Managers' Forum ~ Book Reviews
 

Blunders in International Business is a book that is entertaining and easy to read.  It describes blunders made by companies that tried to penetrate markets in regions whose culture and language are different from those of the domestic market.

Students learn best by example.  The book is full of good examples of blunders, but some of the examples are too brief and too vague to be useful.  However, the book is clearly organized into categories (areas of business in which blunders can be made), and this organization in the form of a table of contents is helpful to the reader who wants to be able to quickly locate a section of interest.

The information in the book is useful and its coverage is comprehensive, but brief.  Blunders have been made by businesses in the areas of production, choice of company name, marketing, translation, management, strategy, law and finance.  There is something to learn for everyone, from managers and accountants to strategists and executives.  I would recommend the book as light reading to students and businesspeople alike.

The language of the book is straightforward and simple, so foreign students and professionals should have no major difficulties reading and understanding the material.  However, some of the idioms in speech that exemplify blunders may be confusing to those whose native tongue is not English.  Some of the humor may also be lost on foreigners who are not intimately familiar with the English language.

The author clearly wrote this book with the primary purpose of entertaining the readers.  Most of the humor can probably be appreciated by people with virtually any cultural background, but there seems to be an  over abundance of sexual innuendo.  Some conservative readers may be offended or simply put off by the juvenile mentality of the author and the overemphasis on kinky blunders.

Overall, the book provides comprehensive coverage of what issues should be considered when engaging in business with people from different cultures.  The importance of being alert to potential pitfalls and respectful of others is emphasized.  Nevertheless, the book is helpful primarily to monolingual readers who have not lived for extended periods abroad or who are xenophobic.  By paying attention to details, most blunders of the kind described in this book can easily be avoided.  Blunders in International Business is not full of insightful revelations, but it serves to remind us of the importance of courtesy, diplomacy and respect in international relations.

David A. Ricks, Blunders in International Business, Blackwell Publishers (1997) ISBN 1-55786-414-4

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