Understanding Global Cultures

Martin J. Gannon (Ph.D., Graduate School of Business, Columbia University) is Professor Emeritus of Strategy and International Management at both the Smith School of Business, University of Maryland at College Park and the College of Business Administration, California State University San Marcos.  He is a three-time recipient of the Fulbright Professorship Award (West Germany, 1981-82; Thailand, 1987; and Austria, 2017-18).  His other awards include: 1) The Outstanding Educator Award, International Division, 2014, Academy of Management, the largest and best known management and teaching organization in the world; 2) the University of Maryland’s International Landmark Award for his contributions in the global area, 2003; and 3) the Lifetime Achievement Award, Who’s Who in America, 2018.  See below for additional awards.Professor Gannon has been a Senior Research Fulbright Fellow in West Germany; the John F. Kennedy Foundation/Fulbright Professor at Thammasat University, Bangkok, Thailand; and the Fulbright Professor, Johannes Kepler University, Austria.  He has also been a visiting professor at the London Business School, Bocconi University (Italy), University College - Dublin, the University of Lodz (Poland), Wuhan University, Chulalongkorn University (Bangkok), and the University of Kassel and Tubingen University in Germany, and has lectured at many other universities in the world.   At the Smith School of Business he served as the Acting Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Founding Director of the Center for Global Business, Chairperson of the Faculty of Management and Organization, Co-founder and Co-director of the Small Business Development Center, and the Founding Director of the College Park Scholars Program in Business, Society, and the Economy (an undergraduate living-learning community).  He is the author of over 100 articles and papers as well as 13 books, some in multiple editions and translations (Korean, Spanish, and Italian).  He recently completed a draft of his 20th book.  See below.  Professor Gannon has emphasized three overlapping areas of programmatic or in-depth research: International management and behavior; business strategy; and the contingent workforce, particularly studies of temporary help employment. Much of his work in international management and behavior is described in depth in the book, Understanding Global Cultures: Metaphorical Journeys Through 31Nations, Clusters of Nations, Continents, and Diversity, 5th Edition (Sage, May, 2012, c. 2013, 639 pages; Korean translation, Myung In Publishers, 2013). Rajnandini Pillai joined him as co-author after the 3rd edition. The 6th edition was published in 2016 and includes 34 national cultures and their corresponding 34 cultural metaphors.  Although the publisher wanted a 7th edition, Professor Gannon decided to pursue other writing opportunities.  In this book Gannon introduced the concept of the cultural metaphor to describe the culture of a specific nation.  He defines a cultural metaphor as any institution, phenomenon or activity with which a nation’s citizens identify emotionally and/or cognitively, for example, the Swedish stuga or unadorned summer and weekend home. He then uses these metaphors and their distinctive features as frameworks to describe in depth the values and the associated business activities in each nation. The 6th and latest edition is divided into a fourteen-part framework to classify these 34 nations and their respective cultural metaphors, clusters of nations, continents, and diversity within nations into different types, e.g., authority ranking and market pricing national cultures as separate parts.   In 2018 he was the senior author of a unique study of 28 cross-cultural experts.  The goal was the analysis of the relative advantages and disadvantages of the three most popular methods of comparing and contrasting national cultures: The dimensional perspective as represented by Geert Hofstede and other cross-cultural analysts; the cultural metaphor; and the cultural paradoxical approach.  See the publications below for this and other references.   He recently completed a draft of his 20th book, A Memoir of Management Insights: The Strategic Realistic Method for Life and Career Success.  It combines three separate perspectives: A memoir; the management insights that the author has achieved through his many and varied activities; and a career or self-help book.  As in the case of his other books, this one is unique.  It is currently with an agent, who plans to submit it to 12 major publishers.  In the area of contingent employment, he has written many articles that have appeared in such journals as The Academy of Management Review, the Journal of Applied Psychology, and Industrial Relations.  He is also the senior co-author of  "Managing Without A Complete, Full-Time Workforce," that appeared in Flood, Gannon, Pauuwe, and Associates, Managing Without Traditional Methods: International Innovations in Human Resource Management (Addison-Wesley, 1996).   In the area of business strategy, he is the co-author of the  Dynamics of Competitive Strategy (Sage, 1992), in which the authors develop a unique communication-information model of competitive interaction among firms in an industry, describe new methods for analyzing competitive moves and responses, and test hypotheses about such competitive interactions in four major industries.  Mr. Gannon is also the co-author of Strategic Management Skills (Addison-Wesley, 1986), which was a pioneering effort to train MBA students and managers in strategic case analysis and written and oral presentation skills.  In 2008 Ofer Meilich and Martin Gannon published an article, “Redefining Value: Comparative Video Case Studies of Charles Shaw Winery and Thomas Kincade,” in the Journal of Strategic Management Education.  As indicated above, Mr. Gannon’s research and writing have appeared in over 100 articles and papers.  Journals in which he has published include the Academy of Management Journal, The Academy of Management Review, Journal of Applied Psychology, Personnel Psychology, Industrial Relations, Monthly Labor Review, California Management Review, Business Horizons, Journal of Business Research, Journal of Business Venturing, International Journal of Management, International Journal of Intercultural Relations, Business & the Contemporary World, and the Journal of Accountancy.  Further, Professor Gannon has published several textbooks, including Management: Managing for Results (Allyn and Bacon, 1988, Spanish translation, 1996); Management: an Organizational Framework (Little, Brown and Co., 1977, and reprinted in a special edition of 10,000 copies by the Life Insurance Institute of America; second edition of this book, 1982); and Organizational Behavior (Little, Brown and Co., 1979).  His organizational framework of management was incorporated into the Introduction to Management course at the Army War College for many years.  Professor Gannon has taught a range of courses over a 50-year period for managers, MBA students, EMBA students, undergraduates, and doctoral students.  Currently he enjoys teaching Managing in Different Cultures; Cross-Cultural Negotiations; and Strategic Management.   Professor Gannon has served as a consultant and trainer to a large number of organizations, including Chemical Bank of New York, the U.S. General Accounting Office, U.S. Office of Personnel Management, the Upjohn Company, the American Federation of Government Employees, ARINC, Northrop-Grumman and GEICO Insurance.  At GEICO he was the only external consultant on the design and presentation of the annual week-long Senior Management Training Program for ten years from which those promoted to Director and above were selected.. At Northrop-Grumman he served as the University of Maryland Academic Director of the IMPACT Training Program (International Management Program and Compliance Training), an internal certificate program required for advancement to international management positions. In 2008 he received a Career Contribution Award from GEICO.   Professor Gannon has served on and chaired numerous committees in universities and professional/academic associations.  He has lived and lectured in over 30 nations for various periods of time extending from one week to a year or more. Rajnandini Pillai (PhD, State University of New York at Buffalo, 1994) is Professor of Management at the College of Business, California State University, San Marcos (CSUSM). She is also Executive Director and founding member of the Center for Leadership Innovation and Mentorship Building (CLIMB) at the university. Her areas of research interest are leadership and cross-cultural management. She has published her work on charismatic and transformational leadership, leadership and voting behavior, and cross-cultural differences in organizational justice in some of the leading journals in her field such as The Leadership Quarterly, Journal of Management, and the Journal of International Business Studies. She has also co-edited two books, Teaching Leadership: Innovative Approaches for the 21st Century (2003) and Follower Perspectives on Leadership (2007). She serves on the editorial boards of The Leadership Quarterly and Group and Organization Management. Rajnandini Pillai has held mid-level management positions in the banking industry in India, consulted with organizations in the United States on leadership effectiveness, and conducted workshops on leadership and global issues. She has received awards for excellence in teaching and research, including the College of Business Outstanding Professor Award, the Western Academy of Management Ascendant Scholar Award, the CSUSM President’s Award for Scholarship and Creative Activity, and the Harry E. Brakebill Distinguished Professor Award.

"Each one of these chapters is very detailed and the metaphor is sensible… This is a great introduction to cultural diversity for many different reasons, such as economy (Italy), religion (Malaysia), language (Belgium, plus Canada and Switzerland among many others).  It meets the demand for a business cultural geography companion text."

• Preface: Understanding Cultures in DepthPart I. IntroductionChapter 1. Understanding Cultural MetaphorsLanguage BarriersUsing Cultural MetaphorsConstructing Cultural MetaphorsUsing MetaphorReading and Using This BookA Two-Dimensional Typology of CulturesA Scaling PerspectiveDefining Culture or Identifying Its Determinants?When Culture Does, and Does Not, MatterPart II. Authority-Ranking CulturesChapter 2. The Thai KingdomLoose Vertical HierarchyFreedom and EqualityThe Thai SmileChapter 3. The Japanese GardenCorporate CulturesGarden as MetaphorWa and ShikataSeishin TrainingCombining Droplets or EnergiesAestheticsSimilarities and ContrastsChapter 4. Bedouin Jewelry and Saudi ArabiaHistory and GeographyThe Desert BedouinsBold FormHandcrafted AppearanceTraditional DesignFemale OwnershipChapter 5. Dòn Gánh: The Two Sides of VietnamHistory of OccupationThe French Defeat and Division Into TwoThe Metaphor: The Dualities of Dòn GánhChapter 6. Kimchi and KoreaSouth KoreaKimchiThe 60th BirthdayStrangers by Day, Lovers by NightKimchi’s Public RoleThe Irish of AsiaPart III. Scandinavian Egalitarian CulturesChapter 7. The Swedish StugaEarly HistoryModern EvolutionSocial DemocracyThe Swedish Summer HomeLove of Untrammeled Nature and TraditionIndividualism Through Self-DevelopmentEqualityChapter 8. The Finnish SaunaFrom Survival to Political and Economic SuccessSauna: A Secular “Holy” Place of EqualityCommunication: Comfort With QuietudeChapter 9. The Danish Christmas LuncheonInterdependent IndividualismGeographic AmbivalenceCozinessPart IV. Other Egalitarian CulturesChapter 10. The German SymphonyPostwar EvolutionThe Symphony OrchestraDiversity of Musical InstrumentsPositional Arrangements of the MusiciansConductors and LeadersPrecision and SynchronicityThe Unfinished SymphonyChapter 11. Irish ConversationsEarly HistoryEnglish OppressionIdentifying LinksIntersection of Gaelic and EnglishPrayer as ConversationA Free-Flowing Conversation: Irish HospitalityPlaces of Conversations: Irish Friends and FamiliesEnding a ConversationChapter 12. The Canadian Backpack and FlagHistorical BackgroundEgalitarianism and OutlookThe Canadian MosaicCanadians as Non-U.S. AmericansChapter 13. Australian Outdoor Recreational ActivitiesCapturing the ImaginationNew Realities: Beyond StereotypesBarbecueEquality Matching Among the Tall PoppiesChapter 14. French WinePurenessClassificationCompositionSuitabilityThe Maturation ProcessThe Changing PortraitPart V. Market-Pricing CulturesChapter 15. American FootballThe Tailgate PartyPregame and Halftime EntertainmentStrategy and WarSelection, the Training Camp, and the PlaybookIndividual Specialized Achievement Within the Team StructureAggression, High Risks, and Unpredictable OutcomesHuddlingThe Church of Football and Celebrating PerfectionChapter 16. The Traditional British HouseThe Traditional HouseHistory, Politics, Economics: Laying the FoundationsGrowing Up British: Building the HouseBeing British: Living in the HousePart VI. Cleft National CulturesChapter 17. The Malaysian Balik KampungReturning to Nearby RootsAuthority RankingReinforcing Common ValuesChapter 18. The Israeli Kibbutzim and MoshavimZionism, Types of Judaism, and the PalestiniansA New CountryContinuous WarReligious ConflictExplicit ValuesSize and Behavioral OutcomesTraumas, Worldview, and PersonalityChapter 19. The Italian OperaNorth and SouthThe Opera MetaphorThe OverturePageantry and SpectacleVoiceExternalizationChorus and SoloistsChapter 20. Belgian LaceWallonian Versus FlemishHistory of LaceA Land of ContrastsControlCooperation and HarmonyPart VII. Torn National CulturesChapter 21. The Mexican FiestaHistorical BackgroundThe Mexican FiestaPrimary Focus on PeopleThe Emphasis on ReligionExperiencing the PresentFreedom Within the Social OrderChapter 22. The Turkish CoffeehouseA Unique HistoryIslam and SecularityRecreation, Communication, and Community IntegrationA Male DomainA Modest EnvironmentLife Outside the CoffeehouseLooking AheadPart VIII. The Base Culture and Its Diffusion Across Borders (Clusters of Nations): The Example of ChinaChapter 23. China’s Great Wall and Cross-Cultural ParadoxThe Great Wall: Long, Tortuous, and Complex HistoryConfucianism and TaoismSun Tzu, War, and the MarketplaceChapter 24. The Chinese Family Altar: The Expatriate Chinese Outside of ChinaThe Importance of FamilyThe Expatriate ChineseRoundnessHarmonyFluidityChapter 25. The Singapore Hawker CentersOrigins of the Hawker CentersSingapore’s HistoryEthnic Diversity but UnityEfficiencyThe Power of WomenSafetySynthesizing Traditional and New ValuesPart IX. India: Tradition, Modernity, and DiversityChapter 26. India: The Dance of ShivaShiva’s DanceIndian Culture: Early HistoryCyclical Hindu PhilosophyThe Cycle of LifeThe Family CycleThe Cycle of Social InteractionThe Work and Recreation (Rejuvenation) CycleChapter 27. India: A Kaleidoscope of DiversityThe Kaleidoscope of Religions and Cultural CelebrationsImages of Festivals and FeastsCell Phones, Call Centers, and Curriculum: Images of ChangeThe Changing Image of CricketPart X. An African PerspectiveChapter 28. The Nigerian MarketplaceDiversitySocial DynamismBalancing Tradition and ChangeChapter 29. South African TownshipsAn Insider’s ViewAn Outsider’s ViewChapter 30. The Sub-Saharan African Bush TaxiBasic OperationsA Short History of AfricaAfrican Time Orientation and FatalismCommunalism and Community SharingHierarchy in African Society: Seating Arrangements in the Bush TaxiPart XI. The Struggle for Cultural Identity and the Splintering of Nations: The Case of the Russian EmpireChapter 31. Russian BalletAn Apt MetaphorA Flourishing ArtEchelons of the BalletDrama and RealismThe Russian SoulChapter 32. Estonian SingingLyrics, or the Painful History of the Proud NationVocalists, or Simple Pleasures Inspired by NaturePerformance, or Singing as a WeaponAudience, or Estonia on the Global StageChapter 33. The Polish Village ChurchHistorical BackgroundCentral Place of the Catholic ChurchThe Partitioning and Polish IdentitySurvivorsPart XII. Same Metaphor, Different MeaningsChapter 34. The Spanish BullfightThe Bullfight BeginsCuadrillasSol y SombraThe Pompous Entrance ParadeAudience InvolvementThe Ritual of the BullfightChapter 35. The Portuguese BullfightPride in TraditionsStratification Amid UnityArtistry and Human GoreProfitless BraveryPart XIII. Popular Music as Cultural MetaphorsChapter 36. The Brazilian SambaEvolution of the SambaSmall-Step CircularityPhysical TouchUndulationSpontaneous EscapeParadox of DancersChapter 37. The Argentine TangoThe Tango’s EvolutionTango Music and ComposersThe Dynamics of the DanceTango Singers and Their LyricsGender RelationsApplying What We’ve LearnedSummaryPart XIV. Overlapping Cultural Metaphors for Geographically Related NationsChapter 38. Cultural Metaphors for the CaribbeanA Brief History of the Caribbean RegionCultural Metaphors for the CaribbeanPersonal Experiences With Caribbean MetaphorsDeveloping Complementary Cultural MetaphorsConclusionsReferencesIndexAbout the Authors