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Human Dynamics : A New Framework for Understanding People and Realizing the Potential in Our Organizations
Sandra Seagal , and David Horne Manufacturer: Pegasus Communications ProductGroup: Book Binding: Paperback Similar Items:
ASIN: 1883823072 Release Date: 1997-07-01 |
Product Description
Based upon 17 years of ongoing research involving more than 40,000 people from over 25 cultures, extensively field-tested, and adopted internationally by Fortune 500 companies, Human Dynamics? is a developmental system that demystifies the complexities of how people function and interact with one another. Human Dynamics presents a powerful framework for understanding the distinct ways in which we process information, learn, communicate, relate with one another, manifest stress, maintain well-being, and develop as human beings. At the heart of Human Dynamics are the three universal principles we all share in different capacities--mental, emotional, and physical--fundamental threads that cross culture, age, race, and gender to unify us all. As we learn to appreciate our commonalities and differences, we can use our unique gifts and apply new understanding to enrich our relationships, heighten "collective intelligence", communicate more effectively, work together more productively, enhance creativity, optimize team learning, and strengthen organizational performance. Actual accounts from major companies including Intel Corporation, Intermountain Healthcare System, and London Life Insurance Company document how Human Dynamics can optimize business relationships, organizational learning, teamwork, and communication.Customer Reviews:
A Proper Examination and Explanation of Human Action.......2001-01-24
Great book.......2000-07-09
improving teamwork in your organisation,family & community.......1998-11-06
A most complete study of human diversity........1998-08-24
A most complete study of human diversity........1998-08-14
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The 10 Lenses: Your Guide to Living & Working in a Multicultural World (Capital Ideas for Business & Personal Development)
Mark Williams Manufacturer: Capital Books ProductGroup: Book Binding: Paperback Similar Items:
ASIN: 1892123592 |
Book Description
In this ground-breaking new book, acclaimed diversity expert Mark Williams offers ten "eye-opening" lenses to help you, your organization, and everyone in it, understand how cultural diversity affects the way we live and work. There's the Assimilationist who believes that everyone should act like a true blue American, and the Culturalcentrist who believes that a person's race or ethnicity is central to their personal and public identity; the Meritrocratist who is sure that if you have the abilities and work hard enough you can make your dreams come true regardless of race or culture, and the Victim/Caregiver who believes that because of bias they will never succeed. Learn more about these lenses, as well as six other lenses that Mark Williams has developed to respond to cultural diversity.Customer Reviews:
The 10 Lenses: Your Guide to Living & Working in a Multicultural World.......2007-01-04
Promising, but in the end Disappointing.......2003-12-04
I've worked for a US Fortune500 Company for 20 years, and in over 30 Countries.
The book confesses upfront to its limitations : although the information is US-centric, Williams, Clifton & Thomas believe their concepts are universal - but they haven't the experience to back that up. They admit they don't know whether current observations will hold up in different cultures, or whether different cultures have different profiles with respect to the lenses. The initial research has focussed on race, culture, nationality & ethnicity. In practice 90% of its focus is on race & ethnicity. Sexual orientation is ignored, and the word 'gay' doesn't appear until over 80% of the way through the book - and its only for one sentence.
Consider some of the Lenses :
For the Assimilationist they talk about "adapting US business norms appropriately, given global norms and standards" - well I've never met a "Global norm" - and as for being able to adapt US norms, there's the problem - you have to reject US norms in order to get on with the outside world. The Assimilationist must think about "Western cultural arrogance" - woah - what about "US Cultural arrogance" - ask a Canadian or a Mexican or the French how they feel about US hegemony.
The Culturalcentrist talks about the "Irish, Polish & Italian Communities", and in the same breath about the "Asian Community" - I'm sure the "Asians" would argue they had less in common between India, Vietnam, Korea etc than those Europeans, who at least had Catholicism in common.
For the Seclusionist : "Globalisation ... diminishes the authority of the USA" - hmm, I thought everyone was rioting recently complaining that Globalisation meant US hegemony? The Seclusionist "rewards the efforts of the majority group" - oh so Williams has never thought of a Society where the dominant group is itself a Minority, such as in Apartheid-era South Africa, and a number of other inequitable Societies today?
The Transcendant options were just not for me - according to Williams you are either 'Religious' or you are 'Spiritual' - nothing else applies. I am neither, and quite happy thank you. I'm always made to feel uncomfortable with this aspect of US Society, and it would be good if Williams had a section on how to work with 'agnostics'.
The Elitist offered no alternatives - what about Communism or Socialism - the inequalities of US Society would not be tolerated in Scandinavia. As I say to my friends in Minneapolis, it's a pity the wrong shipload of explorers colonised North America.
For all the talk about race, there's no mention of working with people in mixed-race relationships or of mixed-race ethnicity - over 10% of marriages in the UK are mixed-race, even though the ethnic minorities constitute less than 8% of the population. I find mixed-race marriages in the USA to be a tragic rarity - and why aren't they promoted in TV programs?
There were no examples of other diversities which can be just as sensitive in Society, such as no case studies featuring Native Americans, Hindus, Moslems, Lesbians, Vegetarians or people with Physical/Mental disabilities.
The much-promoted mystical Chapter on the Eleventh Lens was a real disappointment - just some new world 'Nirvana' where everyone loved each other and did right by each other (I presume so long as you could still hire & fire at will).
When I looked through the Bibliography, I understood; of the 86 references, only 2 of them weren't published in the USA, and they were published in London (both looking back at the USA). You can't write a book about a Multicultural world if you don't read/travel widely.
Williams continually refers back to Title VII of the (US) Civil Rights Act (pity he didn't include it as an Appendix). It would have been nice to talk about the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights - since so much of US Society doesn't comply with it. I recall when one of our Senior US Executives starting to spout about Affirmative Action etc at a staff meeting in Germany - he had to be told to leave or they'd call the Police - because his US-speak was illegal under anti-Nazi legislation.
I scored myself on the Lenses : I am Colorblind, an Integrationalist, Meritocratist and a Multiculturalist. Williams was (in 2001) inviting Contributors to help them develop the book for a wider audience - I'm going to volunteer to help them, because boy do they need it.
The Eleventh Lens.......2003-03-01
"The Ten Lenses" -- A Breath of Fresh Air!.......2001-11-09
"The Ten Lenses" Opens Your Eyes!.......2001-11-08
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Diversity Consciousness: Opening Our Minds to People, Cultures, and Opportunities, Second Edition
Richard D. Bucher , and Patricia L. Bucher Manufacturer: Prentice Hall ProductGroup: Book Binding: Paperback Similar Items:
ASIN: 013049111X |
Book Description
This empowering study on human diversity helps readers develop the ability to understand, respect, and value diversityi.e., raise their diversity consciousnessand demonstrates how opening one's mind to the views of other peoples and cultures is central for a quality education and successful career. Personalizing the learning experience by weaving a wide variety of real-life student experiences and perspectives throughout the book, it discusses topics in a style that promotes self-reflection and dialogue, and uses an approach to diversity that is balanced, comprehensive, well-integrated, and relevant to achieving one's life goals. KEY TOPICS Complete with self-reflective journal questions and interactive exercises, it offers thorough and current discussions on diversity and workplace issueswhat they are, their significance, and their relevance to the reader; discusses concepts such as teamwork, conflict management, leadership, racism, prejudice, and communication in a clear and concise fashion; and zeroes in on the relationship between an employee's success in the workplace and his/her ability to develop flexibility in their thinking so that he/she can positively and effectively deal with a variety of diversity issues. A useful guide to raising diversity consciousness.Customer Reviews:
Typical garbage.......2007-09-24
A concise and challenging exploration of diversity.......2000-03-15
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CQ: Developing Cultural Intelligence at Work (Stanford Business Books)
P. Earley , Soon Ang , and Joo-Seng Tan Manufacturer: Stanford Business Books ProductGroup: Book Binding: Hardcover Similar Items:
ASIN: 0804743134 Release Date: 2006-02-02 |
Book Description
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Managing Cultural Diversity in Technical Professions (Managing Cultural Differences)
Lionel Laroche Manufacturer: Butterworth-Heinemann ProductGroup: Book Binding: Paperback Similar Items:
ASIN: 0750675810 |
Book Description
'Managing Cultural Diversity in Technical Professions' provides managers of technical professionals with clear and tested strategies to improve communication and increase productivity among culturally diverse technical professionals, teams, and departments.Customer Reviews:
Great textbook!.......2003-09-23
While it's early in the academic term, this book has already been extremely useful in framing discussions in our class. Also, as I talk to employers in Manitoba, many have asked for the bibliographic reference to source the book for their corporate library.
Getting Multicultural Teams to Work!.......2003-02-23
Written for both managers and technical contributors, the book uses a multicultural lens to look at management styles, teamwork, communication and career management. This new perspective drives home a central theme that cultural differences are key in how our teams work, and not widely recognized in their importance. In these kinds of abstract topics I find concrete examples very helpful, and the author includes numerous anecdotes drawn from his consulting background. These vivid examples show the profound impact of what sometimes seem like small issues, like the Mexican engineer who resigned the day after getting some negative feedback in front of his colleagues.
The book also includes a number of quantitative charts and tables showing how different cultures have quite different expectations of the importance of hierarchy, individualism, and risk tolerance. Having read this book, I now much better understand the experience I had in Canada managing an employee from another culture. What I experienced as a lack of assertiveness was actually the case of an employee expecting highly directive management, and their way of showing respect. Had I understood that well at the time, I would have approached the situation quite differently, even starting at the interview stage. On the flip side, the book would have helped me a lot during my two-year stay in France. In particular, it wasn't until I read this book that I realized that when my French colleagues were jumping in and finishing my sentences, they were demonstrating their agreement by showing they knew how my sentences were going to end!
The book closes with a number of interesting comparisons, like the different emphasis on theory and hands-on work that exist between engineering schools in Canada, the United States, France and Mexico. And to finish off, an entertaining appendix containing explanations of expressions which we take for granted from such diverse areas as baseball ("to be out in left field" - to make no sense at all) and warfare ("loose cannons" - ones which are not fixed down, and fire a different direction each time).
Getting Multicultural Teams to Work.......2003-02-23
Written for both managers and technical contributors, the book uses a multicultural lens to look at management styles, teamwork, communication and career management. This new perspective drives home a central theme that cultural differences are key in how our teams work, and not widely recognized in their importance. In these kinds of abstract topics I find concrete examples very helpful, and the author includes numerous anecdotes drawn from his consulting background. These vivid examples show the profound impact of what sometimes seem like small issues, like the Mexican engineer who resigned the day after getting some negative feedback in front of his colleagues.
The book also includes a number of quantitative charts and tables showing how different cultures have quite different expectations of the importance of hierarchy, individualism, and risk tolerance. Having read this book, I now much better understand the experience I had in Canada managing an employee from another culture. What I experienced as a lack of assertiveness was actually the case of an employee expecting highly directive management, and their way of showing respect. Had I understood that well at the time, I would have approached the situation quite differently, even starting at the interview stage. On the flip side, the book would have helped me a lot during my two-year stay in France. In particular, it wasn't until I read this book that I realized that when my French colleagues were jumping in and finishing my sentences, they were demonstrating their agreement by showing they knew how my sentences were going to end!
The book closes with a number of interesting comparisons, like the different emphasis on theory and hands-on work that exist between engineering schools in Canada, the United States, France and Mexico. And to finish off, an entertaining appendix containing explanations of expressions which we take for granted from such diverse areas as baseball ("to be out in left field" - to make no sense at all) and warfare ("loose cannons" - ones which are not fixed down, and fire a different direction each time).
This book is really helpful.......2003-02-22
The most important representation for me in this book are pages 69, 91, 93,and 148, as well as the graphs on pages 188, 216, and 217.
This book is really helpful.......2003-02-22
The most important representation for me were page numbers 69, 91, 93, and 148. I found the graphs on pages 188, 216, and 217 really helpful.
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Cultural Advantage: A New Model for Succeeding With Global Teams
Mijnd Huijser Manufacturer: Intercultural Press ProductGroup: Book Binding: Paperback Similar Items:
ASIN: 1931930287 |
Book Description
It is all too commonand costlyfor people in international groups to misunderstand each other. Sometimes in a dramatic fashion, often in a subtle way, these cultural differences impede progress among global teams.With over 15 years of international experience training intercultural groups, Mijnd Huijser has developed, tested and refined a powerful tool that helps overcome the obstacles inherent in global teams. His Model of Freedom provides a visual and practical method for understanding oneself and others. It helps individuals distinguish between personal and cultural behavior, and allows them to contribute to better teamwork. Managers and team members learn how to convert tensions in corporate culture to sources of energy, leveraging the advantage of culture for best results.
Most of Huijser's experience comes from multinational organizations, and the insights are applicable to a wide variety of groups, helping achieve better results on a national level, an organizational level and even a small unit level when differing cultures exist.
Customer Reviews:
An inviting, appealing manner business libraries and readers will appreciate........2007-03-12
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Cultural Diversity in the Workplace: Issues and Strategies
George Henderson Manufacturer: Praeger Paperback ProductGroup: Book Binding: Paperback Similar Items:
ASIN: 0275950956 |
Book Description
All CEOs, managers, supervisors, training professionals, and educators must be able to effectively recruit, train, manage, and promote a culturally diverse work force. Unfortunately, few of them have been adequately trained to do so. Effective management of diversity is good business. It takes effective communication, conflict resolution, and the creation of an inclusive organizational culture to succeed. This comprehensive book helps administrators better understand the problems they face and how to deal with them by dispelling the myths and facing the realities of cultural diversity. Drawing on numerous examples of successful diversity initiatives, the book gives the reader a balanced view of distinct diversity interventions. Cross-cultural training programs are critiqued, along with specific methods for assuring quality in-service training activities. Self-administered quizzes, surveys, and critical incidents are included to allow the reader to gain self-insight and self-improvement. African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, Asians, women, older workers, employees with disabilities, foreign workers, and majority cultural groups are discussed in great detail. Theories and laws, as well as behavioral, cognitive, and affective strategies are among the topics presented.Customer Reviews:
Pretty harsh about the white.......1998-06-30
I was surprised at how viciously anti-white-male the first few chapters of this book were. By the time the topic moved from ethnic minorities and women to people with disabilities, the attitude toned down somewhat, but I considered the first two chapters provocative and hostile.
It's a shame that a fine text about cultural diversity begins with such a high degree of discontent and anger. Once the tone of anger subsided, the book was a worthwhile read.
I think the merits of the book, promoting understanding and non-discriminatory and non-stereotyped attitudes and actions in the workplace, were overshadowed by the *very* discriminatory and stereotyped view of the white male worker.
(I am not a white male)
Starts divisive, gets better.......1998-06-28
I would recommend the book to others, but I might also recommend that in future editions, it would be worthwhile to tone down the aggressiveness against white men in the first two chapters.
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Cultural Diversity in the Workplace
Sally J. Walton Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill ProductGroup: Book Binding: Paperback ASIN: 0786301252 |
Book Description
no description
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Developing Cultural Adaptability: How to Work Across Differences (J-B CCL (Center for Creative Leadership))
Center for Creative Leadership , Jennifer J. Deal , and Don W. Prince Manufacturer: Jossey-Bass ProductGroup: Book Binding: Paperback Similar Items:
ASIN: 1882197801 |
Book Description
Thinking about cultural differences around the world isn’t just an intellectual exercise for managers working in an increasingly global environment. Being able to communicate effectively across cultural differences, understanding how to negotiate complex social situations, and being familiar with the customs and norms of many cultures are important skills in organizations today. Perhaps even more important than possessing those essential pieces of cultural knowledge is the skill of cultural adaptability—the willingness and ability to recognize, understand, and work effectively across cultural differences.
Download Description
Being able to communicate effectively across cultural differences, understanding how to negotiate complex social situations, and being familiar with the customs and norms of many cultures are important skills in organizations today. Perhaps even more important than possessing those essential pieces of cultural knowledge is the skill of cultural adaptability--the willingness and ability to recognize, understand, and work effectively across cultural differences. Proficiency in this area helps managers to build the relationships needed to achieve results in today's global organizations, especially when those relationships are forged across borders and cultures.
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Diversity in the Workplace: Human Resources Initiatives
Susan E. Jackson Manufacturer: The Guilford Press ProductGroup: Book Binding: Paperback Similar Items: ASIN: 0898624770 |
Book Description
The importance of addressing diversity in the workplace has gained widespread recognition in recent years. Among the forces calling attention to diversity in the workplace are the changing nature of the workforce, globalization of labor and customer markets, and organizational restructurings, such as mergers and joint ventures, which bring diverse corporate cultures together. Most firms, however, are only beginning to evaluate and adjust policies that were originally designed for yesterday's more homogeneous workforce. The large-scale organizational changes attracting attention are, for now, the exception to the rule, but they do present examples of what can be accomplished. Toward that end, this volume describes how nine prominent organizations have responded to the challenge. Featuring descriptive case studies from such firms as Xerox, Digital Equipment, Pacific Bell, American Express,CoopersBooks:
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