Includes bibliographical references and index.

Introduction: Navigating cultural differences and the wisdom of Mrs. Chen -- Listening to the air : communicating across cultures -- The many faces of polite : evaluating performance and providing negative feedback -- Why versus how : the art of persuasion in a multicultural world -- How much respect do you want? : leadership, hierarchy, and power -- Big D or Little d : who decides, and how? -- The head or the heart : two types of trust and how they grow -- The needle, not the knife : disagreeing productively -- How late is late? : scheduling and cross-cultural perceptions of time.

"Whether you work in a home office or abroad, business success in our ever more globalized and virtual world requires the skills to navigate through cultural differences and decode cultures foreign to your own. Erin Meyer is your guide through this subtle, sometimes treacherous terrain where people from starkly different backgrounds are expected to work harmoniously together. Even with English as a global language, it's easy to fall into cultural traps that endanger careers and sink deals. Erin Meyer provides a field-tested model for decoding how cultural differences impact international business. She combines a smart analytical framework with practical, actionable advice for succeeding in a global world."--Provided by publisher.