the evolutionary growth and development of the T/H-T authors from their earlier innovative and insightful Riding the Waves of Culture, The Seven Cultures of Capitalism and 21 Leaders for the 21st Century books.

Trompenaars and Woolliams have set a new framework from which to look at the dimensions of culture in organizations. They see culture as the contextual environment defining much of the essence of the relationships between an organization and the environment in which it operates. This new thinking removes culture as a topic per se and allows companies and organizations to place dilemmas within their contextual configuration.

Such dilemmas relate to values which are expressed in behavior, communication, attitudes, and key decision making. Reconciliation of dilemmas seeks to restore the harmony which is requisite for synergistic solutions to enhance the effectiveness of the organization. However, as the authors state, before reconciliation there must come the recognition of the dilemma and the respect for the opposing views.

As a primer for the Business Culture Series, the authors address the organization as a cultural construct and look at the organization of meaning and its integral role in the development of the key value dimensions that are essential elements of Trompenaars research. We also get insights into the authors' perception of corporate culture and the techniques for managing change and continuity across cultures.

Three chapters provide us with the tip of the iceberg for their subsequent books on marketing across cultures, managing HR dilemmas across cultures, and finance and accounting across cultures.

The penultimate chapter presents the integration theory, an approach that allows us to determine the propensity for the individual to reconcile dilemmas which they see as a direct measurement of leadership. They call this "trans-cultural competence". They see managers as working to accomplish specific objectives with leaders dealing with dilemmas of seemingly opposed objectives which they continually seek to reconcile.

The final chapter is a documented "proof of the pudding" chapter with examples of how the reconciling process actually works in practice. It provides both techniques or reconciliation as well as insights to its practicality.

While reading this book is not a prerequisite for reading the rest of the books in the series, it is an extremely valuable and helpful overview of the thought processes of the THT group and is an excellent guide to the paths that they are following.

David C. Wigglesworth, Ph.D., an interculturalist, is an international management and organization development consultant with D.C.W. Research Associates International, 2606 Parkdale Drive, Kingwood, Texas 77339-2476 USA. Tel: 281-359-4234; Email: dcwigg@earthlink.net

Cultural Sensitivity Learning, 27 May 2007
I have found this book very useful for new change consultants who are venturing out into a global environment, this at least prepares people to think about cultural norms and the way in which certain societies generally view the world, get along with each other and make decisions.. Be cautioned this is not an approach to stereotype cultures, rather to provide the student with an understanding of the normal cultural drivers.

It is not a cookbook of how-to's. It a research report into how cultural differences underlay everything you want to accomplish.

While the book is titled Cultures and Organisations, it is really about ethnic cultures, not corporate cultures.

If you are working in a multi cultural or international environment then this is a must. Success in an international environment only occurs when you possess cultural sensitivity. This book is a fantastic introduction into the world of international cultures




At last, something useful and based upon data rather than conjecture, 31 Aug 2006
I rarely write reviews of books on Amazon, this one however has made me want to recommend it.
The authors have managed to sum up some key differences between cultures, describe them clearly and advise on how to handle them based upon these 'dimensions' such as the extent to which a culture is individualist or collectivist.
In my travels I have picked up a lot of the data presented here through personal experience, but I could not present it back clearly into 'when in Rome do as the Romans do' type advice.
This book does. Simply and clearly, as soon as you've got past the data and the language style, there are some gems to be found.
The second best in this topic area (following in first place Trompenaars work 'Riding the Waves').

Excellent, 20 Dec 2005
Hofstede is, of course, the pioneer of culture studies in business and organizations. This book is a simpler and more accessible version of the more comprehensive - but also more difficult, 'Culture's Consequences'.

He begins with an excellent overview of culture and its levels and explains the concept of cultural `dimensions' - aspects of culture that can differentiate and measure differences among different cultural groups. The book then proceeds to present the four dimensions of culture that he identified as a result of a massive survey he conducted on IBM employees in 72 countries in 1968 and again in 1972. Additional data was later collected from other countries and populations, outside IBM, and used to verify and enhance the original results.

However, in this book, Hofstede discusses his four original dimensions of culture: Power Distance; Uncertainty Avoidance; Individualism & Collectivism; and finally Masculinity & Femininity. The fifth dimension which was later added based on results from the Far East and Asia - Long- versus Short-Term Orientation - is not discussed in this book. Despite that, it remains a very valuable and highly readable introduction to the topic from the man who pioneered the field and popularized it among business people, multinationals and business researchers alike.

Hofstede also uses these dimensions of culture to 'classify' organizations to different types according to where they fall on the Power Distance vs. Uncertainty Avoidance grid. The discussion is highly informative and touches on Mintzberg's theories as well typical models of organization in different cultures. In Part Four, he discusses how intercultural encounters are affected by these dimensions and how awareness and acceptance of these differences can yield more effective results.

Monumental piece of work on differences in cultures, 12 Aug 2005
Geert Hofstede is Emeritus Professor at Maastricht University in The Netherlands. He was Professor of Organisational Anthropology and International Management at the University of Limburg (which was later re-named Maastricht University). He is the founder and first director of the Institute for Research on Intercultural Cooperation (IRIC), where a lot of the research used in this book comes from. This paperback version was published 3 years after the hardcover and includes some updated references to political events. This book is largely an extension to Hofstede's 1980-book 'Culture's Consequences'. The book consists of 4 parts.

Part I - Introduction, consists of one chapter, and lays the foundation for the remainder of the book by introducing the meaning of 'culture' and a small vocabulary of essential terms. He also discusses the objective of the book: "to help in dealing with the differences in thinking, feeling, and acting of people around the globe. It will show that although the variety in people's minds is enormous, there is a structure in this variety which can serve as a basis for mutual understanding." With reference to the definition of culture, we need to understand the book's subtitle first. 'Software of the mind' is patterns of thinking, feeling and acting (which were learned throughout a lifetime). Hofstede's definition of culture is "the collective programming of the mind which distinguishes the members of one group or category of peopl