During the last century, many Western nations and firms have successfully competed on a global scale through their use of new technological advances. Many other Eastern nations have recently managed to expand their global business through acquiring the West's basic technologies and by manufacturing products at reduced prices.

In the 21st Century, however, new technology and lower prices will no longer be the sole competitive edges. Western technology will be quickly acquired by other countries and lower prices will be attained through enhanced productivity and automation. As a result, a new competitive edge to successful global business is needed: cultural competency.

Cultural competency is what future global business managers will need to supplement both technological advances and price reductions. Competing globally through enhancing one's cultural competency is the goal of this book. It was written to help today's managers deal successfully across global business cultures.

Competing Globally will introduce you to the cultural norms of several national cultures and show you how to compete for business success in each country. Each chapter will help you master important business daily activities including personal introductions; making overseas phone calls and written communication; recognizing nonverbal messages of diverse cultures; conducting business meetings, presentations, price persuasions, and negotiations; managing culturally diverse workers; and, finally, avoiding costly social taboos.

Most of the material in the book has been based on more than 15 years of personal experience in the global market, providing my training seminars on multicultural management and negotiation across cultures. I have spent...