Culture and Change: Conflict or Consensus?

Fons Trompenaars is the Managing Director of the Centre for International Business and his book, Riding the Waves of Culture, is concerned with attempting to further the understanding of cultural diversity in business, particularly international business. His analysis is based on extensive research involving 15,000 employees in 50 countries, in which he explores the cultural extremes and incomprehension that can arise when doing business across cultures in different parts of the world – even when those involved are working for the same company. Explores in this discussion with Bruce Lloyd (Head of Strategic and International Management at South Bank University) some of the critical and sensitive areas, such as the underlying assumptions used in the analysis, stereotyping and equal opportunities.