ABSTRACT
Many years ago, social scientists were already outlining a self-evident truth concerning difference: 'Every man is in certain respects like all other men, like some other men and like no other man' (Kluckhohn and Murray, 1948). If we leave to one side these authors' failure to consider women worthy of inclusion, their formulation encapsulates some of the difficulties to be faced as we seek ways of best handling cultural differences. Human beings in general clearly have a great deal in common with one another. Selected populations, such as those to be found among the ranks of middle and senior level managers have even more in common with one another. Yet it often proves to be the differences between them that stand in the way of effective collaborative working.
