Understanding Global Cultures: Metaphorical Journeys Through 28 Nations, Clusters of Nations, and Continents

Martin J. Gannon

SAGE, 2004 - Business & Economics - 459 pages

Understanding Global Cultures, Third Edition presents the cultural metaphor as a method for understanding the cultural mindsets of a nation, a cluster of nations, and even of a continent. This method involves identifying some phenomenon, activity or institution of a culture that all or most of its members consider important and with which they identify closely. Metaphors are not stereotypes; rather, they rely upon the features of one critical phenomenon of a culture to describe the entire culture. The characteristics of the metaphor then become the basis for describing and understanding the essential features of the culture. For example, the Italians invented the opera and love it passionately. Five key characteristics of the opera are the overture, spectacle and pageantry, voice, externalization, and the interaction between the lead singers and the chorus. These features are used to describe Italy and its cultural mindset. Thus the metaphor is a guide or map that helps such outsiders as students, travelers, and managers on short-term and long-term assignments understand quickly what members of a culture consider important.

Contents

• III: 3
• IV: 7
• V: 11
• VI: 14
• VII: 18
• VIII: 19
• X: 21
• XI: 22
• XII: 25
• XIII: 26
• XIV: 29
• XV: 32
• XVI: 34
• XVII: 36
• XVIII: 44
• XIX: 47
• XX: 52
• XXI: 53
• XXII: 54
• XXIII: 58
• XXIV: 62
• XXV: 64
• XXVI: 67
• XXVII: 72
• XXVIII: 73
• XXIX: 74
• XXX: 76
• XXXI: 79
• XXXII: 81
• XXXIII: 85
• XXXIV: 87
• XXXV: 88
• XXXVI: 89
• XXXVII: 95
• XXXVIII: 96
• XXXIX: 100
• XL: 103
• XLI: 104
• XLII: 107
• XLIII: 111
• XLIV: 114
• XLV: 115
• XLVI: 118
• XLVII: 123
• XLVIII: 124
• XLIX: 126
• L: 127
• LI: 128
• LII: 131
• LIV: 133
• LV: 135
• LVI: 137
• LVII: 138
• LVIII: 141
• LIX: 142
• LX: 148
• LXI: 149
• LXII: 153
• LXIII: 154
• LXIV: 156
• LXV: 157
• LXVI: 161
• LXVII: 164
• LXVIII: 167
• LXIX: 169
• LXX: 172
• LXXI: 173
• LXXII: 174
• LXXIII: 176
• LXXIV: 177
• LXXV: 181
• LXXVI: 182
• LXXVII: 183
• LXXVIII: 184
• LXXIX: 187
• LXXX: 188
• LXXXI: 190
• LXXXII: 194
• LXXXIII: 197
• LXXXIV: 199
• LXXXV: 201
• LXXXVI: 203
• LXXXVII: 205
• LXXXVIII: 209
• LXXXIX: 213
• XC: 217
• XCI: 221
• XCII: 223
• XCIII: 226
• XCIV: 231
• XCV: 239
• XCVI: 241
• XCVII: 243
• XCVIII: 245
• XCIX: 246
• C: 253
• CI: 255
• CII: 257
• CIII: 261
• CIV: 269
• CV: 272
• CVI: 276
• CVII: 277
• CVIII: 285
• CIX: 287
• CXI: 291
• CXII: 292
• CXIII: 299
• CXIV: 303
• CXV: 305
• CXVI: 312
• CXVII: 316
• CXVIII: 319
• CXIX: 321
• CXX: 322
• CXXI: 324
• CXXII: 326
• CXXIII: 328
• CXXIV: 331
• CXXV: 332
• CXXVI: 335
• CXXVII: 339
• CXXVIII: 344
• CXXIX: 349
• CXXX: 351
• CXXXI: 353
• CXXXIII: 356
• CXXXIV: 358
• CXXXV: 360
• CXXXVI: 362
• CXXXVII: 367
• CXXXVIII: 368
• CXXXIX: 370
• CXL: 372
• CXLI: 373
• CXLII: 377
• CXLIV: 379
• CXLV: 380
• CXLVI: 385
• CXLVII: 389
• CXLVIII: 391
• CXLIX: 397
• CL: 401
• CLI: 402
• CLII: 404
• CLIII: 405
• CLIV: 406
• CLVI: 407
• CLVII: 409
• CLVIII: 411
• CLIX: 413
• CLX: 415
• CLXI: 419
• CLXII: 421
• CLXIII: 423
• CLXIV: 425
• CLXV: 428
• CLXVI: 431
• CLXVII: 433
• CLXVIII: 443

Popular passages

Page xiii - If we are right in suggesting that our conceptual system is largely metaphorical, then the way we think, what we experience, and what we do every day is very much a matter of metaphor.‎

About the author

Martin J. Gannon (PhD, Columbia University) is Professor of International Management and Strategy, College of Business Administration, California State University, San Marcos (CSUSM). He is also Professor Emeritus, Smith School of Business, University of Maryland at College Park. At Maryland he held several administrative positions, including the Associate Deanship for Academic Affairs and the Founding Directorship of the Center for Global Business, and received the University’s International Landmark Award. In 2014, Professor Gannon received the Outstanding Educator Award from the International Management Division of the Academy of Management. Professor Gannon has authored or co-authored nearly 100 articles and 13 books, some in multiple editions and translations. These include Paradoxes of Culture and Globalization (2008), Handbook of Cross Cultural Management (2001), Dynamics of Competitive Strategy (1992), Managing without Traditional Methods: International Innovations in Human Resource Management (1996) and Ethical Dimensions of International Management (1997). Professor Gannon has been the Senior Research Fulbright Professor at the Center for the Study of Work and Higher Education in Germany and the John F. Kennedy/Fulbright Professor at Thammasat University in Bangkok, and has served as a visiting professor at several Asian and European universities. He has also been a consultant to many companies, government agencies, and labor unions. Professor Gannon has lived and worked in more than 30 nations as a visiting professor, consultant, and trainer. For additional information on Professor Gannon, please visit his homepage at California State University, San Marcos: faculty.csusm.edu/mgannon

Bibliographic information

• Title: Understanding Global Cultures: Metaphorical Journeys Through 28 Nations, Clusters of Nations, and Continents
• Author: Martin J. Gannon
• Edition: revised
• Publisher: SAGE, 2004
• ISBN: 0761929800, 9780761929802
• Length: 459 pages
• Subjects: Business & Economics / General; Business & Economics / International / General; Social Science / Anthropology / Cultural & Social; Social Science / Ethnic Studies / General