Cross-cultural Management: An Introduction

Cross-Cultural Management: An Introduction offers students a hands-on approach to cross-cultural management that they can apply to a wide variety of organizational contexts. Rather than focusing on specific countries, authors David C. Thomas and Kerr Inkson highlight the interactions of people from different cultures in organizational settings to provide students with practical applications of concepts in international management. Real-world examples and case studies help students understand and integrate differences between attitudes, values, beliefs, and assumptions so that they can thrive as managers. 

David C Thomas (PhD University of South Carolina) is a Professor in the Gustavson School of Business, University of Victoria and Professor Emeritus of International Management at Simon Fraser University, Canada. He is the author of a dozen books including (with Kerr Inkson) the bestselling Cultural Intelligence, Berrett-Koehler Publishers. His book Cross-Cultural Management: Essential Concepts (2008, Sage Publications) was the winner of the R. Wayne Pace Human Resource Development book of the year award for 2008. In addition, he has edited (with Peter B. Smith and Mark Peterson) The Handbook of Cross-Cultural Management Research from Sage Publications. His research on cross-cultural interactions in organizational settings has appeared in the leading journals in the field. He is currently serves on the editorial boards of the Journal of International Business Studies, the Journal of Organizational Behavior, and European Journal of Cross-Cultural Competence and Management.

Dr. Thomas’ academic postings have included positions at the Australian Graduate School of Management (AGSM), University of New South Wales, the Pennsylvania State University and The University of Auckland, New Zealand, where he was also Director of the Master of International Business Program. He has held visiting positions at Koç University, Istanbul, Turkey, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, the University of Hawaii, Massey University, New Zealand, and ESCEM, Tours, France. In addition to teaching at both undergraduate and postgraduate level, Dr Thomas has consulted on cultural diversity issues with numerous organizations. When not teaching or writing he can often be found scraping or varnishing or sometimes sailing his 1984 Hans Christian cutter, “Clovelly.”

Kerr Inkson (PhD University of Otago, New Zealand) is an Emeritus Professor in the University of Auckland Business School, New Zealand. His 55-year academic career included 32 years as full Professor, at five New Zealand universities. He has expertise in management, organizational behavior and career development, and his careers research includes work on new forms of career, the use of metaphor in career theory and practice, and international careers. He was first author of a paper “Expatriate assignment versus overseas experience: contrasting models of human resource development” which was awarded Best International Paper by the Academy of Management in 1997. He is a former Chair of the Careers Division, Academy of Management.

Kerr has been the author or co-author of 18 books, over 50 book chapters and 75 refereed journal articles. His journal credits include Administrative Science Quarterly, British Journal of Management, Human Relations, Journal of Applied Psychology, Journal of Management Studies, Journal of Organizational Behavior, Journal of Vocational Behavior, Journal of World Business, Organizational Dynamics, and Organization Studies. His latest books are Understanding Careers, 2^nd edition, co-authored with Nicky Dries and John Arnold, SAGE, 2015; Cultural Intelligence, 3^rd edition, co-authored with David C Thomas, Berrett-Koehler, 2017; and Laugh out Loud: A Users’ Guide to Workplace Humor, co-authored with Barbara Plester, Palgrave Macmillan, 2018. Recently retired, he lives in Auckland with his wife Nan, plays some golf, and writes, directs and acts in plays on the local amateur drama scene.