Culture Crossing: Discover the Key to Making Successful Connections in the New Global Era

Landers, a global business consultant, has mined his expertise to produce a valuable guide to navigating the minefield of cultural differences when doing business on an international scale. As businesses expand globally, Landers says, “culture crashes”—unintentional insults arising from cultural differences—are inevitable. In this astute new book, he walks readers through various tricky situations. Landers wisely points out that his recommendations aren’t just relevant for Americans doing business abroad, thanks to the significant and growing number of immigrants doing business in the United States today. One-size-fits-all approaches to business, he states, are no longer effective, because of the sheer range of cultural differences. Landers provides enlightening perspective on the numerous areas where crashes can occur, including spoken and written communication, gestures and body language, and expectations for levels of formality and informality. He also explores ways to recognize what he calls “me/we tendencies,” highlighting the differences between cultures that focus on individual success, such as in the United States, and those that focus on group success, such as in Japan. Landers makes clear that understanding cultural differences is a key tool for the successful global businessperson. [em](Jan.) [/em]