Managerial Cultures

How did the conduct of business come to be so different in different countries? Why are some less developed countries in the process of rapid industrialization while so many others remain poor? Analysts often point to national differences in the cultures of business to explain these patterns. What then, accounts for these differences in culture? We can gain some insights into these issues by considering the incentives that are likely to shape the behaviors of upwardly mobile sub-elites. Patterns of elite initiatives in the early years of industrialization have an enduring impact on the subsequent conduct of business ... This volume suggests some answers. Author David Hanson develops an analysis that focuses on the governing elites, the need for security and the search for status. His analysis rests on considerations of social structures, conflict and psychology rather than on resources, markets and economics. The result is a book that can offer international managers an understanding of the critical impact of history in shaping the societies in which they operate.