ABSTRACT
Business conducted across cultures dates back many centuries. Early examples are the trading of goods along the Silk Road from the Han Dynasty in 200 BC, extended over the centuries across Asia to Arabian and Western countries. Increasing opportunities to invest abroad raised questions about how to transact business with people from different cultures. With accelerating levels of internationalization and globalization of the business world, interest in issues of cross-cultural management rose, seeking knowledge and insights regarding work, interactions and especially management and leadership in international and cross-cultural settings. This chapter starts with an overview of the evolution of CCM. Despite the growing body of empirically generated knowledge that is helpful for practitioners in their business conduct with and across cultures, many blind spots still exist in the field of CCM that call for attention in future research efforts.
