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| Americans at Work: A Guide to the Can-Do People | |
| by Craig Storti | ISBN:1931930058 |
| Intercultural Press © 2004 (200 pages) | |
| Whether you work with Americans face-to-face, communicate with them via telephone or e-mail, or interact together in a virtual team, this book reveals the subtle and not-so-subtle aspects of American culture in the workplace. | |
| Table of Contents | |||
| | Americans At Work”A Guide to the Can-Do People | ||
| | Introduction | ||
| Part I - The Big Picture | |||
| | Chapter 1 | - | Americans and Foreigners |
| | Chapter 2 | - | The Land of Opportunity |
| | Chapter 3 | - | The Can-Do People |
| | Chapter 4 | - | Equality for All |
| | Chapter 5 | - | You Are What You™ve Done |
| | Chapter 6 | - | On Your Own |
| | Chapter 7 | - | Time Matters |
| | Chapter 8 | - | Communication, American Style |
| | Chapter 9 | - | Of Bosses and Subordinates |
| Part II - The Details | |||
| | Chapter 10 | - | Details |
| | Epilogue | ||
| | Bibliography | ||
| | Index | ||
| | List of QuickTips | ||
Back Cover
| Whether you work with Americans face-to-face, communicate with them by telephone or e-mail or interact together in a virtual team, Americans at Work reveals the subtle and the not-so-subtle aspects of American culture in the workplace. Best-selling author Craig Storti provides historical perspectives and explanations of the six most important American cultural themes and their relevance to the workplace:
Learn about straight talk, American style, and how Americans aren t always as direct as they say they are. Find out why Americans are deeply conflicted about power: they crave it but are loath to be caught craving it. See how Americans view outsiders. Gain tips for succeeding in the American work environment. Finally, get the basics of work- related etiquette: conducting meetings, giving feedback, nonverbal communication, e-mail rules, gifts, taboo topics, and so on. Knowing how Americans work with each other will help you predict their reactions and, more important, their expectations of you. And if you are American, you will better understand your own behavior and be able to work more effectively with colleagues from other cultures. About the Author Craig Storti is founder and director of Communicating Across Cultures, a Washington DC-based intercultural communication training and consulting firm. A former Peace Corps volunteer, he has written many best-selling books on the cross-cultural experience, including The Art of Crossing Cultures, The Art of Coming Home and Figuring Foreigners Out . |
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Americans At Work ”A Guide to the Can-Do People
Craig Storti
Intercultural Press
A Nicholas Brealey Company
First published by Intercultural Press, A Nicholas Brealey Company. For information contact:
Intercultural Press, Inc. Nicholas Brealey Publishing PO Box 700 3-5 Spafield Street Yarmouth, Maine 04096 USA London, EC1R 4QB, UK Tel: 207-846-5168 Tel: +44-(0)-207-239-0360 Fax: 207-846-5181 Fax: +44-(0)-207-239-0370 www.interculturalpress.com www.nbrealey-books.com
2004 by Craig Storti
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.
Printed in the United States of America
08 07 06 05 04 1 2 3 4 5
ISBN 1-931930-5-8
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Storti, Craig.
Americans at work : a cultural guide to the can-do people/Craig Storti
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN: 1-931930-05-8 (pbk.)
1. Alien labor ” United States ” Handbooks, manuals, etc. 2. Visitors, Foreign ” United States ” Handbooks, manuals, etc. 3. National characteristics, American. 4. Group identity ” United States.
5. Organizational behavior ” United States. 6. Intercultural communication ” United States. I. Title. HD8081.A5S76 2004 650.1'3'086910973 ” dc22 2004008234
To Judy Carl-Hendrick: the best friend a writer could have.
Acknowledgments
As always, my deep gratitude to Toby Frank, for this book and for all the others. Patricia O Hare and Nicholas Brealey gave me very astute advice on tone and balance. Judy Carl-Hendrick, as usual, was good on the big picture and on the details; her deft touch enhances every page.
Every book s unsung hero is the writer s spouse, who gets to share all of the grief and none of the glory . To Charlotte, my love and thanks.
About the Author
Craig Storti is a nationally known figure in the field of intercultural communications and cross-cultural adaptation and is the author of several widely used books in the intercultural field:
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The Art of Crossing Cultures
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The Art of Coming Home
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Cross-Cultural Dialogues
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Figuring Foreigners Out
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Old World/New World: Americans and Europeans
He has more than twenty-five years of experience training businessmen and women, academics , diplomats, civil servants, and foreign aid work- ers in undersanding and working effectively with people from other cultures. and diverse backgrounds. As a trainer and consultant, he has advised Fortune 500 companies on international joint ventures and expatriate/repatriation issues, led cross-cultural workshops for international agencies and nongovernmental organizations on four continents, and assisted numerous corporations and government agencies to better manage global teams and a multicultural workforce. His clients include
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Nike
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U.S. Department of State
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Exxon Mobil
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Federal Aviation Administration
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Best Buy
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NASA
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British Telecom
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FBI
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Pfizer
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The University of Chicago
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FedEx
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Tulane University
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Target
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Vanderbilt University
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The United Nations
Craig Storti is also a well-known speaker and has written for a number of national magazines and major newspapers, including The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, and the Chicago Tribune. He has lived nearly a quarter of his life abroad ” with extended stays in Muslim, Hindu, and Buddhist cultures ” and speaks French, Arabic, and Nepali.
