Building Bridges Among the Brics

The term "BRICs" was coined at Goldman-Sachs some twenty years ago to designate four "developing countries" which were developing much faster than the group. They were developing so fast, in fact, that popular wisdom came to believe that first, Brazil, Russia, India, and China would become the dynamos of the world economy and second, that they would come to dominate it. With almost two decades of hindsight, we now perceive that neither statement is completely true - nor completely false. While the four nations have largely driven world economic growth in recent years, all four national economies are noticeably cooling in the middle of the second decade of the 21st century.

All four authors of Building Bridges Among the BRICs take a close look at the national culture of their nations with their strengths and weaknesses for politics and business. They examine the origins of these cultures from the historical and geographical perspectives. Then, from their differing viewpoints they seek to project the likelihood of their country's working successfully with the other three. Finally, they examine what has actually happened on the ground. Have Indian companies worked successfully with companies from Russia, China, or Brazil? If so, how? If not, why not?

Robert Crane teaches about and publishes on cross cultural subjects. He also does needs analyses and designs educational programs for the senior management of multinational firms. He holds doctoral and masters degrees from institutions in the US, the UK, and France. He has worked in some 60 different countries, taking the time to live with the aboriginal peoples, go through three civil wars, and investigate environmental catastrophes, such as the Aral Sea.