Article 0012003

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS REVIEW JOURNAL

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS REVIEW JOURNAL.

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Leading and Managing in Developing Countries: Challenge, Growth and Opportunities for Twenty-First Century Organisations
Published November 4th 2002.

Michael Ba Banutu-Gomez

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Michael Ba Banutu-Gomez can be contacted at the College of Business, Rowan University, 201 Mullica Hill Road, Glassboro, New Jersey 08028-1701, USA.

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I choose to write about the topic of managing cultural differences in developing countries because it is an essential skill all managers must master if they are to be successful in the global marketplace. My past experiences in organisational devel- opment consulting in Africa, Asia and Middle East have taught me that lack of un- derstanding in the area of managing cultural differences causes conflict between managers and staff who originate from different cultures. This lack of understand- ing can cause serious miscommunication, which can hinder the growth and the productivity of an organisation or company. A lack of skill in managing cultural differences, on the part of many American or Western managers, blocks positive business negotiations in developing countries. The articles I reviewed as well as my consulting experience have shown me that managers who lack this skill inevi- tably face difficulties no matter where they go around the world. All of the arti- cles, which I have read for this article, make it clear to me that being knowledgeable of and valuing the cultures of other people is a very important quality for a manager who desires to succeed in a country other than his or her own. I believe that, because one’s own culture plays such an important role in the way one manages, one must strive to learn, not only about the different culture which exists in the country where one wants to do business, but also, how to see one’s own culture in an objective manner. I am convinced that, for managers to succeed at business in the twenty-first century, they must learn to support, main- tain, and welcome cultures different than their own because the workforce who they must now motivate comes from all corners of the planet. This is because busi- ness is no longer stationed solely within the borders of one community or even one country. For this reason, I am very motivated to study and write about this important topic in modern management.

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