Full summary of the book
Cross-Cultural Management: An
Introduction (2022)
by
Thomas, D.C., and Inkson, K.
For the course
Comparative Management 2024
-2025
At
University Maastricht
,Contents
1 Chapter 1: The international manager........................................................................................... 3
1.1 Describe globalization.............................................................................................................. 4
1.2 Identify the influence of information technology on international management.......................4
1.3 Explain the connections between the economic and political contexts of business..................4
1.4 Understand the influence of migration on the global workforce...............................................5
1.5 Outline how the global context of international management affects managers' work............6
2 Chapter 2: Describing Cultures...................................................................................................... 9
2.1 Explain the concept of culture.................................................................................................. 9
2.2 Outline the characteristics of societal culture........................................................................ 10
2.3 Illustrate the sources of societal culture................................................................................. 10
2.4 Discuss the debates around the concept of culture................................................................11
2.5 Express the relationship of culture to social groups...............................................................13
3 Chapter 3: Comparing Cultures.................................................................................................... 15
3.1 Describe the key ways in which national cultures differ.........................................................15
3.2 Explain the differences between cultural values and personal values....................................15
3.3 Discuss the concept of cultural distance and its relevance to management...........................15
3.4 Examine the limitations for management of considering culture only in relation to nationality
.................................................................................................................................................... 15
3.5 Outline the basics of predicting and responding appropriately to others' culturally based
behaviour.................................................................................................................................... 15
3.1 Ways in which national cultures differ.................................................................................... 15
3.2 Individualism vs. Collectivism................................................................................................ 19
3.3 Social Axioms......................................................................................................................... 20
3.4 Culture as a source of guidance............................................................................................. 21
3.5 Cultural Distance................................................................................................................... 21
4. Chapter 4. How Culture Works.................................................................................................... 21
4.1 Social Cognition..................................................................................................................... 22
4.2 Cultural Schemas................................................................................................................... 22
4.3 Cultural Scripts and Norms.................................................................................................... 23
4.5 Selective Perception............................................................................................................... 24
4.6 Stereotypical expectations..................................................................................................... 24
4.7 Differential Attributions.......................................................................................................... 25
4.8 Cross-Cultural Interaction Model............................................................................................ 26
4.9 Self-Schemas and Motivation................................................................................................. 26
5. Chapter 5: Cross-Cultural Decision making................................................................................. 27
5.1 Rational Decision Making....................................................................................................... 27
5.2 Decision Styles and biases in decision making....................................................................... 29
5.3 Ethical Dilemmas in Decision Making..................................................................................... 30
6. Chapter 6 Communicating and Negotiating across cultures........................................................34
, 6.1 Cross-Cultural Communication Process.................................................................................. 34
6.2 Communication styles............................................................................................................ 35
6.3 Nonverbal Communication..................................................................................................... 37
6.4 Negotiation and Conflict Resolution across Cultures...............................................................38
7. Chapter 7. Motivation and Leadership across cultures................................................................40
7.1 Content Theories of motivation.............................................................................................. 40
7.2 Work goals and job design..................................................................................................... 41
7.3 Process theories in the workplace.......................................................................................... 42
7.4 Leadership............................................................................................................................. 43
7.5 Cross-cultural model of leadership......................................................................................... 47
7.6 Conclusions about Leadership accros cultures....................................................................... 48
8. Chapter 8 Multicultural Work Groups and Teams......................................................................... 50
8.1 Work Groups.......................................................................................................................... 50
8.2 Work group effectiveness....................................................................................................... 50
8.3 The influence of culture on work groups................................................................................ 53
8.4 Culture’s effects in Different Group Types and Tasks..............................................................54
8.5 Global Virtual Teams.............................................................................................................. 54
8.6 Organizational context and culturally diverse work groups....................................................55
9. Chapter 9. Culture and the Structure of International Organizations...........................................57
9.1 Organizations and Organizational Structure........................................................................... 57
9.2 Culture and Organizational Structure..................................................................................... 59
9.3 Organizing in Multinational Organizations (MNO’s).................................................................60
9.4 Managerial roles in MNOs....................................................................................................... 62
10. Chapter 10: International Assignments..................................................................................... 63
10.1 The role of Expatriates......................................................................................................... 63
10.2 Expatriate success............................................................................................................... 64
10.3 Outcomes of foreign assignments and global careers..........................................................67
11. Chapter 11: Managing Across Cultures Into the Future..............................................................68
11.1 The uneven development in the world................................................................................. 68
11.2 The increased influence of economies in transition..............................................................69
11.3 The continuing influence of information and communication technology.............................70
11.4 The growing pressure on the natural environment...............................................................70
11.5 The Adaption of Organisations and People........................................................................... 71
1 Chapter 1: The international manager
Learning objectives and structure of the summary:
, After reading this chapter, you should be able to:
1.1 Describe "globalization"
1.2 Identify the influence of information technology on international management
1.3 Explain the connections between the economic and political contexts of business
1.4 Understand the influence of migration on the global workforce
1.5 Outline how the global context of international management affects managers' work
1.1 Describe globalization
Globalization:
Globalization is the word used to describe the growing interdependence of the world's
economies, cultures, and populations, brought about by cross-border trade in goods and
services, technology, and flows of investment, people, and information.
globalization is a process whereby worldwide interconnections in virtually every sphere of
activity are growing."
Essentially all business conducted today is influenced by transactions across
international borders and by events in other countries.
Culture:
Culture Is a set of knowledge structures consisting of systems of values, norms,
attitudes, beliefs, and behavioural meanings that are shared by members of a social
group (society) and embedded in institutions and learned from previous generations.
1.2 Identify the influence of information technology on international management
The aspect of globalization with perhaps the most potential to shape the organizational context is
the dramatic advance being made in information and communication technology. The effects of
technology largely result from two connected activities:
1. Advances in information technology reduce the cost of communication, leading to more global
goods
2. As organizations in different countries try to keep up with changes, this globalization of trade
increases competition and contribution of the global spread and further development of
technology
SMEs:
Small and medium sized enterprises
SMEs Small and medium-sized enterprises are defined differently around the world. In the
United States It means companies with 500 employees or less. In the EU it is 250
employees or less.
The majority off firms are small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs)
Due to globalization and the technological advances organizational boundaries are less
rigid, and the parts of the organization’s production, sales and marketing, and
distribution functions (the "value chain) may all be located in different countries.
1.3 Explain the connections between the economic and political contexts of business
Free trade (meaning: goods and services can be bought and sold internationally) grew greatly from
the 1990s, which increased the international economic interconnections.
Tarrifs: Taxes used to restrict imports by increasing the price of goods and services purchased from
another country, making them less attractive to domestic consumers.
Cross-Cultural Management: An
Introduction (2022)
by
Thomas, D.C., and Inkson, K.
For the course
Comparative Management 2024
-2025
At
University Maastricht
,Contents
1 Chapter 1: The international manager........................................................................................... 3
1.1 Describe globalization.............................................................................................................. 4
1.2 Identify the influence of information technology on international management.......................4
1.3 Explain the connections between the economic and political contexts of business..................4
1.4 Understand the influence of migration on the global workforce...............................................5
1.5 Outline how the global context of international management affects managers' work............6
2 Chapter 2: Describing Cultures...................................................................................................... 9
2.1 Explain the concept of culture.................................................................................................. 9
2.2 Outline the characteristics of societal culture........................................................................ 10
2.3 Illustrate the sources of societal culture................................................................................. 10
2.4 Discuss the debates around the concept of culture................................................................11
2.5 Express the relationship of culture to social groups...............................................................13
3 Chapter 3: Comparing Cultures.................................................................................................... 15
3.1 Describe the key ways in which national cultures differ.........................................................15
3.2 Explain the differences between cultural values and personal values....................................15
3.3 Discuss the concept of cultural distance and its relevance to management...........................15
3.4 Examine the limitations for management of considering culture only in relation to nationality
.................................................................................................................................................... 15
3.5 Outline the basics of predicting and responding appropriately to others' culturally based
behaviour.................................................................................................................................... 15
3.1 Ways in which national cultures differ.................................................................................... 15
3.2 Individualism vs. Collectivism................................................................................................ 19
3.3 Social Axioms......................................................................................................................... 20
3.4 Culture as a source of guidance............................................................................................. 21
3.5 Cultural Distance................................................................................................................... 21
4. Chapter 4. How Culture Works.................................................................................................... 21
4.1 Social Cognition..................................................................................................................... 22
4.2 Cultural Schemas................................................................................................................... 22
4.3 Cultural Scripts and Norms.................................................................................................... 23
4.5 Selective Perception............................................................................................................... 24
4.6 Stereotypical expectations..................................................................................................... 24
4.7 Differential Attributions.......................................................................................................... 25
4.8 Cross-Cultural Interaction Model............................................................................................ 26
4.9 Self-Schemas and Motivation................................................................................................. 26
5. Chapter 5: Cross-Cultural Decision making................................................................................. 27
5.1 Rational Decision Making....................................................................................................... 27
5.2 Decision Styles and biases in decision making....................................................................... 29
5.3 Ethical Dilemmas in Decision Making..................................................................................... 30
6. Chapter 6 Communicating and Negotiating across cultures........................................................34
, 6.1 Cross-Cultural Communication Process.................................................................................. 34
6.2 Communication styles............................................................................................................ 35
6.3 Nonverbal Communication..................................................................................................... 37
6.4 Negotiation and Conflict Resolution across Cultures...............................................................38
7. Chapter 7. Motivation and Leadership across cultures................................................................40
7.1 Content Theories of motivation.............................................................................................. 40
7.2 Work goals and job design..................................................................................................... 41
7.3 Process theories in the workplace.......................................................................................... 42
7.4 Leadership............................................................................................................................. 43
7.5 Cross-cultural model of leadership......................................................................................... 47
7.6 Conclusions about Leadership accros cultures....................................................................... 48
8. Chapter 8 Multicultural Work Groups and Teams......................................................................... 50
8.1 Work Groups.......................................................................................................................... 50
8.2 Work group effectiveness....................................................................................................... 50
8.3 The influence of culture on work groups................................................................................ 53
8.4 Culture’s effects in Different Group Types and Tasks..............................................................54
8.5 Global Virtual Teams.............................................................................................................. 54
8.6 Organizational context and culturally diverse work groups....................................................55
9. Chapter 9. Culture and the Structure of International Organizations...........................................57
9.1 Organizations and Organizational Structure........................................................................... 57
9.2 Culture and Organizational Structure..................................................................................... 59
9.3 Organizing in Multinational Organizations (MNO’s).................................................................60
9.4 Managerial roles in MNOs....................................................................................................... 62
10. Chapter 10: International Assignments..................................................................................... 63
10.1 The role of Expatriates......................................................................................................... 63
10.2 Expatriate success............................................................................................................... 64
10.3 Outcomes of foreign assignments and global careers..........................................................67
11. Chapter 11: Managing Across Cultures Into the Future..............................................................68
11.1 The uneven development in the world................................................................................. 68
11.2 The increased influence of economies in transition..............................................................69
11.3 The continuing influence of information and communication technology.............................70
11.4 The growing pressure on the natural environment...............................................................70
11.5 The Adaption of Organisations and People........................................................................... 71
1 Chapter 1: The international manager
Learning objectives and structure of the summary:
, After reading this chapter, you should be able to:
1.1 Describe "globalization"
1.2 Identify the influence of information technology on international management
1.3 Explain the connections between the economic and political contexts of business
1.4 Understand the influence of migration on the global workforce
1.5 Outline how the global context of international management affects managers' work
1.1 Describe globalization
Globalization:
Globalization is the word used to describe the growing interdependence of the world's
economies, cultures, and populations, brought about by cross-border trade in goods and
services, technology, and flows of investment, people, and information.
globalization is a process whereby worldwide interconnections in virtually every sphere of
activity are growing."
Essentially all business conducted today is influenced by transactions across
international borders and by events in other countries.
Culture:
Culture Is a set of knowledge structures consisting of systems of values, norms,
attitudes, beliefs, and behavioural meanings that are shared by members of a social
group (society) and embedded in institutions and learned from previous generations.
1.2 Identify the influence of information technology on international management
The aspect of globalization with perhaps the most potential to shape the organizational context is
the dramatic advance being made in information and communication technology. The effects of
technology largely result from two connected activities:
1. Advances in information technology reduce the cost of communication, leading to more global
goods
2. As organizations in different countries try to keep up with changes, this globalization of trade
increases competition and contribution of the global spread and further development of
technology
SMEs:
Small and medium sized enterprises
SMEs Small and medium-sized enterprises are defined differently around the world. In the
United States It means companies with 500 employees or less. In the EU it is 250
employees or less.
The majority off firms are small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs)
Due to globalization and the technological advances organizational boundaries are less
rigid, and the parts of the organization’s production, sales and marketing, and
distribution functions (the "value chain) may all be located in different countries.
1.3 Explain the connections between the economic and political contexts of business
Free trade (meaning: goods and services can be bought and sold internationally) grew greatly from
the 1990s, which increased the international economic interconnections.
Tarrifs: Taxes used to restrict imports by increasing the price of goods and services purchased from
another country, making them less attractive to domestic consumers.
