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Cross-Cultural and Cross-Border IssuesRemove Cross-Cultural and Cross-Border Issues →

New research on cross-cultural and cross border issues from Harvard Business School faculty on topics such as dealing with linguistic diversity, managing multinationals, and how technology adoption affects global economies.
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The UK Needs a Bold Strategy Around Competition to Survive Brexit

by Michael Blanding

There is little doubt that the United Kingdom’s separation from Europe will reduce its competitiveness for the foreseeable future, argues Michael E. Porter. Here's what can be done about it. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

Kids Benefit From Having a Working Mom

by Carmen Nobel

Women whose moms worked outside the home are more likely to have jobs themselves, are more likely to hold supervisory responsibility at those jobs, and earn higher wages than women whose mothers stayed home full time, according to research by Kathleen McGinn and colleagues. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

The Surprising Link Between Language and Corporate Responsibility

by Michael Blanding

Research by Christopher Marquis shows that a company's degree of social responsibility is affected by a surprising factor—the language it uses to communicate. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.

Language Wars Divide Global Companies

by Kim Girard

An increasing number of global firms adopt a primary language for business operations—usually English. The problem: The practice can surface dormant hostilities around culture and geography, reports Tsedal Neeley. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.

Cultural Disharmony Undermines Workplace Creativity

by Michael Blanding

Managing cultural friction not only creates a more harmonious workplace, says professor Roy Y.J. Chua, but ensures that you reap the creative benefits of multiculturalism at its best. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.

Developing the Global Leader

by Julia Hanna

The shift from a country-centric company to one more global in its outlook will have a radical impact on leadership development, says Professor of Management Practice William George. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.

How Technology Adoption Affects Global Economies

by Carmen Nobel

In a series of research papers, Associate Professor Diego A. Comin and colleagues investigated the relationship between technology adoption and per capita income. They found that the rate at which nations adopted new tools hundreds of years ago strongly affects whether those nations are rich or poor today. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.

Collaborating Across Cultures

by Michael Blanding

Learning to collaborate creatively with people from other cultures is a vital skill in today's business environment, says professor Roy Y.J. Chua, whose research focuses on a key measure psychologists have dubbed "cultural metacognition." Closed for comment; 0 Comments.

Breaking the Smartphone Addiction

by Leslie A. Perlow

In her new book, Sleeping With Your Smartphone, Leslie Perlow explains how high-powered consultants disconnected from their mobile devices for a few hours every week—and how they became more productive as a result. Such "predictable time off" might help phone-addled employees better control their workdays and lives. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.

What Neuroscience Tells Us About Consumer Desire

by Carmen Nobel

It's easy for businesses to keep track of what we buy, but harder to figure out why. Enter a nascent field called neuromarketing, which uses the tools of neuroscience to determine why we prefer some products over others. Uma R. Karmarkar explains how raw brain data is helping researchers unlock the mysteries of consumer choice. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.

HBS Cases: Overcoming the Stress of ‘Englishnization’

by Kim Girard

CEOs of global companies increasingly mandate that their employees learn English. The problem: these workers can experience a loss of status and believe they aren't as effective in their learned language, says Assistant Professor Tsedal Neeley. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.

The Case Against Racial Colorblindness

by Carmen Nobel

Research by Harvard Business School's Michael I. Norton and colleagues shows that attempting to overcome prejudice by ignoring race is an ineffective strategy that—in many cases—only serves to perpetuate bias. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.

Measuring the Efficacy of the World’s Managers

by Carmen Nobel

Over the past seven years, Harvard Business School's Raffaella Sadun and a team of researchers have interviewed managers at some 10,000 organizations in 20 countries. The goal: to determine how and why management practices differ vastly in style and quality not only across nations, but also across various organizations and industries. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.

Climbing the Great Wall of Trust

by Michael Blanding

New research from Assistant Professor Roy Y.J. Chua investigates the difficulties for foreigners doing business in China, and what they can do to overcome the challenge. Key concepts include: Foreign businesspeople must learn their way around Chinese cultural customs and the importance of personal relationships and trust in order to be successful in that country. For companies doing business in China, one solution might be to consciously hire executives of Chinese ancestry in key roles or placing more emphasis and attention on cultural sensitivity. The researchers believe that similar dynamics are likely to rule in any business situation that mixes partners from different cultures or countries. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.

Creating a Global Business Code

by Carmen Nobel

In the wake of corporate scandals, many companies are looking more closely at how to manage business conduct worldwide. Professors Rohit Deshpandé, Lynn S. Paine, and Joshua D. Margolis evaluate standards of corporate conduct around the world. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

The Death of the Global Manager

by Julia Hanna

The "global manager" was a coveted job description sought by many leaders for many years, but times have changed—now we are all global managers, says Harvard Business School professor emeritus Christopher A. Bartlett, coauthor of the classic business book Transnational Management. He reexamines the ever-changing nature of running multinational corporations while confirming that, six editions and 20 years later, some challenges remain the same. Key concepts include: Multinational corporations must pursue three core strategies to build layers of competitive advantage: exploit worldwide operations to build global scale efficiency; develop sensitivity and responsiveness to national differences; and leverage the world for information, knowledge, and expertise. The organizational capability of a company to rapidly develop and diffuse innovation is incredibly important but difficult to cultivate. The term "global manager" is a misnomer—we all operate in a global environment. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.

Mindful Leadership: When East Meets West

by Sean Silverthorne

Harvard Business School professor William George is fusing Western understanding about leadership with Eastern wisdom about the mind to develop leaders who are self-aware and self-compassionate. An interview about his recent Mindful Leadership conference taught with a Buddhist meditation master. Key concepts include: People who are mindful—fully present and aware—can become more effective leaders. Leaders with low emotional intelligence often lack self-awareness and self-compassion, which can lead to a lack of self-regulation. Authenticity is developed by becoming more self-aware and having compassion for oneself. Group support provides nonjudgmental feedback in order to recognize blind spots, accept shortcomings, and gain confidence. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.

Professional Networks in China and America

by Sean Silverthorne

While American managers prefer to separate work and personal relationships, Chinese counterparts are much more likely to intermingle the two. One result: Doing business in China takes lots of time, says HBS professor Roy Y.J. Chua. Key concepts include: It generally takes much longer to build trusting business relationships in China than in the United States. When cultivating business relationships in China, American managers may want to know as many people in the Chinese counterpart's network as possible. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.

The New International Style of Management

by Garry Emmons

Today's transnational road warriors and the businesses they work for are forging an international style of business, say Harvard Business School faculty and alumni. Do you speak their language? Closed for comment; 0 Comments.

Asian and American Leadership Styles: How Are They Unique?

by D. Quinn Mills

Business leadership is at the core of Asian economic development, says HBS professor D. Quinn Mills. As he explained recently in Kuala Lumpur, the American and Asian leadership styles, while very different, also share important similarities. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.