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The purpose of this paper is to report the findings of a broad‐based study that initially investigated a possible gap in global inputs into the fight against HIV/AIDS and TB co‐infection, and outputs in terms of results achieved. It is proposed that such a gap may be hypothesized to be due, at least in part, to inappropriate management regimes within the global health governance structure. The research does not simply question the effectiveness of the management of programs and projects, but rather the inappropriateness resulting from the lack of addressing cross‐cultural issues.

The factors facilitating or hampering project service delivery were examined, by looking at 12 case studies in Botswana and South Africa. These data were complemented with seven semi‐structured interviews with donor organizations and NGOs, conducted in the North. Cultural interactions were investigated by using the concept of “interfaces”.

The results suggest that there is a disjuncture between the global and local level that affects project delivery. The main issues hampering project outcomes can be summarized as systemic, structural and cultural.

The article's main contributions are both theoretical, looking at global project delivery from a cross‐cultural management perspective, as well as to development praxis by highlighting the need to focus more critically on cross‐cultural management issues within the global health governance structure, and indeed within international development as a whole.

Hofstede's theory may be problematic from both a methodological/theoretical and practical view when applied to the 80 per cent of the globe we term developing. It is necessary to break out of an epistemic paradigm and a “view from nowhere” in order to focus on multiple layers of cultural interfaces within power dynamics that influence the nature of hybrid organizations and individual cultural identity. The purpose of this paper therefore is to develop a theory of cross‐cultural interfaces.

Cross‐cultural values theory provides a blunt instrument in Africa, does not take into account global dependencies and is not able to analyse local perceptions of reality within a context of these dependencies. A theory of cultural interfaces is developed that incorporates an Aristotelian phronetic approach to social science.

This moves away from the universals of analytical rationality towards practical value‐rationality that considers culture from a context‐dependent viewpoint, provides a synthesis for cultural‐institutional approaches, and engages researchers beyond merely looking at differences in cultures and the consequences, and towards what should be done about issues that arise.

By providing an example of how cultural interfaces may be researched, and discussing the associated conceptual issues, it is hoped that this paper will help to move forward the debate about cross‐cultural management.

Investigates cross‐cultural differences between European management learners in a French grande école using empirical research with five national groups. Tests a proposition that cross‐cultural differences exist within each of Kolb′s learning cycle stages, rather than between them. Finds support for this. Provides tentative learning “profiles” and makes suggestions for future questionnaire scale development.

With an increasing number of foreign enterprises operating in China, there is a need to focus on the motivation of Chinese workers in such enterprises, and the way that human resource management practices address Chinese work values and motivational factors. Problems of productivity and retention of employees have been reported which reflect on the ways foreign companies attempt to motivate Chinese employees, often relying on practices drawn from concepts which work in the West. This article first looks at such Western practices, explaining why they might not work in a Chinese context. Chinese work values and motivation are compared with these approaches and propositions advanced to indicate how Chinese employees may be motivated. These are then compared with current practices and attitudes within foreign firms and joint ventures in China. For the latter a study of 13 companies in Beijing is reported, and the efficacy of policies and practices is questioned. Recommendations include the need for organisations to affect structural and policy changes in the areas of rules and procedures, reward systems, corporate identity and career planning. The provision of appropriate expatriate manager training is also suggested.

Communication with people from different cultures, yet who may well speak English, requires sensitive listening skills and a strategic understanding of the organisation’s needs. The communication manager must win the confidence of senior managers to help them deliver business objectives in a multicultural environment.

Work enthusiasm and organizational socialization (Training, Understanding, Coworker Support, and Future Prospects) were compared in two predominantly Chinese regions, i.e., Macau (a former Portuguese territory in China) and Zhuhai in the People’s Republic of China. Data were collected from 276 (96 Macau and 180 Zhuhai) full‐time, line‐level, ethnic Chinese employees in the two regions. Results revealed the Zhuhai employees to be much more enthusiastic at work. The Zhuhai employees also evaluated Training, Understanding, and Future Prospects more highly than did the Macau employees (no differences were found for Coworker Support). Regression analyses revealed Future Prospects to be the strongest predictor of work enthusiasm in Zhuhai, while education and years on the job explained most of the variance for work enthusiasm in Macau. The results of the comparisons are discussed in terms of the similarities and differences in the cultures and economic development of the regions.