The authors are very aware that no generalizations apply to all residents of a nation, and are careful not to stereotype or judge. Highly recommended to any business traveler--or any student of the diversity of human cultures.
(Note: a great companion volume for this book is Gestures, which is devoted entirely to explaining the varieties of hand gestures in 82 countries!)
Additional chapters on Austria, Belize, Ireland, South Africa, and Vietnam
The most comprehensive, authoritative text of its kind, the first edition of this invaluable reference guide has won a following among high-ranking military officials, influential corporate executives, and business school professors alike. This new edition, with its wealth of revised material and discussions of current hot topics, is proof that such a classic only gets better with time.
Customer Reviews:
Understanding.......2007-06-18
This is an excellent resource to assist those of us who live in the United States to better understand and relate to individuals from other countries. Behaviors are very often driven by culture. I use this with Homestay families when I place students from other countries in their homes.
A Quick Reference on Cross Cultural Sensitivities.......2007-05-19
I run leadership programs for high potential Fortune 500 women in NYC, Boston and NJ and I meet so many talented men and women from Eastern Europe, Europe, South America, Asia, South America and even Iceland. This book gives me a quick reference on business culture, mores, traditions and social culture. I know these get out of date quickly but it's sure better than not knowing and allows you to be more responsive.
Dubious advice at best.......2007-04-25
I lived in South East Asia for nearly 12 years including over 8 of them in Indonesia. From tiny villages in Java with just under 30 families to the skyscrapers of Jakarta, running industrial projects and developing business. I even gained a native level fluency of the language.
At no time during that entire period did I EVER find an Indonesian who would hesitate to tell me "no". They can say it, do say, and even have a few different words for it. The only time I've ever seen someone suck air between their teeth is when they've eaten something really hot.
It's naive to think a single book or individual can cover the customs of 60 countries. Having spent considerable time in one geographic region with my feet on the ground for years in nearly a dozen countries, I couldn't even begin to start to explain the cultural traits and habits of maybe four or five of those countries.
Find yourself a real cultural etiquette book that focuses on the specific country you want to visit, and forget this superficial treatment that looks like a rehash of every other general cultural etiquette book I've ever read.
Another inaccuracy .......2007-03-30
Perhaps many of the people who are rating the book so highly did not take the "cultural IQ" quizzes. I took the one for Spain, a country I have visited. The answers were correct in identifying the Prado as being in Madrid, but the last time I visited the Alhambra, it was in Granada, not Toledo (where the book puts it). That's quite a distance to move a major cultural landmark!
Kiss Bow or Shake Hands.......2007-01-12
Excellent reference book. Especially useful if you do international business of any kind.
Amazon.com
Men ask for what they want twice as often as women do and initiate negotiation four times more, report economist Linda Babcock and writer Sara Laschever in the footnoted but engaging Women Don't Ask. With vivid research examples drawn from cradle, classroom and playground, the authors detail culture as the culprit in discouraging women from negotiating on their own behalf.
Men, socialized in a "scrappier paradigm," learn to pursue and energize their goals at work and home. The two key elements are control and recognizing opportunity. For example, girls, rewarded for hard work, learn to see control as outside of themselves while boys are urged to take charge. Boys are schooled to recognize opportunity and girls to choose safe targets.
Several chapters are focused on prescription; how women can decrease anxiety, anticipate roadblocks, plan counter-moves and resist conceding too much or too soon. The authors shine in their examination of culture and gender--and their optimism about how women can counter the culture. They falter whenever they adopt the "sexes-from-a-different-planet" fallacy. Most notably, in a chapter that details a "female approach" to negotiating. Overall, the authors have created a smart summary of research and used it to affirm every woman's urgent right to ask. --Barbara Mackoff
Book Description
When Linda Babcock asked why so many male graduate students were teaching their own courses and most female students were assigned as assistants, her dean said: "More men ask. The women just don't ask." It turns out that whether they want higher salaries or more help at home, women often find it hard to ask. Sometimes they don't know that change is possible--they don't know that they can ask. Sometimes they fear that asking may damage a relationship. And sometimes they don't ask because they've learned that society can react badly to women asserting their own needs and desires.
By looking at the barriers holding women back and the social forces constraining them, Women Don't Ask shows women how to reframe their interactions and more accurately evaluate their opportunities. It teaches them how to ask for what they want in ways that feel comfortable and possible, taking into account the impact of asking on their relationships. And it teaches all of us how to recognize the ways in which our institutions, child-rearing practices, and unspoken assumptions perpetuate inequalities--inequalities that are not only fundamentally unfair but also inefficient and economically unsound.
With women's progress toward full economic and social equality stalled, women's lives becoming increasingly complex, and the structures of businesses changing, the ability to negotiate is no longer a luxury but a necessity. Drawing on research in psychology, sociology, economics, and organizational behavior as well as dozens of interviews with men and women from all walks of life, Women Don't Ask is the first book to identify the dramatic difference between men and women in their propensity to negotiate for what they want. It tells women how to ask, and why they should.
Customer Reviews:
Women Don't Ask.......2007-10-14
To say I was a little disappointed with this book is probably an understatement.
I was expecting a hybrid of the psychology behind why women don't ask and coaching or mentoring points (checklist if you like) of actions and strategies to improve.
This is not what I found.
The book was interesting to some degree but it was difficult to pinpoint actions or strategies for improvement, they weren't spelled out in easy to read format, nor were they easy to identify.
Eye opening.......2007-01-21
I am interviewing for a post-graduate job and I asked a successful woman in my field for some negotiating advice. She recommended this book. Ironically, I always considered myself a good negotiator. Yet, as I read this book, it mirrored so many situations where I made tactical negotiation mistakes with regards to my own personal gain. A must read for women, in any stage of their career.
Should be required reading for women before interviewing.......2007-01-10
This book is full of eye-opening thoughts that I found so crucial to my own sense of empowerment as I faced post-graduate school job negotiation opportunities. There are so many things I would never have thought of as options to set on the negotiating table, not to mention so many things about how I behave, what my expectations are for myself, and how they differ from those of a typical male perspective. Even though I am educated in a human social science field and consider myself a liberal woman, I had A LOT to learn from this book. I liked the mix of examples of diverse individual women's experiences along with data from the authors' and others' relevant studies.
Ladies, you'll love this book!.......2007-01-04
I love this book! A must read for any career woman. It was recommended by my mentor at work. I wish I had read it earlier in my career, but I'm thankful I've read it now.
Interesting read supported by substantial data.......2006-12-30
Women Don't Ask is a book that attempts to discover the reasons behind the documented inequity between women and men in the workplace. The book is especially interested in the reasons that women are paid less than men for the same work. The authors' basic conclusion is that women get paid less and get promoted less because not only do they not ask for more pay, pay raises, and promotions, but because they are conditioned to expect less.
The book is not judgmental nor does it make sweeping generalizations, but rather cites many case studies as well as research experiments that prove that women are less likely to negotiate than men. The book explores the many cultural factors that condition women to avoid negotiation while encouraging men to negotiate. The authors do not blame or complain--they merely explore the reasons that women, of all ages, are less likely to negotiate in the workplace. For example, the authors note that young girls are usually given indoor chores around the house, such as doing dishes and vacuuming. Young boys, on the other hand, are more likely to be assigned chores such as mowing the lawn, washing cars, and shoveling the driveway. The authors point out that the types of jobs that boys are given are ones that can be used to make money--boys will be able to offer to mow lawns for neighbors for a fee, a fee that usually is negotiated. The types of household chores that girls are given, however, are not usually done for neighbors for a fee. Therefore, boys often learn to negotiate for pay from a young age.
The authors also look at some of the real and perceived negative consequences when women do negotiate that make women's negotiation ineffective and unsuccessful.
This book can help women to understand their fear of negotiation, help men to understand why they sometimes feel taken aback by a woman who negotiates, and help women to find ways to be more comfortable and confident in their negotiation skills.
I found this book extremely beneficial in that it helps me to understand why others around me act as they do, and I can see how these behaviors are shaped by so many aspects of our culture rather than by one gender being "right" or "wrong," "good" or "bad." Kudos to these authors for shedding light on such a neglected topic.
Book Description
"This is an important and excellent book for every negotiator." -The Negotiator Magazine
The premier guidebook for conducting cross-cultural business
Doing Business Internationally, Second Edition, is a nontechnical, accessible resource for managing today's multicultural organizations. Revised, restructured, and refocused from its classic first edition, it introduces the revolutionary Cultural Orientations Inventory (COI), a unique and valuable tool for identifying critical skills gaps and practicing style-switching, potentially increasing effectiveness and improving performance.
This fully updated edition revisits the first edition's groundbreaking strategies and techniques, plus presents new tools developed in conjunction with Harvard University, Columbia University, AT&T, and other leading universities and corporations.
- Concentrates on team building, executive development, problem solving, and other essential activities
- Features management and negotiation tips for global leaders
- Provides in-depth analyses of six key global regions
Customer Reviews:
Excellent book for learning more about managing multicultural organisations........2006-08-28
This is an excellent book for learning more about managing multicultural organisations. Already in its second edition after being first published in 1995, it has improved. The COM or Cultural Orientation Model integrates all the cultural dimensions of famous authors Hofstede, Hampden-Turner and Trompenaars, Stewart and Bennett/Rhinesmith, Kluckhohn and Strondtbeck/Hall and Edwart Hall into a cartwheel.
Though the authors are very much pro-convergence (even claiming in Chapter 1 that Global harmonization of consumer buying preferences will dominate certain industry-goods and services-sectors.) as to Globalization they manage to build up a comprehensive argument about the high role of culture in the process of organizational globalization.
Busy international managers could find the approach of breaking the complexities of cultural differences into value orientations a bit theoretical in the absence of case examples and critical incidents. There are some good case studies in chapter 4:A Survey of Cultural Patterns but there are too few of them in the whole book. In fact more of these would have helped in getting a vital point accross that cultural boundaries are not national boundaries. For people involved in designing performance management systems and strategic planning in multicultural organisations this book is highly recommended reading. HR-practitioners in multicultural organizations would also benefit from reading this book.
Which type is to become a global manager?.......2001-01-22
Recently I wrote a book about multinational management published in 1968. After finishing this book, I realized that the conflicts between multicultural and multinational difference are stands still under the similar managerial circumstance, though we are living in the digital-dominated world. So I studied this book compared with its' phenomenon as described in "International Management". Keeping a flexible communication skill in multinational-cultural is the key factor to achieve meaningful outcome. For this, the open-minded, instructive and far-sighted personality required first. When they acknowledged difference not wrong each other, they can start to talk about what they want for negotiation, next proceed to persuade or yield a little. This means the more internationalized people there as a matchmaker, the more the company benefited from them. Then how to get Mr. Right for global manager? They all born naturally? Or trained? Both are all right. Person who has got global brain with digital management skill (as Mr. Bill Gatz called) must appeal to adapt extreme change and more action to cope with international risky problem. They could continue to get or lose by trial and error and learned what's the best, step by step and case by case. There are no standard learning system to teach them. That's not the lost rather than investment for human resources for each company ultimately. If you are would-be-global manager or second-rate reginal manager or have a dream of international manager, read this book and write down and analyze what's your strong/weak point more carefully. Then take into action to the first-rate global manager. If anyone who is in a top-management read, they can set effective multinational goal to come and get. How about students or average person? Of course, they will be fine.
Valuable guide to building a successful worldwide company........1998-10-11
This book should be on the desk of every marketing and human resources manager involved in foreign trade. It is not only for larger companies that have already built a global sales network. It is also for beginners who should consider these cross-cultural factors BEFORE they start selling their goods and services in overseas markets. John R. Jagoe, Director, Export Institute.
Book Description
Turn East-West Relations Into Win-Win Situations
China has more than one billion people. That's one billion potential customers. China Now is your must-have guide to this exciting world of opportunity, written by a top corporate advisor and a renowned business professor who specialize in East-West business strategy. Together, Mark Lam and John Graham have worked with dozens of Fortune 500 companies and thousands of American and Chinese executives, and now share with you their most successful strategies, tactics, and insights.
A comprehensive all-in-one tour of the world's fastest growing market, China Now is filled with everything you need to know about China's people, negotiation styles, culture, history, economics, and business dealings. You'll learn how to plan, where to go, and who to visit for the best results. And, unlike other books on the market, you'll discover the key differences between various regions and businesses that could make or break the deal.
China Now includes:
- The best regions to do business
- Nonverbal cues and culture-based signals
- Important travel, meeting, and personnel tips
- Laws and regulations on customs, foreign trade, and investment
- Protecting your intellectual property rights
Even if you've read Sun Tsu's The Art of War, this book will help you master the art of peaceful negotiations-and establish long-term partnerships that profit everyone involved. The advice you'll find here is not only invaluable; it's absolutely essential to the future of your business.
Customer Reviews:
Interesting book worth the read.......2007-09-28
This is an interesting book well worth reading, especially if you are doing business in China or plan to do so.
Excellent guide for business negotiation in China!.......2007-07-05
The book is a page turner. China joined the WTO in 2001. With the upcoming Beijing Olympic Games in 2008 and Shanghai World Expo in 2010, China provided fantastic opportunities for multinational enterprises.
The comparisons on negotiation style between Japanese, Korean, Taiwanese, Hong Kong and Chinese managers, were covered in details. It is the best part of the book. This is a must read for all American CEOs.
With the new leadership, Mr. Hu Jintao as president and thousands of revised laws, China is moving out of the corrupt-country list eventually.
In Northeast of China, 4,000 Japanese companies set up shops in Dalian, Harbin is the little Moscow, and Shenyang got investments from South Korean firms. In 2006 Putin approved the oil pipeline from Siberia to Daqing (an old oil field in China), costing $11 to $16 billion USD. Again, opportunities are everywhere!
A good example was given on GreenTree Inn in Shanghai, a hotel chain established by a Californian Chinese. He suffered much on his dealings with the Chinese government red tapes. But at the end, he prevailed. The three keys to his success are: guanxi, patience and persistence.
US and China needed each other. China is no longer just an export country like Germany. China is quickly becoming a vast market for American and global brand-name products. In China, the 300 million middle-class population, is the ultimate consumer power. This number is increasing every year.
The book provided too much history on the Asian countries and it will be better if more real life success stories are covered.
Good Time to Learn Mandarin.......2007-07-05
Every time I visit Shanghai, I become more convinced that this is the Chinese Century, much as the last century was dominated by America and the 19th Century by Britain. I picked up a copy of this book at Hongqiao Airport en route to Beijing and finished it within days.
The authors clearly know their stuff, and despite repeating themselves throughout the text, present a compelling case for respecting Chinese culture and learning how to conduct business differently than the typical American practices. I found their comments on intellectual property rights to be particularly insightful and convincing. Their argument that China (or any other country) will not be motivated to respect other countries' IP rights until they themselves have IP they want to protect is supported by the history of Taiwan, Japan and the US.
Anyone who wants to do business in China will benefit by reading this book. Since China is quickly becoming our biggest trading partner and will someday soon have an economy larger than the US, learning some Mandarin wouldn't hurt either.
Great information and insight with intriguing statistics.......2007-02-25
Sun Tzu said "Know yourself, know your enemy, and you will win every battle." This book provides the readers with a key to the critical success factors of conducting business in China. It contains much pertinent information to help understand the people and the culture that drive the business culture in China. As a former expat manager in Asia for a major American telecom company, I found incredible knowledge, intriguing numbers, and insight in this book, and I highly recommend this book for anyone that wants to grow their business or career with the Chinese economy.
China Now--For Businessman and Layman.......2007-02-18
China Now is a sweeping and practical guidebook for those intending to engage in the formidable challenge of conducting business activities in China. The authors possess first-hand experience which will benefit entrepreneurs as well as corporate executives. There is ample `hands-on' step-by-step guidance, by region, with an emphasis on negotiation preparation, techniques and styles, and approaches to the drafting of contracts and relevant cultural insights. Extensive discussions regarding intellectual property protection with important historical perspective--harking back to the years when Americans provided very lax protection for IP-- provide the reader with an understanding of the opposing views of today. There is also considerable discussion of the existing International IP agreements and the progress made in this area. The various sectors of China's high technology and research and development are surveyed, along with the expanding harbor and container capacity, power supply and information management systems, and air and ground transportation systems.
A brief review of rural China suggests the possibilities for investment by labor intensive industries in these geographical areas that have not significantly shared in the new Chinese economy. There are summaries of the Chinese governmental structures and legal profession, their functions, powers and interrelationships, formal and informal, with discussions of the consequences for foreign business. Useful anecdotal references are sprinkled throughout.
China Now presents historical and cultural perspectives that are lacking in many public portrayals of the nation. China's unforgotten bitter experiences with foreign powers in the 19th and first half of the 20th Centuries are surveyed. The book also offers a present day assessment of the contentious issue of U.S. impediments to trade with China. The authors emphatically set forth their views of the importance of the unimpeded flow of trade for the promotion of mutually beneficial international relations.
In addition to its value for business investors, China Now affords a very useful set of perspectives for the general reader who wants a fuller understanding of the world's `other giant.' It covers not only the principal sectors of China proper (Northeast China, Beijing and Tianjin, Shanghai, the Pearl River Delta (including Hong Kong) and Rural China), Singapore and Taiwan and their economic relations with China, but also addresses the economic importance of the Chinese Diaspora. Historical, cultural and economic relations between North and South Korea and northeast China are also discussed.
Through a portrayal of the evolving business face of China, and its cultural underpinnings, the book serves as a counterbalance to the customary more-or-less dominant focus on the political and military aspects of relations with China. The general reader will find an informative picture of the extensive involvement of Western and Japanese capital investment and business activities in China, Sino-Russian trade and economic cooperation and the growing South Korean investment in northeast China. The mutuality of international economic interests is made quite clear.
America's understanding of China is too important to be left to business people and political operatives alone. China Now can help to bring such understanding to the general electorate. A phrase appearing near the end of China Now: "China and the United States need each other," states an important premise of the book. If this phrase is true and remains true, it is a basis for optimism.
Edward Lindsay
Certified Public Accountant
Member California State Bar (Inactive)
Fountain Valley, California
Book Description
In today's global business environment, an executive must have the skills to navigate all stages of an international deal. The Global Negotiator provides business executives with exactly these skills and knowledge. Whereas most books on nego-tiation end when the deal is made, Jeswald Salacuse guides the reader from the first handshake through the intricacies of making an international joint venture succeed and prosper-or, should things go poorly, how to get out of a deal gone wrong. By illustrating the many ways in which an international deal may falter and the methods parties can use to save it; by providing the necessary technical knowledge, such as putting together letters of credit and a variety of legal agreements; and by exploring the tranformations of the international business landscape over the last decade, The Global Negotiator is an invaluable tool for the international bus-iness person.
Customer Reviews:
Outstanding.......2003-07-14
Roger Fisher, Director of the Harvard Negotiation Project and author of Getting to Yes, has written for the book jacket that The Global Negotiator "...is the best book I know to help business negotiators expand their skills to meet the needs of negotiating internationally." It is high praise and well deserved.
The author, Jeswald W. Salacuse, is the Henry J. Braker Professor of Law at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University, and a member of the Steering Committee of the Harvard Program on Negotiations. Professor Salacuse has an extensive background in international negotiations. He has participated in negotiations involving persons from over forty countries, spent years living abroad and explored the field of global negotiations through research and teaching involving hundreds of international executives, lawyers and officials.
This is a guidebook about "making, managing, and mending international business transactions" (p.viii). Its aim, Professor Salacuse tells his reader, "...is to equip business executives, students, lawyers and government officials to navigate each of these stages effectively" (p.3).
Unlike most books on the art of negotiating, Professor Salacuse goes far beyond making the deal and gives careful attention to managing and repairing deals once made. It is, therefore, a work with special insight and value for the negotiator. Let us examine some of these insights.
The central issue in global negotiations, Professor Salacuse tells the reader, is about the nature of the deal itself. "Is it a contract or a relationship?" (p. 20).
The answer to this seemingly simple issue should be at the heart of the preparation for any negotiation. Alas, far too often, it is a topic casually addressed by negotiators. Ideally, it should be both a relationship and a contract in most deals.
In fact, however, in American practice the contract often takes the central focus. As unfortunate as this approach may be, its problems are amplified in an international arena in which the goal of a potential partner in a negotiation may be a relationship and the contract is secondary. Neglecting that core difference in expectations may not only destroy the possibility of reaching a deal, but also imperil the success of future fulfillment of any agreement reached by the parties. Without clarity on this matter, any agreement may be founded on the most fatal of flaws: the failure of the parties to have a meeting of the minds.
"A deal is a prediction. A negotiation is always about the future," Professor Salacuse states (p.62). It is a true statement about all deals whether local or global, but particularly significant in the cross-cultural environment.
The wise negotiator recognizes that negotiators are "inherently incapable of predicting all of the events and conditions that may affect their transactions in the future" (p.65). Additionally, due to resource constraints and cultural differences, the understandings and expectations of the parties are rarely capable of being fully captured in the written contract. Given these factors, Salacuse concludes, may be "more realistic to think of the transaction as a continuing negotiation" rather than a deal fixed in time. (pp.185-186).
"Various studies," Professor Salacuse writes, " have found that between 33 percent and 70 percent of international alliances surveyed eventually broke up" (p.194). Given this record, the author approaches international negotiations and agreements as encompassing three distinct, but closely related essential areas: making the deal, managing the deal and mending the deal. His approach is cross-cultural, practical and insightful.
The global negotiator will find a lengthy and thorough guide to preparing and negotiating international agreements. The author takes the reader through such matters as selecting the place for the negotiations to recognizing and managing the many cultural differences that will be encountered and need to be overcome in an international deal. We find advice on handling cultural barriers ranging from concepts of time and differences in styles to the structure of the deal itself.
Additionally, the author examines such critical matters as who's law will apply, dealing with foreign government officials at the table, and the complexities as moving money and sharing risk among the parties. It is a wide-ranging and complete exploration of the field.
Importantly, Professor Salacuse moves from negotiating the deal to examinations of managing and mending international agreements. Treated for clarity as separate sections, these topics are intended as elements to be explored and included in the negotiation of the basic agreement itself. How will the parties manage the relationship is a critical question. There is valuable advice on planning for this process in the second section of his work.
In the last section of his work, the author turns to the third vital area of global negotiations: deal mending and dispute resolution. If we know that disputes and changed circumstances are probable, then prudent negotiators need to include methods of handling these matters in their original agreement.
Professor Salacuse explores three types of renegotiations that are expectable in the life cycle of the deal: post deal, intra deal, extra deal (p.229). He then turns his attention to the need for the parties to plan and incorporate into the deal method for resolving disputes. Here, the author again provides a thorough discussion of the operation, benefits and disadvantages of the international dispute resolution options along a continuum ranging from negotiation through mediation to arbitration and finally to adjudication. It is a valuable review.
Readers will find a rich appendix section, including a top-notch global negotiator's checklist, a detailed primer on international business transactions and an extensive bibliography of suggested further reading.
Truly, as Roger Fisher concluded, "this is the best book" in its field.
My highest recommendation.
John D. Baker, Ph.D.
Editor, The Negotiator Magazine
Book Description
The China market is increasingly important for multinational companies. However, it is also extremely tough and challenging. In this invaluable guidebook, How to Do Business in China, Dr. Michael Shen shares his intensive in-the-field experience, addressing China's business and cultural environment, how to get up and run China operations, how to grow the China market, and even how to manage traveling and living in China.
Customer Reviews:
Plenty of practical cultural insights alongside business savvy.......2005-08-07
The China market offers much promise to multinational companies, but it's also a tough one to break into - that's why the experience of one who has been there and achieved such breakthroughs is so invaluable. How To Do Business In China shares Shen's own experiences, covering such basics as how to set up China operations, reach into and grow the Chinese market, and how to travel and live in the country. From initial visits and possible side-tracking when the red carpet's rolled out to later growth and development, there's plenty of practical cultural insights alongside business savvy.
Engaging China business with Dr. Shen's Advice.......2004-08-27
Dr. Shen¡¦s unique and outstanding service in Chinese has made this book a great success. The author came to China at the ¡§right time¡¨ just when China made the landmark decision in 1992 to revert to a market economy. As a senior manager charged with P/L responsibilities and BU of China operations for prominent US multinationals, the author had the rare opportunities to interact with senior government officials and gained insights few others could. He accumulated many precious ¡§hands-on¡¨ business experiences that are shared in the book, including how to manage traveling and expatriate living in China. Two of his many precious advices are critical for a successful business operation in China. First, he rightly draws our attention to the need to appreciate the Chinese culture. We are reminded to appreciate the host country¡¦s ¡§social capital¡¨ and turn it to your advantage, not merely limited to its ¡§intellectual¡¨ capital and other soft and hard business environment. Second, his caution that one should not take the sweet commitments of local governments for granted is also well taken. Intense competitive pressure to woo foreign businesses can drive local governments out of the boundary of their legal authority. Lastly, the book is worthy of a serious reading because the author has done it, judged from his successful record in China, one that could not have been earned simply with a sound business plan. Indeed, Dr Shen is one of the early pioneers in the Chinese land for foreign businesses. This book is a must read for anyone aspiring to venture a business in the Middle Kingdom.
This commentator was a senior World Bank economic officer who had stationed in Beijing, China during 1992-97.
Cream of Blood and Sweat.......2004-07-27
A very down to the earth book on China Market.
No philophical or theories on the China Puzzel, but a very inside explanation on the real life,culture,politics and a lot of --between the line--explanation on the business world.
Utilizing his American Chinese background, Dr.Shen has suceessfully given his American readers an birds eye view of this misty and often misunderstood China Market.
A must read manual for China Bound Businessman or Businesswoman.
Book Description
This book, by East-West marketing consultant Chin-ning Chu, is must reading for any Westerner in business, government, or academia who negotiates in the Orient or wants to.
It is the first to reveal to Westerners the deep secrets of the Asian psyche that influence Asian behavior in business, politics, lifestyle, and battle.
Ms. Chu points out that Asian mind games have become so finely tuned over the centuries that Americans seldom realize that Asians view the marketplace (and by extension, the world) as a battlefield, and act accordingly.
She has extracted the principles of successful negotiations from centuries-old Chinese texts that have influenced all of Asia, and provides her readers with examples of their application in the modern world.
In the Western world, the ability to formulate cunning and subtle strategies for getting your own way in business, politics, and everyday life is regarded as a matter of intuition. In Asia, however, strategic thinking is a formal discipline studied by people from all walks of life. Amazing as it may seem, contemporary Asians base their outlook and behavior on the teachings of the ancients. In China, even children are familiar with the "36 Strategies," formulated by Sun Tzu, a famous military strategist, in the fourth century B.C.
Throughout Asia today, business people as well as political figures study Sun Tzu's Art of War and apply its strategies to all their activities, while Americans read The One-Minute Manager and All I Really Need to Know I Learned In Kindergarten. No wonder, Ms. Chu comments, that when it comes to business and political negotiations, the Chinese refer to Americans with a word that means "innocent children."
Ms. Chu brilliantly analyses how Chinese thought and culture have affected Japan, Korea, and Taiwan, and how Japanese conquest and culture have had their effect on the rest of Asia.
With United States trade and political alliances shifting increasingly to the Pacific rim, it becomes ever more urgent to understand the Asian mind. Ms. Chu, born in China and educated in Taiwan, spells out the makeup of the Asian psyche as no Westerner could.
Customer Reviews:
Helpful, not just for anyone doing business in Asia.......2007-04-10
I just got back from China as an English teacher, granted I taught in a small city which automatically gave me the celebrity status, but after reading this book all I can say is I wish I picked this up before I went to China in the first place.
For those who want to understand the "Art of War" and the "36 Strategies" this is a good book to learn how it applies not only to war and business, but also to other aspects of working in China. It explained many inner workings about how things are done.
As for the "stereotypes", of course they are not 100% true. But it's a good idea to read her views on the Chinese mind set to understand some of the cultural and historical influences that are shaping China of today. Being there, I met many people older than me who still have been influenced by the Cold War and Mao's "anti-imperialist" propoganda. Many of the youths I met still hate the Japanese with a passion.
Of course, I've only read the 1988 publication of the book, so it doesn't factor in many huge changes in Chinese hisotry, such as the reutrn of Hong Kong and Macau to China or even the alliance with the Communist party and the Nationalist party in Taiwan. You will find no references to the 50 year plan of one country, two systems they use to ease Hong Kong and Macau back into Mainland territory.
My only problem with this book is that even though she writes about the many cultural problems that Westerners will face going in these countries, she doesn't give many good suggestions as to how to surmount them. To tell you the truth, if I ever go back to China, this book does sometimes make me feel paranoid not knowing who is friend or foe.
Asian Mind Game.......2005-12-15
A very informative and helpful book to understand cultures and the way business is conducted
The Asian Mind Game.......2005-09-08
Without question this is one of the most incisive books written about living and working with Asians, especially the Chinese and Japanese. Put this together with some knowledge of Group Dynamics and you will have two very powerful tools to engage in business with Asians.
Flawed but helpful.......2005-02-26
Yes, the book is unsubtle, as some reviewers have complained. And the stereotypes are exaggerated. They're also a bit dated, since the book was written in 1991 -- before China's private economy had blossomed, before Taiwan and Korea had become such important high-tech centers, and before Japan went bust.
The book also sensationalizes the degree to which people may be trying to deceive you, and the degree to which this deceit is based on your being a Westerner. Often the deceit, when it happens, is just a cultural way of dealing with embarrassment.
But when I was a beginner with Asia, I found this book a helpful eye-opener. I'd never heard of "The 36 Stratagems", which another reviewer calls tedious (this was before Asian video games based on Chinese military classics became popular here). It turned out that just about all educated East Asian people I met, men and women, knew them to some degree. The book also describes some relevant differences among East Asian cultures - a cure for the usual Western point of view that lumps Japanese, Koreans, Chinese and others all into one "Asian" category.
By now, most of my time in the past 9-10 years has been spent involved with East Asia and East Asian people. This has been at both a business and personal level, including through marriage and working for a Japanese company. From that perspective, I can also say the book's lack of political correctness and its hype about military strategy are kind of virtues.
How? On its surface, the book is about Asian-Western interactions. But underneath, the book illustrates a lot about how people from different Asian cultures regard each other, both cross-culturally and intraculturally.
Chairman Mao may have used the phrase "politically correct" from time to time, but in its current form it's a Western concept, and a recent one at that. It's also something that comes easier to the lips than to the heart or mind. My friends from Asian countries are usually more direct -- they often express quite stereotypical (and negative) views about people from neighboring countries, even when they make exceptions for individuals. More than once has some really balanced or sweet person mentioned to me after a pause, "But you know, I really can't stand people from X."
Business practices and politics often can be pretty manipulative even against colleagues within the same company. (Watch just about any Japanese TV drama about office life, if you don't have a chance to experience the real thing.) And I've run into plenty of East Asian managers and executives who think they're great strategists in the style of the Chinese classics, even though in fact they're about as clumsy as you or I would be.
Read this book with a grain of salt. But you can definitely benefit from having read it.
An interesting read.......2004-07-13
This is a frank discussion of the Oriental mind-set by an Oriental living in the US. I found the historic context quite fascinating. I had heard about the "The Art of War" and it was nice to get some background as well as a summary. I particulary liked the historic illustrations of use of the strategies.
Insights into business etiquette, social hierarchy and what to be aware of in each of the regions is given.
Since the book was written (1990) the economic miracle of Japan has stalled, so it would be interesting to get an update as to how the attitudes of workers may have changed in the intervening period where job security is no longer assured.
Average customer rating:
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Collection of ICC Arbitral Awards, 1974-1985 (Publication (International Chamber of Commerce), No 433, 514.)
Sigvard Jarvin
Manufacturer: Springer
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ASIN: 9065443975 |
Book Description
This book analyzes the evolution of India as a major global economic player and what it takes to succeed in the Indian business environment. Kumar and Sethi describe the Indian political, socio-cultural, and economic environment, exposing the constraints and opportunities that the environment poses for the foreign investor. They also reveal the strategies of success for the foreign investor in India. Examples of both successful as well as unsuccessful attempts to penetrate the Indian market are provided.
Customer Reviews:
Getting ready to do business in India.......2007-09-21
Well written, interesting and easy to read. Of particular interest to me was the section on working with the government. Also the book was consistent with what I learned at a business course at Cal Tech on the same topic. Good choice for anyone interested in both the business and cultural aspects of doing business in India.
Good information for Americans from the Indian perspective.......2007-01-04
This book covers all the major issues that Americans (and "Westerners" in general) will confront when doing business in India. I liked the thoroughness of the authors and their understanding of both perspectives. I am sure it will help me in my travels there as my company seeks to increase our presence in this market.
Worthwhile, though not breezy, insight into India.......2006-06-01
This short book first explores India's history and cultural background, and then provides guidelines for doing business in India. The historical background may seem remote from day-to-day business considerations, but, in fact, it is essential to understanding the apparent anomalies of Indian negotiating styles, management behavior, government policies and so forth. getAbstract urges readers to be patient with the book's small type and sometimes convoluted sentence structure, for if you are, you will discover much to reward you. The authors examine business challenges in India, including strategic planning, personnel management, government relations, negotiations and conflict resolution. Any manager investing in, working in or outsourcing to India will find this book very useful.
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Investment Disputes Under Nafta: An Annotated Guide to Nafta Chapter 11
Andrea Bjorklund
Manufacturer: Kluwer Law International
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Foreign Investment Disputes: Cases, Materials And Commentary
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