Cultures and organizations: Software of the mind - Geert Hofstede

Intercultural cooperation and its importance for survival

People of other countries, of another generation, social class, job or organization, often think and act differently in ways that puzzle us. To these other people, of course, we are the ones who behave in a surprising manner. What separates them from us is the culture in which either of us 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 clean what to others is dirty, and as rational what others find irrational.

Geert Hofstede shows that effective intercultural cooperation is possible. He deals with the differences among opinion leaders, their followers, national cultures, and with the popular notion of organizational cultures, and how these develop and change. In applying his ideas to various situations in the world where cultures meet - such as education, migration and business - he outlines ways of learning intercultural cooperation. At the same time, he wipes out many of the myths produced by the wishful thinking of some 'popular' authors, and shows you under what circumstances organizational cultures are manageable - and at what cost.