Cultures and Organizations : Software of the Mind - Softcover

Hofstede, Geert

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1861975430 ISBN 13: 9781861975430

Publisher: Profile Books, 1994

Synopsis

Inter cultural cooperation and its importance for survival. People of other countries, of another generation, social class, job or organization, often think and act in ways that puzzle us. To these people, of course, we are the ones who behave in a surprising manner. What separates them from us is the culture in which we grew up. 'Culture' in this sense is not the same as 'civilization'; it encompasses much more. Deeply-rooted and, therefore, often unconscious values lead us to consider as normal what others think abnormal, as polite what to others is rude, and as rational what others find irrational. Organizational cultures are a different phenomenon; they do not follow the same dimensions, are more manageable, and in fact offer an opportunity to bridge national cultures. Following twenty-five years of research into multinational companies, Geert Hofstede and Bob Garrett reveal the circumstances in which organizational cultures can be managed effectively, and outline ways of learning intercultural communication which are essential more essential than ever.

About this title

From the Back Cover:

The Classic Work on "Groupthink"-now in paperback! Since its original hardcover publication, this trailblazing work has stirred a response so deep and wide that its subtitle has become part of our language. Now for the first time in paperback, Geert Hofstede's study of the "software of the mind" helps us look at how we think-also at how we fail to think as members of groups. Drawing on decades of rigorous research, the author reveals the unexamined rules by which we live and work together. Melding unswerving intellectual courage and hard social, cultural, and organizational research, Hofstede shapes a sobering picture of a world perilously lacking in self-knowledge-unaware of serious difference between the groups that populate our planet and appallingly oblivious to the hidden "programs" that govern the behavior of cultures in a time of skyrocketing global contact. But culture shock-whether the shocking contact is between an individual and a new country, between organizations, between the sexes, or between opposing diplomats-can be turned to our advantage, Hofstede says-if we understand it. And understanding is what this work is all about. This is a book that every thinking person will want to read. Broad in scope, profoundly original in thought and profoundly important, it offers vital knowledge and insight on issues that will shape the future of our individual and collective lives. and profoundly

About the Author:

Geert Hofstede is Professor of International Management at the University of Limburg at Maastricht, the Netherlands, where he founded the Institute for Research on Intercultural Cooperation (IRIC).

About this edition

• Publisher: Profile Books
• Publication date: 1994
• ISBN 10: 1861975430
• ISBN 13: 9781861975430
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 320