The Seven Cultures of Capitalism

Average customer rating:

Why this book is out of print...

An absolutely fascinating book

Excellent Resource

I wish this weren't out of print!

If you work for a multinational then you MUST read this book

The Seven Cultures of Capitalism
Charles Hampden-Turner , and Fons Trompenaars
Manufacturer: Piatkus Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 074991386X

Customer Reviews:

Why this book is out of print..........2004-01-05

I borrowed this book from the local public library after a recommendation by an international business expert who has dealt significantly with Japan. I personally am an American ex-management consultant, Kellogg MBA, and now work in an international business capacity for a foreign government, one of the seven cultures studied by the authors. First off, I will say that this book does offer value; the study findings and cultural insights are extremely useful, even ten years later. However, I found the book absolutely frustrating in its arrogance and leaps of logic, taking the micro-level findings of the research to try to explain macroeconomics of the time. Since I found no dissenting voices on the Internet regarding this book, I felt compelled to offer a different perspective.

If you read this book, you would not expect US GDP to outgrow Japanese GDP in real terms EVERY SINGLE YEAR OF THE TEN YEARS SINCE THE BOOK WAS PUBLISHED in 1993, which was exactly what happened. The authors seem to have taken advantage of the alarmist environment of Western management circles at the time to take pot shots at Adam Smith, Michael Porter, business schools, economics, financial analysis, management consultants, lawyers, etc. You would think that the American way of doing business logically, factually, and rationally is inherently flawed. The authors do not take their own prescription to "bring seemingly opposed values into balance", but rather extoll the virtues of the opposing value while dismissing the "Anglo-American" value to obsolescence.

Indeed, it is the convenient neglect of American-style fact-based analysis that may be the fundamental flaw of this book. The authors take very little data to make broad, sweeping conclusions. One laughable passage on page 37 asserted that one reason the Japanese may prefer to locate many of their plants in the South is that Americans there tend to take more time to converse informally before proceeding to business discussions. Never mind right-to-work laws, state economic development incentives, and the opportunity to build on a clean slate in the South -- Japanese motivations can be monolithically explained by culture, if you ask Turner and Trompenaars. (I am certain the Japanese do their fair share of fact-based analysis.)

READ THIS BOOK, but take it with a grain of salt. The study facts and cultural insights are essential, but the authors' larger extrapolations are dangerous and could be discredited by what has transpired since the book was published. Americans can and must benefit by learning from other cultures, adapt their strengths to new environments, and assimilate ideas that might at first be uncomfortable. But do not throw away all Anglo-American values so readily. The irony that this book is out-of-print while "Wealth of Nations" remains after 227 years suggests that Smith's invisible hand exists to strangle those who make feeble arguments against it.

An absolutely fascinating book.......2002-10-12

Though this book was first published in 1993, it is still every bit as relevant and interesting today. In this book, the authors examine the values and cultural habits of seven major capitalist countries (the United States, Japan, Germany, France, Britain, Sweden and the Netherlands), and examines how their cultural differences has given to each an entirely different capitalist system. After first explaining how the differences were quantified, the authors then examine these cultures, giving the reader an in-depth understanding of how each country's culture (and as such, capitalist system) works, and how it produces wealth.

I found this to be an absolutely fascinating book. I was always aware of the cultural differences between various countries, but this book did an excellent job of defining those differences, and showing how they affect the way that the country does business. If you are interested in any of these seven countries, or interested in international business, then I highly recommend this book to you.

Excellent Resource.......2001-02-11

The authors used questionnaire-based research to study twelve countries through the lens of seven oppositional pairs (the cultures from the title).

These pairs are:
Universalism vs. Particularism
Analyzing vs. Integrating
Individualism vs. Communitarianism
Inner-Directed vs. Outer-directed Orientation
Time as Sequence vs. Time as Synchronization
Achieved Status vs. Ascribed Status
Equality vs. Hierarchy

They make the point that capitalism is not a choice for or against but a range of behaviours made up of a multiplicity of choices. Using their grid and research data, they position various countries on this range.

As someone who works and lives in a country where I was not born, I found the book a very useful frame for looking at my adopted work environment.

I really call this 4.5 stars, the -.5 is because sections of it are much more dated than others and there are places where I think the tone of the book is lessened by the authors' temptation to give in and make value judgements.

I wish this weren't out of print!.......1999-04-08

This book examines a number of different countries and the priorities that shape them. While different cultures may all share the same values - be honest, treat your friends well, etc - what is telling is how different cultures *prioritize*.

For example, if you are in a situation where you see your friend at fault in a car accident, and you are called upon to testify, what do you do? While Americans tend to value truth-telling over loyalty to friends, Asians tend to value loyalty to friends over truth-telling. Both choices are shocking to the opposite: "How can you lie like that?" vs. "How can you let your friend down like that?"

This book looks at a number of cultures and how they differ. It's a fascinating read, and has changed how I look at the world.

If you work for a multinational then you MUST read this book.......1998-03-15

Helped me understand why the US focus on COST while Europe focuses on VALUE and why I was finding it tough in Sweden! Great Book!

Average customer rating:

THE SEVEN CULTURES OF CAPITALISM
CHARLES HAMPDEN-TURNER
Manufacturer: PIATKUS
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000S6PKE2

The Seven Cultures of Capitalism. (book reviews): An article from: Business Forum

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The Seven Cultures of Capitalism. (book reviews): An article from: Business Forum
Neil Garston
Manufacturer: California State University, Los Angeles
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B00092UUAO
Release Date: 2005-07-28

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Business Forum, published by California State University, Los Angeles on September 22, 1993. The length of the article is 1379 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: The Seven Cultures of Capitalism. (book reviews)
Author: Neil Garston
Publication: Business Forum (Refereed)
Date: September 22, 1993
Publisher: California State University, Los Angeles
Volume: v18 Issue: n4 Page: p30(2)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

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This is a practical introduction to transactional real estate law. Walking lawyers through the steps in the order in which they are likely to arise, the book focuses on the documents to be drafted and revised, the due diligence to be undertaken.

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This unique guide provides a definitive reference source for any international corporation or entrepreneur seriously considering doing business with Romania. It offers an up-to-date analysis of the key issues involved in dealing with this vibrant region. With its comprehensive guide to current and proposed investment and trading opportunities and information on all issues, from legal matters and relations with the EU to sources of capital and economic aid programs, Doing Business with Romania will prove an invaluable all-round reference book.

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Good book.......2000-04-06

It's a good book. Kogan Page is a serious publishing house.

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Doing Business With Romania

Manufacturer: Peter Randall Publisher
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Executives are beginning to recognize the potential of the call center as a significant revenue generator, perhaps one of the surest investments they can make in enhancing and creating customer value and bottom-line profits. Return on investments made in customer accessibility is seldom less than 100% in the first year, and frequently even more if customer lifetime value is included in the equation. Herein lies the challenge and the primary reason to benchmark your call center metrics against not only the best-in-the-world, but also your most direct competitors, i.e., best-in-class. This book describes in practical terms the "ins and outs" of benchmarking.

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Not worth a dime...........2002-09-27

The review title says it all.....

Very high level of details.......2002-07-10

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Call Center Benchmarking - useful, credible, to the point.......2000-10-03

If your criterion for a good book is the number of times you use it, then you are likely to consider this an exceptionally good book. I turned to it initially for perspective on call center benchmarking and found what I was looking for. In the process, I found a good deal more. For example:

 Benchmarking philosophy and rules. The path from benchmarking research to performance and outcome improvement sometimes gets murky. The authors identify ambushes and traps and give clear rules for avoiding them.  High yield call center operations. Nine areas of key call center operations along with measures are identified. These comprise the book's most valuable contribution. The nine areas provide benchmark points and measurement how-to's. They also offer a paradigm for taking inventory of your operation as well as assessing your performance in multiple areas.  Efficiency versus effectiveness. Call center efficiency is differentiated from effectiveness - an important distinction as call centers embrace goals of customer satisfaction and loyalty at the same time that they struggle with productivity and efficiency.  National benchmarking data. A wealth of benchmarking data already exists. The book tells you how and where to find it. This is a simple book. It is short, easy to read and credible. It's useful. It's good.

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Okay, Not Great

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Okay, Not Great.......2002-03-18

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European Economic Integration: Limits and Prospects
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The move to full European Union has created an extremely complicated economic entity at the heart of the world economy. This book examines the key economic elements of all major aspects of European integration. Beginning with an overview of the origins of European integration, Miroslav Jovanovic then moves on to discuss in detail all the main policy areas: monetary policy, fiscal policy, agriculture, industry, trade, the regions, and welfare. The volume also includes a discussion of less well-known policy areas, such as social policy, environmental policy and transport policy. Presenting a highly complex issue in an accessible way, this text will be an invaluable resource for students of international economics, international business and European studies.

Download Description

The move to full European Union has created an extremely complicated economic entity at the heart of the world economy. This book examines the key economic elements of this new entity: looks at monetary policy, fiscal policy and agriculture.

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a blueprint for how to do economic research

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Manufacturer: The MIT Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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This is the first book to present a clear empirical picture of the international exchange of goods and of the resources that account for the exchanges that occur. It fully articulates the Heckscher-Ohlin theory of international comparative advantage, in which a country's factor endowments (land, labor, capital) play a crucial role in determining trade patterns. The theory is carefully link to the book's analysis. Using tables, graphs, and econometric data summaries, Learner describes the patterns of trade and the patterns of resource supplies of fifty-nine countries and explains these trade patterns in terms of the abundance of eleven resources. His study should create a standard by which other data analyses will be judged in the future.

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Customer Reviews:

a blueprint for how to do economic research.......2000-11-09

This book is a veritable blueprint on how to do economic research. Leamer starts with a concise review of the underlying Hechscher-Ohlin theory (this chapter alone is worth the price of the book) and then moves on to descriptive/graphical/visual analysis of the data and finally rigorous econometric modeling. Although the frontiers of academic research have moved on beyond what is presented in this book, in part due to Leamer's subsequent work, this is a real classic. Ought to be required reading for any graduate student doing research in international trade.

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Austria Investment & Business Opportunities Yearbook (World Investment & Business Opportunities Library)

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Austria Investment & Business Opportunities Yearbook (World Investment & Business Opportunities Library)
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