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When Cultures Collide: Leading Across Cultures
The successful managers for the next century will be the culturally sensitive ones. You can gain competitive advantage from having strategies to deal with the cultural differences you will encounter in any international business setting.
599 pages, Paperback
Published September 29, 2005
241 people are currently reading
2527 people want to read
About the author
Richard D. Lewis
22 books24 followersRichard Donald Lewis was born at Slack Farm, Billinge, in 1930. The author of several books on educational subjects, he holds a degree in Modern Languages and is one of Britain’s foremost linguists. He founded the Berlitz schools in East Asia, Portugal and Finland and spent several years in Japan, where he was personal tutor to Empress Michiko and five other members of the Japanese Imperial family.
One of his books, When Cultures Collide, has sold over 500,000 copies and won the prestigious US Executive Club Book award in 1997. He currently lectures throughout the world on cross-cultural issues.
In 1997, Mr Lewis was awarded a knighthood in Finland, in view of his 40 years’ experience helping Finland to develop its international links, including assisting Finland in its preparation for EU presidency.
In 2009, he was promoted to the rank of Knight Commander, Order of the Lion of Finland.
One of his books, When Cultures Collide, has sold over 500,000 copies and won the prestigious US Executive Club Book award in 1997. He currently lectures throughout the world on cross-cultural issues.
In 1997, Mr Lewis was awarded a knighthood in Finland, in view of his 40 years’ experience helping Finland to develop its international links, including assisting Finland in its preparation for EU presidency.
In 2009, he was promoted to the rank of Knight Commander, Order of the Lion of Finland.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
March 13, 2016
Ok guys so I am from Lithuania where racism, homophobia and misogyny is given from one person to another like a mental STD, so my judgement might be a bit off. But even I, with all the tolerance to not properly developed regarding human rights, couldn't stop wondering - HOW THIS BOOK IS VALUED SO HIGHLY FOR SO MANY YEARS?
On one hand I like any kind of classification, and Lewis gives one that is kinda making sense. On the other hand though, he does not back up any claims, so they just throw various stereotypes, random thoughts and cute little travel memories around. The book was alright until he started listing every country he has visited in his life, and describing entire cultures in a couple of paragraphs in a scientifically sound categories of "How to empathize with X".
I find it worth mentioning that a book about cultural diversity that has a model of cultural types lists the following categories on one scale: Russia, Italy, Denmark, Belgium, AFRICANS, ARABS, HONG KONG. I don't know what scale we are looking at exactly but I believe you cannot compare a culture of the continent of Africa with a culture of Hong Kong. The part about Sub-Saharan Africa is smaller than the part about the Baltic states (Lewis described LITHUANIA in depth), and Sub-Saharan African part of the book didn't even have countries listed, like it was with every other region. I mean, it's like all Sub-Saharan Africa is a huge blob where everyone talks to the spirits of ancestors (which was emphasized in the section).
I wonder if Lewis had an editor, and if yes, then why did he fire him.
Please don't take my word for it: I will just quote some parts of the book:
1. Asians, Africans and women have different cognitive styles. --> How is this a sentence?
2. All good Asians are self-effacing, but the Chinese take it to ridiculous. As we all know, Asians do not like to lose face. --> I, on the other hand, am always happy to be humiliated publicly.
3. The invaders rapidly acquired the ability to adapt themselves to the “strange” and “exotic” environment of the Indians. They slept in hammocks, paddled canoes, smoked tobacco, ate maize and potatoes and married local women. --> Got to agree, marrying someone indeed equals eating a potato.
4. Scandinavians, Japanese and some other reticent peoples often convey their thoughts and values through quiet, reliable actions. Mexicans prefer words. --> I, as a woman, prefer humming like a bee in order to communicate my need to marry or eat a potato.
5. The Portuguese mixed easily with other races (as they do today). --> Portugese is not a race.
6. Chileans are warm-hearted Latins who wish nothing more than to mingle with Europeans (even Anglo-Saxons) and to trade energetically with them. --> All Chilleans want to be good bois, yes? Who's a good boi?
7. (..) but in terms of deeply rooted culture, all Koreans are the same. --> Do I need to comment on this?
I highly recommend this book to a white American businessman that is suspicious of Mexicans and votes for Trump.
The book is worse than most other racist crap because it pretends to be culturally appropriate.
On one hand I like any kind of classification, and Lewis gives one that is kinda making sense. On the other hand though, he does not back up any claims, so they just throw various stereotypes, random thoughts and cute little travel memories around. The book was alright until he started listing every country he has visited in his life, and describing entire cultures in a couple of paragraphs in a scientifically sound categories of "How to empathize with X".
I find it worth mentioning that a book about cultural diversity that has a model of cultural types lists the following categories on one scale: Russia, Italy, Denmark, Belgium, AFRICANS, ARABS, HONG KONG. I don't know what scale we are looking at exactly but I believe you cannot compare a culture of the continent of Africa with a culture of Hong Kong. The part about Sub-Saharan Africa is smaller than the part about the Baltic states (Lewis described LITHUANIA in depth), and Sub-Saharan African part of the book didn't even have countries listed, like it was with every other region. I mean, it's like all Sub-Saharan Africa is a huge blob where everyone talks to the spirits of ancestors (which was emphasized in the section).
I wonder if Lewis had an editor, and if yes, then why did he fire him.
Please don't take my word for it: I will just quote some parts of the book:
1. Asians, Africans and women have different cognitive styles. --> How is this a sentence?
2. All good Asians are self-effacing, but the Chinese take it to ridiculous. As we all know, Asians do not like to lose face. --> I, on the other hand, am always happy to be humiliated publicly.
3. The invaders rapidly acquired the ability to adapt themselves to the “strange” and “exotic” environment of the Indians. They slept in hammocks, paddled canoes, smoked tobacco, ate maize and potatoes and married local women. --> Got to agree, marrying someone indeed equals eating a potato.
4. Scandinavians, Japanese and some other reticent peoples often convey their thoughts and values through quiet, reliable actions. Mexicans prefer words. --> I, as a woman, prefer humming like a bee in order to communicate my need to marry or eat a potato.
5. The Portuguese mixed easily with other races (as they do today). --> Portugese is not a race.
6. Chileans are warm-hearted Latins who wish nothing more than to mingle with Europeans (even Anglo-Saxons) and to trade energetically with them. --> All Chilleans want to be good bois, yes? Who's a good boi?
7. (..) but in terms of deeply rooted culture, all Koreans are the same. --> Do I need to comment on this?
I highly recommend this book to a white American businessman that is suspicious of Mexicans and votes for Trump.
The book is worse than most other racist crap because it pretends to be culturally appropriate.
May 17, 2019
I don’t understand how this monstrosity of a racist, classist, Eurocentric, misogynistic book is so highly regarded, as a leader in intercultural competences.
Perhaps, I am being unfair, this book does make the (unintentional) point of what happens when someone coming from a culture that for centuries systemically oppressed, dominated, profited of, demonized, committed genocide and countless other inhumane acts on a large portion of the world writes a book about those peoples' cultures and how to deal with them.
What saddens me is that Lewis genuinely does not seem to realize the inherent problematic in his writing this book alone and from his standpoint on the world. I believe that he had no evil intentions to perpetuate existing stereotypes when he wrote When Cultures Collide, but this does not change the fact that Lewis, as a white, cis, straight, rich, English man, has a different viewpoint and he does nothing to incorporate other people and other cultures' views and opinions.
This book might be for you, if you’re looking for a handy reference guide to all the stereotypes, organized by country; and need a starting point for all the things not to do or say or think (for more, just look at anything Trump says or does and you’re set).
Really, I think this book reveals more about the author than about the countries he describes in it, and surprise, surprise, Richard D. Lewis is a British, white, straight, male. And this really shows.
The first part of the book gave some theory on intercultural competences, which was interesting. But then the rest of the book is dedicated to racist stereotypes and, I assume it is, the author’s opinions on every country. The target reader of this book as a result of the author's worldview and mindset is clearly a white, cis, straight male with a good job. This is problematic as the straight white male is once again the assumed norm.
Even simple facts about the individual countries are wrong, which could easily have been corrected by some simple fact-checking, and this is the book’s third edition.
For example, I’m Swiss, so it was kind of ridiculous to find so many errors in the few pages he dedicated to Switzerland. Such as: “The country is divided into 26 cantons (and three half-cantons)” => Switzerland has 26 cantons, three of which are half-cantons, so 23 cantons.
But really this pales by comparison to the problematic messages this book sends out, Lewis' viewpoint in general, and the harmful racist stereotypes this book clearly perpetuates.
For me, reading this book, I gravitated from feeling like “what the actual fuck?! How can this be in a fucking book on intercultural competences??”, when reading the racist stereotypes this book enforces like: “All good Asians are self-effacing, but the Chinese take it to ridiculous. As we all know, Asians do not like to lose face.” (because everyone else just loves public humiliation or what?).
To being amused by the little anecdotes on the Swiss “The Swiss are rather heavy drinkers and inveterate smokers.”. And a good thing as well, or I wouldn't have made it through this book!
The way that Lewis depicted some countries differently can be extremely harmful; it enforces racist stereotypes , and encourages differentiating people according to their race. Since there are such a plethora of quotes in this kind, I have picked out a few (emphasis mine).
If that was not enough to give an idea of the deep, systemic racism, classism, and sexism, saturating this book, just picture a British colonist, surrounded by a large group of subjugated workers, sipping a cup of tea while proclaiming shit like this:
Still not enough? How about imagining some fucking shithead like Cecil Rhodes handing out “advice” like this:
And it is not only all the above that is so problematic, it is the language Lewis uses to describe different races. For example, if you continuously describe one set of people as: patient, tolerant, waiting patiently, courteous listeners who need repetition, artistic, and with explosive outbursts – that sort of language used, portrays more passivity. Whereas, describing people as: entrepreneurial, decisive in business, well prepared, not averse to assuming dominance and taking control – this from the start conveys a sense of strength. And this sort of systemic difference in the language used to describe different groups of people is very problematic and harmful.
Like in the chapter on South Africa, from which I took all the aforementioned descriptions:
While “Black South Africans” are described as patient, tolerant and with a delightful sense of humor. Or: “Africans are courteous listeners, though some repetition is advisable”.
And the book goes on like this, the language used to describe Western countries is different from more developing countries, or non-white people.
For example: “Italians may touch your arm or shoulder or perhaps hug you […] They are showing affection and you must find some way of reciprocating.” => this is a clear, non-judgmental statement. Italians are friendly and open, try to be friendly in return.
However, when you say: “Black South Africans are a very tactile people in terms of hugging. This occasionally causes Europeans some embarrassment, but this is a positive characteristic, emanating warmth, closeness and trust.” => why is it necessary to state this? When facing a hug or a kiss on the cheek by an Italian, there is no embarrassment! Moreover, it is not explained as a “positive characteristic”, it’s just the way it is, no explanation needed.
This difference in how two cultures from vastly different backgrounds are described, about a similar thing, is very problematic, it creates a divide in how they are perceived: Italians: friendly, open; Black South Africans: overly touchy, but it’s normal to be embarrassed, others are too, it’s just how they are.
This book seriously pissed me off and put me in a bad mood. To cheer myself up, I’ve gone back to the amusing anecdotes on the Swiss:
Perhaps, I am being unfair, this book does make the (unintentional) point of what happens when someone coming from a culture that for centuries systemically oppressed, dominated, profited of, demonized, committed genocide and countless other inhumane acts on a large portion of the world writes a book about those peoples' cultures and how to deal with them.
What saddens me is that Lewis genuinely does not seem to realize the inherent problematic in his writing this book alone and from his standpoint on the world. I believe that he had no evil intentions to perpetuate existing stereotypes when he wrote When Cultures Collide, but this does not change the fact that Lewis, as a white, cis, straight, rich, English man, has a different viewpoint and he does nothing to incorporate other people and other cultures' views and opinions.
This book might be for you, if you’re looking for a handy reference guide to all the stereotypes, organized by country; and need a starting point for all the things not to do or say or think (for more, just look at anything Trump says or does and you’re set).
Really, I think this book reveals more about the author than about the countries he describes in it, and surprise, surprise, Richard D. Lewis is a British, white, straight, male. And this really shows.
The first part of the book gave some theory on intercultural competences, which was interesting. But then the rest of the book is dedicated to racist stereotypes and, I assume it is, the author’s opinions on every country. The target reader of this book as a result of the author's worldview and mindset is clearly a white, cis, straight male with a good job. This is problematic as the straight white male is once again the assumed norm.
Even simple facts about the individual countries are wrong, which could easily have been corrected by some simple fact-checking, and this is the book’s third edition.
For example, I’m Swiss, so it was kind of ridiculous to find so many errors in the few pages he dedicated to Switzerland. Such as: “The country is divided into 26 cantons (and three half-cantons)” => Switzerland has 26 cantons, three of which are half-cantons, so 23 cantons.
But really this pales by comparison to the problematic messages this book sends out, Lewis' viewpoint in general, and the harmful racist stereotypes this book clearly perpetuates.
For me, reading this book, I gravitated from feeling like “what the actual fuck?! How can this be in a fucking book on intercultural competences??”, when reading the racist stereotypes this book enforces like: “All good Asians are self-effacing, but the Chinese take it to ridiculous. As we all know, Asians do not like to lose face.” (because everyone else just loves public humiliation or what?).
To being amused by the little anecdotes on the Swiss “The Swiss are rather heavy drinkers and inveterate smokers.”. And a good thing as well, or I wouldn't have made it through this book!
The way that Lewis depicted some countries differently can be extremely harmful; it enforces racist stereotypes , and encourages differentiating people according to their race. Since there are such a plethora of quotes in this kind, I have picked out a few (emphasis mine).
- How to Empathize with Japanese: do not tell jokes unless they are at your own expense and can easily be understood. (p. 518)
=> it's important not to confuse them with too complex jokes, best to stick to simple ones, ask yourself: would a child understand it?
- How to Empathize with Iraqis: Under the present circumstances, one can only offer sympathy and, when possible, help and advice. (p. 426)
=> help and advice from foreigners and/or strangers is always wanted and appreciated (ask any woman), even if you are not an expert in the field, your advice and help is obviously useful to them and will gratefully be accepted.
- “It is not a good idea to ask to see a Japanese home; even important business people often live in tiny apartments, a fact that causes them some embarrassment. They are quite happy to go to your home, however, since you are likely to have more space.” (p. 518)
=> obviously your living conditions are better, so please don't embarrass them by visiting their home, it is naturally, in regard to yours, lacking.
If that was not enough to give an idea of the deep, systemic racism, classism, and sexism, saturating this book, just picture a British colonist, surrounded by a large group of subjugated workers, sipping a cup of tea while proclaiming shit like this:
- Try not to be judgmental about Indian failings or limitations. (p. 439)
=> there are naturally many failings and limitations, but try not to judge too harshly.
- How to Emphasize with Black South Africans: Although suspicious of “ex-colonialists,” blacks are quickly gratified by reasonable establishment of trust between parties. (p. 220)
=> a quick show of trust will obviously wipe away all the suspicions resulting from years of systemic oppression and abuse. You are now their best friend.
- Self-respect and loss of face are very much on their mind. Although they are not dealing from strength, the Vietnamese have a great sense of pride and will not be humiliated. (p. 483)
=> weirdly, unlike all other people in this world, they are reluctant to be humiliated, do keep that in mind.
- How to Emphasize with Chinese: they consider themselves extremely experienced, knowledgeable and shrewd. You may think you are more au fair (competent) with international business methods, but don’t let this show through. (p. 497)
=> you are obviously more competent, but try however not too show this totally obvious fact too much. Weirdly enough they do not appreciate being condescended to.
Still not enough? How about imagining some fucking shithead like Cecil Rhodes handing out “advice” like this:
- Indians tend to complain openly about the injustices of the colonial period. If treated with respect, they quickly put the past behind them (…) (p. 439)
=> Are they still going on about that? Oh well, no biggie. A quick show of respect and they'll be eating out of the palm of your hand.
- When criticizing, praise other things at the same time. Leaving something unsaid can also be a subtle way of indicating mild disapproval. (p. 479)
=> in fact, just treat them like children in general, some mild disapproval here, some praise there, and voilà - problem solved.
- Black South Africans in general need warmth, kindness, sympathy and practical help (p. 221)
=> unsolicited help once again, is always appreciated and accepted with heartfelt gratitude.
- Try not to react suspiciously to the warmth emanating from Brazilians; they strive to be liked and to please others. They are hesitant to accept responsibility; you may find that you constantly need to build up their confidence (p. 544).
=> although over-eager to please you, do throw them a bone from time to time, it helps build up their confidence, which they would not have without you. so good job you.
And it is not only all the above that is so problematic, it is the language Lewis uses to describe different races. For example, if you continuously describe one set of people as: patient, tolerant, waiting patiently, courteous listeners who need repetition, artistic, and with explosive outbursts – that sort of language used, portrays more passivity. Whereas, describing people as: entrepreneurial, decisive in business, well prepared, not averse to assuming dominance and taking control – this from the start conveys a sense of strength. And this sort of systemic difference in the language used to describe different groups of people is very problematic and harmful.
Like in the chapter on South Africa, from which I took all the aforementioned descriptions:
“Despite years of racial suppression and injustices, there is in fact far less color consciousness in the country than in many other parts of the world.
White South Africans are entrepreneurial and decisive in business. At meetings they come well prepared and usually have a few cards up their sleeves. I a discussion they will often sit back to listen and learn, but they are not averse to assuming dominance and taking control.”
While “Black South Africans” are described as patient, tolerant and with a delightful sense of humor. Or: “Africans are courteous listeners, though some repetition is advisable”.
“Black South Africans in general need warmth, kindness, sympathy and practical advice. They are also proud, so that aid and advice must be offered discreetly. You should recognize Africa strengths, which are numerous in many artistic, aesthetic and humanitarian fields. These should be seen as compensating for short-comings (e.g. organizational ad economic experience), which derive from situations often created by whites.”
And the book goes on like this, the language used to describe Western countries is different from more developing countries, or non-white people.
For example: “Italians may touch your arm or shoulder or perhaps hug you […] They are showing affection and you must find some way of reciprocating.” => this is a clear, non-judgmental statement. Italians are friendly and open, try to be friendly in return.
However, when you say: “Black South Africans are a very tactile people in terms of hugging. This occasionally causes Europeans some embarrassment, but this is a positive characteristic, emanating warmth, closeness and trust.” => why is it necessary to state this? When facing a hug or a kiss on the cheek by an Italian, there is no embarrassment! Moreover, it is not explained as a “positive characteristic”, it’s just the way it is, no explanation needed.
This difference in how two cultures from vastly different backgrounds are described, about a similar thing, is very problematic, it creates a divide in how they are perceived: Italians: friendly, open; Black South Africans: overly touchy, but it’s normal to be embarrassed, others are too, it’s just how they are.
This book seriously pissed me off and put me in a bad mood. To cheer myself up, I’ve gone back to the amusing anecdotes on the Swiss:
- Switzerland is the most mountainous country in Europe, with the result that most of its people live in deep and often isolated valleys. They are suspicious of those who live in other valleys and take refuge in steely, defensive parochialism.
- Formerly a warlike people who took on and defeated French, German and Austrian armies before being eventually crushed at the battle of Marignano in 1515, the Swiss retreated to their mountain strongholds and never left them again.
- and finally: a collection of sedated Germans, over-fussy French and starched Italians, all square like their national flag.
Hey, wait! What about the Romansh??!!!
In a book about cultures you can't leave out our fourth language and culture - there are still like 60'000 of us left!
June 30, 2019
3.5
I was mainly interested in this book because of it’s study of cultures interacting with one another and the different thought-processes of people from around the world. For that reason I loved section one.
But section two and it’s focus on business I will admit I skipped.
And finally in section three where it breaks down different behaviors of people in different countries both in and out of business was interesting but some things I completely disagreed with (especially because I knew a few people from certain countries who didn’t fit the type of person being described).
This book certainly felt outdated, both in some political terms but also slightly misogynistic. In terms of businesses and managers etc it was exclusively focusing on males, women only being mentioned as partners with whom you should gift pretty flowers too when they host a cocktail party.
Overall I focused on what interested me and for that reason I liked it.
I was mainly interested in this book because of it’s study of cultures interacting with one another and the different thought-processes of people from around the world. For that reason I loved section one.
But section two and it’s focus on business I will admit I skipped.
And finally in section three where it breaks down different behaviors of people in different countries both in and out of business was interesting but some things I completely disagreed with (especially because I knew a few people from certain countries who didn’t fit the type of person being described).
This book certainly felt outdated, both in some political terms but also slightly misogynistic. In terms of businesses and managers etc it was exclusively focusing on males, women only being mentioned as partners with whom you should gift pretty flowers too when they host a cocktail party.
Overall I focused on what interested me and for that reason I liked it.
September 24, 2010
This book is a useful tool when working with a multi-cultural business environment. Even though it is geared towards business and negotiations, the fundamentals of how cross-cultural communication works and the idiosyncrasies of various nations and cultures(83 in all), would make this a great resource for anyone involved in travel or working with various people groups.
January 1, 2021
Wow. Amazing insights into not only your own cultural bias but also of other people. Very good read to start to understand the different cultural nuances and insights in this modern day world
June 1, 2019
Useful in writing your dissertation, but if you really want to get to know other cultures, don’t rely on it ;)
December 13, 2023
Great book where one can try to understand better other cultures in business. The book is full of stereotypes and some judgements, In my opinion biased, by the authors nationality. But if you can get over this generic classifications, you can extract some guidelines to deal with cultures far from your own. I loved how he describes what times mean and how some cultures perceive the past as situated in front of them, versus at our backs. Also what “green” means in some aborigin cultures, made me think about how even concepts which we believe to be universal can be fundamentally different in other cultures. Mind opening.
April 17, 2024
Dit boek is een ware meesterswerk. Charles D. Lewis heeft me verbaasd met zijn deskundige en kritische blik op de vele en verschillende wereldculturen. Door zijn driehoekige 3 culturen model theorie (linear-active, multi-active en reactive) kan hij volgens mij een betere blik geven van de manier waarop de mensen op aarde socialiseren en communiceren. Elk cultuur (met introductie over haar geschiedenis en land) is met respect behandelt, neemt ons mee in het denken van de andere landen en daarom is het boek ook een sterk wapen tegen racisme. Dit geschrift is als een vuurtoren in een zeeën van vreemden, een soort van handleiding om met iedereen (niet alleen als manager, maar ook als toerist of in het dagelijkse leven) te kunnen begrijpen en met respect behandelen. Een persoonlijke favoriet!
January 19, 2025
shit > this book
June 8, 2023
Brilliant book to understand the cultures of different countries. Must read for anyone who works with culturally diverse teams. Should have included more examples around Indian culture (which would be of help for others to work with Indian colleagues/ customers, etc).
February 3, 2013
There are about a billion books that purport to teach you to relate to different cultures. Most of these books approach it from a single vector (Chinese culture for Americans; Indian culture for Brits). Those are often detailed approaches, full of little dos and don'ts that are most relevant. On the other hand, they often read as lists of rules that basically have to be memorized.
When Cultures Collide takes a more systematic approach. Lewis divides world cultures into three main groups: linear-active, multi-active, and reactive. He then discusses the main philosophical differences (e.g. linear-active societies are task-focused; multi-active societies are relationship-focused) and what this means to management and negotiating styles. Finally, the vast majority of the book is a large reference dealing with major business cultures across the world, and discussing their styles specifically.
The book is intended for people of all cultures, although Lewis is English, and there are a few places where it shows through. And based on the central premise of the book--that our language and culture affect our worldview--this is exactly what you'd expect. In the opening chapters, there are a lot of little asides ("The Malagasy imagine the future as flowing into the back of their heads...then becoming the past as it stretches out in front of them") and I was fearful that this book would be a generic compendium of cultural "oddities", but after Lewis has enough examples to convince you that your worldview isn't the only one, he settles down and gets practical.
I like this book for providing a framework and a reference guide for me. As someone who works for a multi-national company and has lived all over the world, this book hits a pretty big sweet spot.
When Cultures Collide takes a more systematic approach. Lewis divides world cultures into three main groups: linear-active, multi-active, and reactive. He then discusses the main philosophical differences (e.g. linear-active societies are task-focused; multi-active societies are relationship-focused) and what this means to management and negotiating styles. Finally, the vast majority of the book is a large reference dealing with major business cultures across the world, and discussing their styles specifically.
The book is intended for people of all cultures, although Lewis is English, and there are a few places where it shows through. And based on the central premise of the book--that our language and culture affect our worldview--this is exactly what you'd expect. In the opening chapters, there are a lot of little asides ("The Malagasy imagine the future as flowing into the back of their heads...then becoming the past as it stretches out in front of them") and I was fearful that this book would be a generic compendium of cultural "oddities", but after Lewis has enough examples to convince you that your worldview isn't the only one, he settles down and gets practical.
I like this book for providing a framework and a reference guide for me. As someone who works for a multi-national company and has lived all over the world, this book hits a pretty big sweet spot.
July 16, 2014
Excellent book on intercultural communication, one of my favorite subjects on earth. I ve been lucky to hear Dr Lewis lecture a couple of times too, and for me he is THE guru of intercultural communication. Loved this book!
June 2, 2019
the writer defiantly discarded individualism and took his general characteristics from tv shows and movies maybe
i almost think it's a bit disrespectful to some cultures
i almost think it's a bit disrespectful to some cultures
June 5, 2020
A book that should be read alongside other books on cultural differences, as a book on this topic can never ever replace living a culture.
Nonetheless, I like the fact that there a chapter for many countries; and the chapters about the countries where I have lived were rather good. (when read from the perspective "what to do/avoid when traveling somewhere for a (business) trip"; and not "I will now know how living in this country is").
Yet I notice that people who have never lived outside their country tend to think the chapter on their country is exaggerated (the "fish don't see water" principle).
Unfortunately the last update of the book is almost 20 years old, and some countries have changed a lot in 2 decades. A re-worked version of the book woild be welcome.
Nonetheless, I like the fact that there a chapter for many countries; and the chapters about the countries where I have lived were rather good. (when read from the perspective "what to do/avoid when traveling somewhere for a (business) trip"; and not "I will now know how living in this country is").
Yet I notice that people who have never lived outside their country tend to think the chapter on their country is exaggerated (the "fish don't see water" principle).
Unfortunately the last update of the book is almost 20 years old, and some countries have changed a lot in 2 decades. A re-worked version of the book woild be welcome.
March 26, 2021
A rather silly book that starts by repeating urban legends as fact and therefore leads me to suspect every fact presented here. It's been called racist and stereotypical, and I can easily see why.
Nonetheless, there is value here. Not in the stereotypes, but merely the realisation that gee, in different cultures people communicate differently. This should be Captain Obvious level stuff, and yet to a socially phenomenally unskilled person like myself it was something I had never really grasped. Still, I'd advise the reader to assume that every conclusion presented here is suspect, at least, and keep in mind the perspective of the writer at all times.
Nonetheless, there is value here. Not in the stereotypes, but merely the realisation that gee, in different cultures people communicate differently. This should be Captain Obvious level stuff, and yet to a socially phenomenally unskilled person like myself it was something I had never really grasped. Still, I'd advise the reader to assume that every conclusion presented here is suspect, at least, and keep in mind the perspective of the writer at all times.
February 7, 2021
The book has a very "business management" framing. The more abstract parts about cultural models of time (linear-active, multi-active, cyclical), high- vs low-context cultures, high- vs low-trust societies are really interesting. The other parts about specific business interactions (meetings, team-buiding, negotiations, etc) per-culture could be useful as a cheat-sheet when dealing with those cultures, but otherwise are not so interesting to me. The diagrams of cultural meeting norms, leadership styles, etc, are tongue-in-cheek quite witty, and still accurate.
October 30, 2022
An interesting take into how the many cultures react differently in social situations and how these behaviours translates to business settings.
At first look, the insights into each individual country seems rather stereotypical. To be fair, I have not had the chance to validate what was written in the book since I do not get the chance to interact with an international audience in my workplace.
Overall, worth it to pick up the book and have a quick read, just to open up our minds on how differently people from different cultures would act.
At first look, the insights into each individual country seems rather stereotypical. To be fair, I have not had the chance to validate what was written in the book since I do not get the chance to interact with an international audience in my workplace.
Overall, worth it to pick up the book and have a quick read, just to open up our minds on how differently people from different cultures would act.
November 21, 2016
I have used this for school but if you are interested in other countries and cultures and how to approach them it's a really useful book. The dictionary in the back let's you find the country you may travel to and describe it in few pages how they use their language, manners, body language etc.
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March 13, 2023Recommend! I used the material from this book for an undergraduate level course in international marketing (International Marketing). I am also using the material as personal reference, as I am preparing courses that are taught to international students.
May 8, 2017
Great book about cultures across different countries. A handbook to read before business meetings in abroad to having guests from other countries.
April 22, 2019
Very valuable when working with a multi-cultural team.
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September 21, 2019This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 13, 2019
Brilliant insight into how different cultures perceive same things differently.
November 12, 2023
Interesante introducción al modelo de Lewis de las diferencias culturales.
November 22, 2023
Similar to kiss bow or shake hands which I read earlier. Could not gather anything different from this one. Prejudiced perhaps.
September 23, 2024
terrible writing full of racism and stereotypes
May 11, 2025
Many views about several countries are already outdated.
July 20, 2017
Full Review: When Cultures Collide: Leading Across Cultures Review
I really wanted to read this book after reading an article by the author about how different cultures around the world perceive time very differently.
Is Time Always Money?
While I was growing up in Toronto, Canada (for most of my adulthood), time was a process that went from the past, the present, and into the future.
As well, because of American capitalism, 'time is money' - hence using time efficiently and effectively is very important in Canada (at least Toronto).
Yet, unlike American-style business culture which aims to 'close the deal', Canadian culture adds an element of cultural respectability and curtesy, thus pressuring the other business is not as important.
These various cultural paradigms on time, respect, curtesy, self-worth, etc. are INCREDIBLY diverse among ALL cultures around the world.
Time Is For Relationships?
For example, more Latinized cultures do not perceive being 'on time' as important.
Rather, you can be late, and a meeting can extend for as long as is needed to establish or continue a personal or business relationship.
In Brazilian and Colombian cultures, a person can be half an hour to an hour late, without seeing this as an problem - while this would completely annoy a Germanic-influenced culture such as Germans, Swiss, or English.
But let's not limit ourselves to time, and just a few cultures...
Life is Different Outside of Your Bubble?
The book has amazing summaries of: time, team management, leadership, curtesy, respect, ego, level of aggression, persuasiveness, agreeableness, and many more elements!
The book also divides the countries into 9 different cultural groups, each with a brief summary of their history.
These cultural categories (which are future sub-divided by country) are: English speaking, Western European, Central and Eastern European, Nordic, Baltic, Central Asian, Middle Eastern, Asian (south, south east, East), Latin American, and Sub-Saharan African.
It's amazing to read about how some English cultures (such as Canadian, Australian and England) use sarcasm and humor effectively in business, while in Japanese cultures - humor can get lost in translation and context.
While in Eastern European cultures, humor can be perceived as a sign of weakness, avoidance, or deceitfulness.
Some Fun Examples?
Time is cyclical in Asian cultures - even if you don't get the deal today, time always repeats itself, so you will have another opportunity in the future - which contrasts against American 'always be closing' philosophy.
In African and Indian cultures, your status is immediately seen based on your tribe, caste, or level in society, while in Australia and many western societies, your status is based on merit (what you have achieved - not your family history).
Then you have the concept of gifting in Chinese and African cultures, which has businesses and politicians giving gifts to establish deals and relationships, yet, in many western cultures, this is perceived as 'bribery' and is illegal.
The amount of variability when dealing with people, businesses, and societies among all nations, and cultures around the world is stunning and VERY interesting.
So Should You Read It?
If learning about the current state of business in cultures (as well as some fascinating history), is something you enjoy, then I HIGHLY recommend this.
Yet, this book reads more like a text-book, and can get tenuous, because it is divided into exclusive sections (each country, each culture, time, leadership, etc.).
As such, I started reading this book 2 years ago, and I have yet to finish.
Otherwise, it's a great primer when traveling to another country, and should complement your 'lonely planet' guides quite nicely.
4.5/5 Stars
Quote of the Day
For an Italian, time considerations will usually be subjected to human feelings. “Why are you so angry because I came at 9:30?” he asks his German colleague. “Because it says 9:00 in my diary,” says the German. “Then why don’t you write 9:30 and then we’ll both be happy?” is a logical Italian response. The business we have to do and our close relations are so important that it is irrelevant at what time we meet. The meeting is what counts. Germans and Swiss cannot swallow this, as it offends their sense of order, of tidiness, of planning. ~
When Cultures Collide: Leading Across Cultures by Richard D. Lewis
I really wanted to read this book after reading an article by the author about how different cultures around the world perceive time very differently.
Is Time Always Money?
While I was growing up in Toronto, Canada (for most of my adulthood), time was a process that went from the past, the present, and into the future.
As well, because of American capitalism, 'time is money' - hence using time efficiently and effectively is very important in Canada (at least Toronto).
Yet, unlike American-style business culture which aims to 'close the deal', Canadian culture adds an element of cultural respectability and curtesy, thus pressuring the other business is not as important.
These various cultural paradigms on time, respect, curtesy, self-worth, etc. are INCREDIBLY diverse among ALL cultures around the world.
Time Is For Relationships?
For example, more Latinized cultures do not perceive being 'on time' as important.
Rather, you can be late, and a meeting can extend for as long as is needed to establish or continue a personal or business relationship.
In Brazilian and Colombian cultures, a person can be half an hour to an hour late, without seeing this as an problem - while this would completely annoy a Germanic-influenced culture such as Germans, Swiss, or English.
But let's not limit ourselves to time, and just a few cultures...
Life is Different Outside of Your Bubble?
The book has amazing summaries of: time, team management, leadership, curtesy, respect, ego, level of aggression, persuasiveness, agreeableness, and many more elements!
The book also divides the countries into 9 different cultural groups, each with a brief summary of their history.
These cultural categories (which are future sub-divided by country) are: English speaking, Western European, Central and Eastern European, Nordic, Baltic, Central Asian, Middle Eastern, Asian (south, south east, East), Latin American, and Sub-Saharan African.
It's amazing to read about how some English cultures (such as Canadian, Australian and England) use sarcasm and humor effectively in business, while in Japanese cultures - humor can get lost in translation and context.
While in Eastern European cultures, humor can be perceived as a sign of weakness, avoidance, or deceitfulness.
Some Fun Examples?
Time is cyclical in Asian cultures - even if you don't get the deal today, time always repeats itself, so you will have another opportunity in the future - which contrasts against American 'always be closing' philosophy.
In African and Indian cultures, your status is immediately seen based on your tribe, caste, or level in society, while in Australia and many western societies, your status is based on merit (what you have achieved - not your family history).
Then you have the concept of gifting in Chinese and African cultures, which has businesses and politicians giving gifts to establish deals and relationships, yet, in many western cultures, this is perceived as 'bribery' and is illegal.
The amount of variability when dealing with people, businesses, and societies among all nations, and cultures around the world is stunning and VERY interesting.
So Should You Read It?
If learning about the current state of business in cultures (as well as some fascinating history), is something you enjoy, then I HIGHLY recommend this.
Yet, this book reads more like a text-book, and can get tenuous, because it is divided into exclusive sections (each country, each culture, time, leadership, etc.).
As such, I started reading this book 2 years ago, and I have yet to finish.
Otherwise, it's a great primer when traveling to another country, and should complement your 'lonely planet' guides quite nicely.
4.5/5 Stars
Quote of the Day
For an Italian, time considerations will usually be subjected to human feelings. “Why are you so angry because I came at 9:30?” he asks his German colleague. “Because it says 9:00 in my diary,” says the German. “Then why don’t you write 9:30 and then we’ll both be happy?” is a logical Italian response. The business we have to do and our close relations are so important that it is irrelevant at what time we meet. The meeting is what counts. Germans and Swiss cannot swallow this, as it offends their sense of order, of tidiness, of planning. ~
When Cultures Collide: Leading Across Cultures by Richard D. Lewis
Read
March 6, 2017Un libro davvero interessante che ci mette davanti a culture diverse e ai pregiudizi del mondo intero.
September 27, 2016
Eye opening exposure into the mechanics of how people from diverse international cultures approach communication, leadership, management, negotiations, and cultural sensitivity. Being an American, I'd strongly recommend this read for every American business person conducting or planning to conduct business on an internatonal stage.
Heavily favouring an European, Asian, and American business orientation, When Cultures Collide is a great reference for conducting business in these regions. Many other cultures, rich in their history and place in a globalized world, are categorized under broad similarities. Nevertheless, the wonderfully woven synergy of cross-culturization defined and illustrated with cultural nuances provides ample depth for sensitive consideration of diversity in general.
Although I did not read cover-to-cover, having read the general principles and few select profiles, I am pleased to recommend. This is going to be a must for my reference shelf.
Heavily favouring an European, Asian, and American business orientation, When Cultures Collide is a great reference for conducting business in these regions. Many other cultures, rich in their history and place in a globalized world, are categorized under broad similarities. Nevertheless, the wonderfully woven synergy of cross-culturization defined and illustrated with cultural nuances provides ample depth for sensitive consideration of diversity in general.
Although I did not read cover-to-cover, having read the general principles and few select profiles, I am pleased to recommend. This is going to be a must for my reference shelf.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews