Cross Culture Management

Asian management in the 21st century

Geert Hofstede

Published online: 16 May 2007

# Springer Science + Business Media, LLC 2007

Abstract Contrary to popular opinion, the crucial elements of the management

process show strong continuity over time, but differ from one country to another, as

a function of the local culture. Recent research reveals fundamental differences in the

goals of business leaders from different societies. The article explores general

characteristics of Asian management as opposed to management elsewhere, and

what the study of Asian management and its cultural origins mean for the emerging

Asian multinationals and for the state of the art in management research worldwide

in the twenty-first century.

Keywords Asian management

About Europeans and Asians

As a contributor to the first two volumes of the Asia Pacific Journal of Management

(Hofstede, 1984a, 1984b), I was asked to write something for the Journal’s 25th

Anniversary Special Issue. I do this as a European, a visitor from the other side of

the same continent. Unlike our American or even our Japanese colleagues, I don’t

need an airplane or a boat to get to Asia. From my home in Holland, I can get to

Hong Kong by train—it is true, my wife and I once did it. This raises the question: if

we call Hong Kong East Asia, why not call Holland West Asia?

The distinction between Asia and Europe is historical rather than geographical. It

relates to the origin of the name Asia. The word has come a long way: we owe it to

the Phoenician sailors who 3,000 years ago lived in the present Lebanon and who

Asia Pacific J Manage (2007) 24:411–420

DOI 10.1007/s10490-007-9049-0

The author thanks Mike Peng (Editor-in-Chief) for his invitation and editorial suggestions.

G. Hofstede

University of Maastricht, Maastricht, The Netherlands

G. Hofstede (*)

CentER for Economic Research, University of Tilburg, P.O. Box 90153,

NL-5000 LE Tilburg, The Netherlands

e-mail: Hofstede@bart.nl

spoke...