Thunderbird Bookshelf
Learn about books written by Thunderbird professors, alumni, students and staff members.
Thunderbird Alumni Impact
T-birds around the world create value as business, government and social sector leaders.
Walker Center Blog
Thunderbird Professor Robert Hisrich, Ph.D., and others at the Walker Center for Global Entrepreneurship provide resources for global entrepreneurs.
Gregory Unruh, Ph.D.
Thunderbird professor writes about sustainable business strategy for the Huffington Post.
Bill Youngdahl, Ph.D.
Thunderbird professor writes about leadership and strategy in a project-driven world.
Thunderbird Student Projects
Global strategy students publish class projects.
In conjunction with Thunderbird’s monthly First Tuesday events, the 5th rendition of the Houston Professional Speaker Series is June 5, 2012. This time the topic is Cross-cultural Communication and Negotiations, to be facilitated by Karen Walch, Ph.D., at the Junior League of Houston. Read on for a glimpse into what registrants will learn and discuss.
Many foreigners who come to China on business read about the culture and think they understand, but they misapply key concepts such as Confucianism, guanxi and face. “They misunderstand what they read because they look at it through their own cultural lens, rather than trying to see it through a Chinese cultural lens,” said Frank Neville, Vice President of Global Communications and Public Affairs at Thunderbird School of Global Management. Neville, a 15-year veteran of the U.S. State Department and former spokesman for the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, speaks Mandarin and continues to visit China on a regular basis. He shared insights on Confucianism, guanxi and face during new student orientation Jan. 17, 2012, in Glendale, Arizona. | Video: Understanding Confucianism (3:32) | Video: Understanding Guanxi (3:47) | Video: Understanding Face (4:04) | Podcast: Frank Neville on Understanding Chinese Culture (36:08)
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Thunderbird School of Global Management’s traditional Parade of Flags took a twist Dec. 16 2011, when students from Germany and Greece found themselves on stage together during fall commencement in Glendale, Arizona, while a debt crisis escalates in Europe. “While we were rehearsing this morning, we realized that Greece and Germany are so close together alphabetically,” said German flag bearer Severin Nesselhauf ’11. “But in reality in times of crisis, it seems that our countries are so far apart.” The Parade of Flags, which has been part of Thunderbird commencement ceremonies for nearly 30 years, allows international students to represent their countries and to speak briefly about their culture, history and national attractions. Typically two students stand on stage together based on alphabetical order. | Video: Thunderbird Flag Ceremony, Fall 2011 (23:15) | Photos: View 496 graduation images on Flickr
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By Dr. Eileen Borris, Thunderbird Adjunct Professor
We all have perceptual filters that make communication a complex process. Two people who hear the same message attach different meanings based on their different circumstances and history. The communication process becomes even more complex when messages span political, geographic and cultural boundaries. When you go to another country or region, you must deal with an overlay of other variables. You must consider different perceptions of time and space. Some cultures favor direct communication, while others favor indirect communication. Sometimes yes means no in the broader cultural context. In the cross-cultural communication courses I teach at Thundebird School of Global Management, we focus on 10 dimensions of culture that influence the communication process. Learn more in this Thunderbird Knowledge Network video. | Video: Communication across borders (1:41)
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By Dr. Eileen Borris, Thunderbird Adjunct Professor
My work as a licensed psychologist ranges from marriage and relationship counseling to facilitation of peace dialogues in war-torn countries. Everywhere people interact and communicate, they must navigate the complexities of human psychology. This includes corporate boardrooms and business school classrooms. If managers do not understand the emotions and needs of their customers, employees, partners and regulators — or even their own emotions and needs — they will miss key opportunities to gain competitive advantage. The more you can understand where someone is coming from and what they value, the better you are able to work with them and create mutual value for all parties involved. Learn more in this Thunderbird Knowledge Network video. | Video: Psychology of business (1:34)
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Many people use “international” and “global” as interchangeable terms, but Thunderbird Professor Denis Leclerc, Ph.D., makes an important distinction. “Most international organizations have a center of gravity at corporate headquarters,” says Leclerc, who teaches in the Executive Certificate in Global Negotiations program through Thunderbird Online. “They might sell products around the world, but they truly have a center of gravity.” Global organizations, which have multiplied in the past 10 to 15 years, embed themselves more deeply in the markets where they operate and share knowledge in multiple directions. “Rather than having one center of gravity, they have nodes of knowledge around the world,” Leclerc says. Leclerc says cross-cultural communication skills become increasingly important as companies make the transition from international to global. | Audio: International Versus Global (9:27)
T-birds (as students and alumni are known at Thunderbird School of Global Management) find themselves in all sorts of memorable situations around the world. These adventures have led to a rich collection of stories about meeting extraordinary people, overcoming language barriers, and getting lost — all part of the adventure when T-birds go off the beaten path. Experience the world through these intrepid globetrotters as they float down the Niger River, journey into the heart of India, see North Korea through the eyes of a local, become a patient at a local Chinese hospital, and much more. Be inspired to seek out adventure yourself! Here is chapter 1 by Bryan D’Souza, a 2011 Thunderbird graduate from India and the United Arab Emirates. | Order today: Amazon.com
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By Thunderbird Adjunct Professor Eileen Borris
I arrived in the former Soviet Union in 1986 paranoid and full of trepidation. Many in the United States had warned me about entering the “evil empire,” and I had watched movies and read books that bolstered this view. Initially, everything I saw in Moscow confirmed my biases. Unconscious beliefs surfaced and became conscious. My views changed when I flew to Ukraine to teach at the University of Odessa. There I met a Soviet English professor who looked similar to me. As we became close friends, we discovered many things in common. Our similarities surprised us. Learn more in this Thunderbird Knowledge Network video. | Video: Lessons from Russia (2:42)
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By Dr. Eileen Borris, Thunderbird Adjunct Professor
One of my first assignments in the field of conflict resolution took me to the West Bank, where I worked closely with Israeli and Palestinian women. Adjusting to Israeli culture was easy. The women thought and acted like women from the United States. So I expected things to be similar among the Palestinian women. I arrived in East Jerusalem the first day ready to start my workshop but quickly realized I would have to adjust my plans. Before we could talk business, the women insisted on tea. They needed to know me and trust me before they could open their lives to me. Three days later, we started the workshop ready to learn. During this time I lived in East Jerusalem to better immerse myself in the unfamiliar culture. The contrasts I experienced on the West Bank opened my eyes. Learn more in this Thunderbird Knowledge Network video. | Video: Lessons from the West Bank (2:10)
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Anthropologists, economists and linguists all talk about culture. But settling on one clear definition is difficult. One reason is because culture remains largely invisible, especially when looking inward. “It is clearly very hard to see one’s own culture,” says Thunderbird Professor Denis Leclerc, Ph.D., who teaches in the Executive Certificate in Global Negotiations program through Thunderbird Online. Culture is often described as a set of shared and learned preferences that bind people together, but Leclerc says his students struggle when asked what it means to be from a specific country, organization or group. When pressed, many people mention the importance of family — without realizing that people from all cultures say the same thing. “I have not yet found anybody who says they don’t care about their family,” Leclerc says. Despite the ambiguities, Leclerc says global managers cannot afford to overlook culture because it shapes the way people do business. | Podcast: Defining Culture (9:55)
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