book

Mind The Gap

Name: Mind The Gap
ISBN: 9781394381470

by Vincent Lauria, Stefano Pellegrino, Savanid Vatanasakdakul

May 2026

Beginner

320 pages

6h 57m

English

Wiley

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Cover
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
About the Authors
Vincent “Vinnie” LauriaStefano Pellegrino, PhDDr. Savanid (Nui) Vatanasakdakul
Introduction: Starting the Journey
Who We AreHow Southeast Asia Shaped UsA Third LensWhat the Book Offers and How You Can Use It
1 It’s an Adventure
2 Prepare to Be Unprepared
Active Listening and MindfulnessSuspend JudgmentSharpen Your IntuitionBe HumbleReality over RoadmapsVenture with People Who Know the CultureTake Risks EarlyExpand Your Horizons
3 Getting Ready to Expand
Why Expand Across Borders?Choosing a Target Country (It Might Not Be Obvious!)Push versus Pull: Two Paths to International Expansion

4 You Have to Be There
Building Trust and RelationshipsBuilding On-the-Ground Knowledge
5 How to Get the Deal Done
What Exactly Does It Mean to Close a Deal?When a Signed Contract Won’t Hold a Partner in Place, You Must Maintain a Win-Win Relationship“Not Enforceable!”—How to Navigate Situations Where Going to Court Is Not an OptionHow to Deal with Local Business Partners More Powerful Than YouDealing with Opposite Extremes: Total Defiance and Hyper-ComplianceThe Roles of Local Governments, and How to Interact with ThemUnclear Local Regulations—and How to Deal with “Gray Areas”Advisors and How to Use Them
6 The Power of Transcreation
Moving from “Task Fit” to “Culture Fit” to “Transcreation”How Culture Rewrites the PlaybookCulture Influences Adoption: Livestreamed E-commerceCultures Aren’t Static. They Can ChangeLeveraging Cultural ChangeLiving in the “Now-Future”
7 Cultural Code-Switching
Cultural Code-Switching Touches Everything You Do in a Culture New to You. And It Is a Make-or-Break Skill for International BusinessCode-Switching Is an Art, Not an Act“Communication Style” Includes Dress and Body LanguageKeep Time to the Clock of the Culture You’re In
8 When “Yes” Means “No”
Learn to Decipher the Codes in Which “Yes” Means “No,” or Meanings Are Otherwise ScrambledWhen “Yes” Means “Not Yet” How to Interpret Silence and Delays During NegotiationsA Gap in Core Values Between Cultures Can Be ProfoundIn Some Cultures, Trust Is the Default Setting. In Some It’s a Hard-Earned PrizeHonesty
9 Deals Are Human
The False Consensus Trap (and a Naked-Truth Solution)The Stereotyping Trap: Africa and Europe Are Continents, Not CulturesNo Culture Is Monolithic—and Internal Variances May Be NonobviousMind the “Scale of Values” in Your Target CountryTranscreation from an International Team: Carro
10 Strategy in a Strange Land
Direct LaunchJoint Venturing as a StrategyHow a Joint Venture Failed: Tata × DocomoAn Opportunity MissedWhen M&A Is an Entry Strategy: Strategic AcquisitionCaveats and FailuresUsing a Distribution or Channel PartnerColossal FailureCarro’s Cross-Border M&A: Why the Playbook Cannot Travel UnchangedNote
11 Hiring Teams Across Countries
Identifying the Right Talent in Different CountriesOnboardingTrainingKeeping and Nurturing TalentIncentives That Drive ExpansionFiring an EmployeeNote
12 Managing Teams Across Countries
How to Keep the Same Pace and Focus Across Different CountriesPromoting the Company’s Culture Across Different CountriesLocal Brand, Global IdentityDirect Reporting Across Different CountriesSome Practical TipsNotes
13 The Convergence of Business and Society
Quality EducationGender EqualityClimate ActionGood Health and Well-BeingThe UN Sustainable Development GoalsNote
14 Stories from the Frontlines
Vision Beyond Borders Sets the Path Beyond BordersWhere Limits Create Opportunities: The Geography of Global AmbitionHiring Across Borders: Beyond Language, Titles, and OpticsHow Communication Shapes Success Across CulturesYes, AI Has to Be LocalizedWhen Regulations Collide Across MarketsWhen Being First Isn’t Enough: Competing in Markets Where Speed Doesn’t Guarantee SuccessLocal Pricing Strategy? It All DependsIn a Cross-Border Negotiation, an Interpreter Can Be Your Greatest Ally—or Your Worst EnemyWomen in Cross-Border Negotiations
15 The Global Expansion Checklist
Chapter 1—It’s an AdventureChapter 2—Prepare to Be UnpreparedChapter 3—Getting Ready to ExpandChapter 4—You Have to Be ThereChapter 5—How to Get the Deal DoneChapter 6—The Power of TranscreationChapter 7—Cultural Code-SwitchingChapter 8—When “Yes” Means “No”Chapter 9—Deals Are HumanChapter 10—Strategy in a Strange LandChapter 11—Hiring Teams Across CountriesChapter 12—Managing Teams Across CountriesChapter 13—The Convergence of Business and SocietyChapter 14—Stories from the Frontlines
Acknowledgments
Index
End User License Agreement

Content preview from Mind The Gap

To Edward Lauria, whose craftsmanship and work with his own hands created the opportunities that shaped my life and who always told me, “You can accomplish whatever you put your mind to.”

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Mind The Gap

by Vincent Lauria, Stefano Pellegrino, Savanid Vatanasakdakul

Become an O’Reilly member and get unlimited access to this title plus top books and audiobooks from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers, thousands of courses curated by job role, 150+ live events each month,
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