Product Description: What Women Need to Know to Succeed in International Business
From meeting protocol and sexual harassment to dining and gift giving, the rules for conducting business abroad can be dramatically different from those at home--and they can also vary from country to country. But with this indispensable resource, you'll have everything you need to successfully interact with your business counterparts, whether you're doing business in Caracas, Calcutta, or Copenhagen. Bestselling author Roger Axtell combines his 30 years of experience working abroad with the advice of three cross-cultural consultants to provide you with guidance and specific advice on: * Survival --Knowing the culture, protocol, safety, and staying healthy * Cultural differences --A country-by-country listing of the rules for proper dress, speech, table manners, etc. * Climbing the career ladder --Resources listing the best schools, courses, and language training, advice on finding mentors, and more * Personal issues --Dating rules in different cultures, balancing an international career and family life, dealing with harassment and discrimination
Outdated and Ethnocentric This book was published awhile ago, and needs to be updated. I was particularly interested in the Middle East section, which this book called, "The Lands of Islam." The language was ethnocentric, with an orientalist attitude (see Edward Said for an explanation of orientalism). I do not recommend this for anyone interested in info for this region of the world; I have lived there and the information presented in this book is now incorrect, as the book is outdated.
Do's and Taboos Around the World for Women in Business Interesting for young very unexperienced women.
Recipe for success?? --> Take action !!! "Do's and Taboos Around the World for Women in Business" is a highly interesting book, and one that is likely to prove useful for women who need to travel abroad for business reasons. Moreover, it is quite engaging, due to the fact that the authors combine practical advice with funny anecdotes about women working in international business.
I recommend you to read the whole book, if you can, because at least some of the tips it gives might help to you. On the other hand, if you are pressed for time, just read the parts that interest you more. The book is neatly divided into chapters according to subjects:
-Part one: Survival "over there" (it includes -> 1: Sex, dating, discrimination and harassment; 2: Know your product, know the culture; 3: Protocol for women; 4: Safety when traveling; 5:Healthy traveling; 6: Luggage and packing; chapters 1 to 6). -Part two: Advice country by country (it analyzes some countries in particular, but most are grouped and studied by regions; chapters 7 to 22). -Part three: Women in the world of work (it includes -> 23: Women in international business: past, present and future; 24: How I got my first job in international business; 25: Profiles of three successful women; chapters 23 to 25). -Part four: The international assignment (it includes -> 26: To go or not to go; 27: Preparing for your life abroad; 28: Family matters; 29: On-the-job challenges; 30: Culture shock; 31: Repatriation and reverse culture shock; 32: Cross-cultural and language training; chapters 26 to 32). -Part five: Help for the independent businesswoman who wishes to work abroad (it includes -> 33: Tips for the independent career search). -Part six: Additional resources.
Personally, I found some chapters more practical than others, for instance I took great advantage of the tips on what to pack ("You don't need more clothes, more colors, more combinations. You need fewer things, carefully chosen"), but I guess that depends on what each of us needs more.
On the other hand, bear in mind that even though the advice that the writers give is right on the spot in most occasions, that is not always the case. For example, they point out that punctuality isn't overly important in Latin American countries, but I'm from Argentina and I can say that many think that arriving late is rude, so if you were to arrive late to a business meeting just to "follow local custom", you would be giving a bad impression.
Notwithstanding that, I can tell you that I really liked this book. I specially enjoyed the fact that the authors take into account that "international business tends to be uncomfortable for most North American managers -men as well as women. Many have yet to develop cross-cultural experience, skills, perspective, and confidence". Their recipe for success?. Well, according to them "You can allay your doubts by taking action. To overcome negative attitudes toward women in international business you must assume the initiative and thoroughly prepare yourself".
On the whole, I found this book very useful, and I believe that it can be valuable not only for women in international business but also to those who need to travel abroad with their families due to their spouses' job. "Do's and Taboos Around the World for Women in Business" isn't a perfect book, but it is a very good one, and the kind of book you will want to carry with you around the world.
Belen Alcat
Do's and Taboo's I thought that this book while touching on many areas of do's and taboos was very basic in it's approach...perhaps even juvenile or youngsterish...While I was looking for actual do's and don't this book often offered situational issues...rarely stating DON"TS and offering multiple choices instead of stating the real Do's in many cases. Good for young adults and young persons going into new countries. Older people probably want a guide that states the facts like: In this country..cover your head in public at all times..instead of choice 1-go buy a head scarf.....2 tear a part off your dress and make one ...3 go scarfless...4 scream loudly I'm an American and don't need it. I was really looking for more depth and coverage from a experienced traveled business person on exactly what to do. Still a starting point for a new business traveler.
great exploration of gender equity issues my middle school students have found this book useful because it not only discusses gender issues in the world of business, but also offers strategies how U.S. women can be successful in cultures with even less equitable relations between the genders than our own country.
Anything Goes Trivia
Megaton Man
Tailipoe
Trevor
