The ability to shape and change corporate cultures is of vital importance for today’s international managers. Revitalizing corporate cultures after restructuring, providing the right glue to hold the company together during a globalization process and preventing corporate culture clashes in international post merger, acquisition or joint venture processes are key business issues. This book discusses what corporate culture is, how it can be assessed, why corporate culture has such a powerful influence on the economic performance of organization, and how high performing corporate cultures can be shaped in an international environment. The authors use the dilemma reconciliation approach as a conceptual framework for understanding the impact of national culture patterns on corporate culture and for understanding corporate culture change: they argue that organizations must reconcile change with continuity in order to preserve an evolving identity. Recent case study material from leading international companies from US, Europe and Asia is used throughout the book. Peter Prud'homme and Fons Trompenaars Capstone Wiley Publishing Limited

The Culture for Business Series uses a new logic to look at issues facing business managers and leaders in today’s global, multicultural context. Each book will focus on one key aspect of business management and culture’s essential role in that area.

The series breaks away from the traditional management texts that are overly influenced by Anglo-Saxon research and thinking. While the majority of existing texts tends to focus on knowledge OF cultures, the books in this series are concerned with knowledge FOR cultures by providing a new conceptual framework for dealing with the business implications of culture. As such, the aim of the series is to provide a practical toolkit for managers and leaders by helping them develop a new mindset for working with and across cultures.

About the Authors

FONS TROMPENAARS is Director of Trompenaars Hampden-Turner, an innovative center of excellence in intercultural management. He is the world's foremost authority on cross-cultural management and is author or co-author of several best-selling books in the field, including Riding the Waves of Culture, Did the Pedestrian Die? and 21 Leaders for the 21st Century.

PETER PRUD’HOMME has his own consultancy: Cross-Cultural Organizations. He also teaches Cross-Cultural Management at several Business Schools. His special interest is Corporate Culture change and Corporate Culture integration in mergers, acquisitions and alliances. Peter has been associated closely with Fons for some 10 years. He can be reached at:

        peter@crossculturalorganisations.com