Book review: “Business culture in international business: from collision to an understanding” written by Richard D. Lewis
Prepared by Kamalov Artem
In the present time Internalization of business and economics has become a global problem. Entrepreneurship goes far beyond national boundaries, drawing into its orbit increasing number of people with different cultural views. As a result cultural differences are starting to play an increasing role of business organizations and stronger influence on the marginal efficiency of business.
This book “Business culture in international business: from collision to an understanding” created as study materials for practitioners, business mans, who want to avoid some conflicts and misunderstanding because of their own ignorance.
I chose this stuff, because logic and the main idea of writer are easy. At the beginning he talk about the basic concepts and ideas of language in culture and about the culture of which he defines as "the collective programming of behavior." The second biggest part represents analysis of aspects common for all types of business culture and specifically for each other: use of time, space, structure of decision making, rituals, humor and so on. Finally, at the third part, he characterizes business culture of separate counties, regions including Russia.
The main idea of this book is help to understand a local culture from different countries.
In theoretical plan R. Lewis suggested a highly original approach to solving one of the most difficult puzzles of modern intercultural communications - the criterion for comparing cultures. Nowadays there is continuum: “individualism” – “collectivism”. In other words, it is recognized that the majority of existing cultures can be placed on some scale between these two extremes, ie, in one culture people will take decisions based on the potential response relevant