ABSTRACT
The evidence of Hermann Goering's famed remark: ‘When I hear the word culture I reach for my gun’ suggests that culture does not appeal to everyone. Strongly based cultures, especially those with deep roots in the arts and liberal philosophies, have always posed a threat to tyrannies and totalitarian ideologies. Culture, even in a limited sense, does not, of course, offer any comparable threat to the bureaucracies of the conventional business and public sector corporation, but it can nevertheless get in the way. An unwanted cultural pattern may give rise to unexpected behaviours that frustrate the well-laid plans of managers. At one time culture rarely occupied a place among the topics considered essential for management education. But the situation has changed. The importance of cultural differences has suddenly surfaced to occupy a leading position on the agenda of management. So what has brought about this shift of attitude?
