Becoming Ambicultural: A Guide for Managers and Organizations

Abstract

Ambicultural organizations and executives go a step beyond simply embracing different thoughts and behaviors—they transcend divisions to integrate such “opposites” as competition and cooperation, East and West or Chinese and American business approaches and strategies. They combine the best of two or more entities—cultures, ideas, practices—while avoiding the shortcomings of each. Excerpt UVA-S-0253 Rev. Feb. 6, 2018 Becoming Ambicultural: A Guide for Managers and Organizations The world today is intricately interconnected—and more divided than ever. How can managers and companies navigate the complexities of business in this paradoxically globalized, yet fragmented world? My perspective on managing differs a bit from conventional methods. I view management through the lens of ambiculturalism. In my 2013 presidential address to the Academy of Management, I proposed that an ambicultural approach may be used successfully in business or any endeavor—our work, our career, our life. The essence of the idea is this: every incidence or observation that challenges assumptions or runs counter to intuition or long-held beliefs holds the seeds for new understanding and learning. . . .