Mexicans & Americans: Cracking the Cultural Code (Paperback)
Understand why good neighbors are separated by the meaning of yesWhether negotiating a delivery date, launching a local franchise or renting a car in Mexico City, speaking the language and knowing the rules of business are not enough. In any culture where yes can mean no - or sometimes maybe - even giants like Wal-Mart and IBM can make costly mistakes. Mexicans and Americans gets to the heart of our differences and lays the groundwork for cultural fluency. Here is a humorous and insightful firthand look at how to succeed in working with Mexicans - on either side of the border. Steeped in the richness of Mexican culture and history, Ned Crouch helps us understand the most critical elements that determine what works and what doesn't when Mexicans and Americans come together in business: our different views of time and space, and our construction and use of language. He debunks the manana stereotype and offers specific advice on how to cross the cultural divide that separates us.
Ned Crouch has lived and worked in Mexico for much of the past twenty years developing business opportunities for major corporations including Steelcase, Cooper Industries, Attwood, Philips (Netherlands), Yazaki North America, Holland Group, and Graco. At the height of his consulting business he managed the placement of more than USD400 million in Mexico, setting up factories, negotiating licenses, strategic alliances and supplier agreements. He holds a bachelor's degree from the University of the Americas in Mexico City, has completed the summer business management program at Harvard Business School and has studied at Georgetown University School of Foreign Service, where he was certified in French and Spanish.
Thank you, Ned, for a work that helps bridge the narrowing cultural space that still separates our countries. Your solid experience of doing business in Mexico and the United States permeates these pages.—Miguel Leaman, Mexican Trade Commissioner, Chicago
This should be a textbook worth credit hours ... it reads like an adventure novel.—Peter D. Olsen, Public Affairs, Ford Motor Company
Ned Crouch has a way of presenting insights in an unforgettable way. A joy to read.—Gary Simon, President of Sigma Group and Former Executive with El Paso Energy
Just when you think you've got it all figured out, Ned Crouch adds a new perspective to thinking about cultural differences. Mexicans & Americans is insightful, entertaining, and very helpful. Rather than diminishing the differences, the author accommodates and celebrates them.—Joseph A. Cook, PhD, Senior Consultant RHR International
An entertaining and practical approach to help businesspeople navigate the cultural gaps between Mexicans and Americans ... we learn to respect each culture while making interactions more authentic and effective ... a great learning tool for professionals in HR.—E. Arturo Fisher, Principal Consultant, Hewitt Associates
Ned Crouch has always had wonderful stories about Mexicans that he shared with us and with General Motors and Chrysler at his dynamic seminars.—Brenda Arbelaez-Nock, President, PALS International
There are lighter (and lesser) books with a similar focus on the market but only Mexicans & Americans leaves one with the basic blocks on which to build cultural fluency ... You also help us gringos realize how negatively we are perceived when we behave "normally" on Mexican turf! That startling discovery alone should be worth the price of the book for the unwary US American about to embark on a Mexican business venture.—Doug Stuart, Training Manager USA, IOR Global Services
Extremely well written and very funny. You've got a hit on your hands. It should be required reading for all MBAs at Harvard Business School.—I. C. Bupp, PhD, Former Professor, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, and author of Energy Future and Light Water
This should be a textbook worth credit hours ... it reads like an adventure novel.—Peter D. Olsen, Public Affairs, Ford Motor Company
Ned Crouch has a way of presenting insights in an unforgettable way. A joy to read.—Gary Simon, President of Sigma Group and Former Executive with El Paso Energy
Just when you think you've got it all figured out, Ned Crouch adds a new perspective to thinking about cultural differences. Mexicans & Americans is insightful, entertaining, and very helpful. Rather than diminishing the differences, the author accommodates and celebrates them.—Joseph A. Cook, PhD, Senior Consultant RHR International
An entertaining and practical approach to help businesspeople navigate the cultural gaps between Mexicans and Americans ... we learn to respect each culture while making interactions more authentic and effective ... a great learning tool for professionals in HR.—E. Arturo Fisher, Principal Consultant, Hewitt Associates
Ned Crouch has always had wonderful stories about Mexicans that he shared with us and with General Motors and Chrysler at his dynamic seminars.—Brenda Arbelaez-Nock, President, PALS International
There are lighter (and lesser) books with a similar focus on the market but only Mexicans & Americans leaves one with the basic blocks on which to build cultural fluency ... You also help us gringos realize how negatively we are perceived when we behave "normally" on Mexican turf! That startling discovery alone should be worth the price of the book for the unwary US American about to embark on a Mexican business venture.—Doug Stuart, Training Manager USA, IOR Global Services
Extremely well written and very funny. You've got a hit on your hands. It should be required reading for all MBAs at Harvard Business School.—I. C. Bupp, PhD, Former Professor, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, and author of Energy Future and Light Water