From the Atlantic to the Pacific Century: Cross-Cultural Management Reviewed

TLDR

East‑West cultural differences are increasingly significant as business shifts from the Atlantic to the Pacific Basin, and research shows major cognitive differences across cultures that must be recognized and leveraged in global organizations. The article reviews comparative and cross‑cultural management, arguing that cross‑cultural management can benefit from comparative studies of cultural cognitive aspects to improve international organizational behavior. The authors conduct a literature review of comparative and cross‑cultural management, examining how cultural diversity influences international organizational behavior.

Abstract

This article reviews the areas of comparative and cross-cultural management and discusses the impact of cultural diversity on international organizational behavior. With the growing shift of business from the Atlantic to the Pacific Basin, East-West cultural differences are becoming increasingly significant. Research in developmental psychology, sociology, and anthropology shows that there are major differences among the cognitive processes of people from different cultures. In the era of the global corporation, cultural diversity has to be recognized, understood, and appropriately used in organizations. It is suggested that cross-cultural management would greatly benefitfrom comparative studies considering the impact of the cognitive aspects of culture on managerial practice.