Humboldt′s Gift: International Business and a Little Glass of Rum Available to Purchase

As the interconnectedness of various nations and regions becomes more and more significant, international business people must devote increased attention to fostering long‐term co‐operation with their trading partners. This is not new, although it has been emphasised to varying degrees over the past generations. In this article various orientations of international business from the 18th century to the present will be examined. In general, the cult of progress has been profoundly influential since the Victorian era although such concepts have inhibited the ability to view other (especially developing)countries in broad non‐ethnocentric ways. In order to supplement such perspectives, a sampling of Third World intellectuals will be consulted,case studies of development will be mentioned, and anthropologists will be discussed.