ABSTRACT
The purpose of this chapter is threefold: to present cross-cultural challenges that increasingly affect organizational behavior and performance, especially in the case of mergers and acquisitions; to describe the proprietary theoretical framework for cross-cultural interventions based on the Lewis Model and how it is used at Richard Lewis Communications (RLC); and to demonstrate the effectiveness of the RLC approach to cross-cultural consulting through three case studies. The theoretical underpinning of the RLC approach is based on a belief that any cultural learning is sequential and largely moves from awareness to practical knowledge, to skills development, and, ultimately, to the formation of cultural competence. RLC involvement in cross-border transitions and mergers and acquisitions began in the early 1970s, as RLC consulted for ambitious European companies, which were growing through international mergers and acquisitions. RLC targets the internal dynamics in organizations, which are the most important attributes of interpersonal communication and interaction: leadership, decision making, communication, teamwork, and people/task management.
