Richard D. Lewis Explained

Richard D. Lewis
Birth Date:13 July 1930
Birth Place:Billinge Higher End, Wigan, England
Nationality:British
Occupation:Chairman, Richard Lewis Communications Ltd

Richard Donald Lewis (born 1930) is an English communication consultant, writer, polyglot and social theorist. He is chiefly known for his "Lewis Model of Cross-Cultural Communication."

Early life

Richard Donald Lewis was born in Billinge, Lancashire on 13 July 1930. He is descended from a long line of coal miners, originally from Mold, North Wales.[1] [2] [3]

After completing his schooling in Lancashire, Lewis went on to study Modern Languages at the University of Nottingham and also gained a diploma in Cultures and Civilisations from the Sorbonne in Paris.After attending the 1952 Olympic Games in Helsinki, Lewis spent the next two years living and working in Finland, where he learnt to speak Finnish and also came to know and love the Finnish people and culture.

Career

He founded the Berlitz School of Languages in Finland in 1955, and later opened a further 5 schools in Finland. In addition, he opened Berlitz schools in Norway in 1958 and in Portugal in 1959.

In 1966, Lewis founded the Berlitz School in Tokyo and spent the next 5 years living and working in Japan, where he became tutor to Empress Michiko.

In 2017, he claimed to speak 10 languages: English, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, German, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Finnish and Japanese.[4]

He is currently Chairman of Richard Lewis Communications Ltd.

The Lewis Model

The Lewis Model of Cross-Cultural Communication was developed by Richard D. Lewis. The core of the model classifies cultural norms into Linear-Active, Multi-Active and Re-Active, or some combination. Broadly speaking, Northern Europe, North America and related countries are predominantly Linear-Active, following tasks sequentially using Platonic, Cartesian logic. Southern European, Latin, African and Middle-Eastern countries are typified as Multi-Active, centred on relationships and often pursuing multiple goals simultaneously. East Asia is typically Re-Active, following harmonising, solidarity-based strategies.[5] [6] [7] [8] [9]

While Lewis' writings recognise these can only be stereotypes, he asserts that his model provides a practical framework for understanding and communicating with people of other cultures, and that the model can readily be expanded with other features, such as Hofstede's cultural dimensions, seen in relation to Lewis' triangular representation.[10]

Honours

Lewis was knighted by President Ahtisaari of Finland in March 1997 in recognition of his services in the cross-cultural field relating to the training of Finnish Ministries for EU entry (1995) and the EU Presidency (1999).

He was subsequently promoted to the rank of Knight Commander by President Halonen in 2009. He has always promoted the greatness of the Finnish culture in his publications, which efforts have been highly appreciated by the Finnish government and various public and private organisations.[11]

Media

In 2015 Lewis won the prestigious SIETAR Founders Award. This award, with its citation "Making a World of Difference", is granted to an individual who has demonstrated outstanding commitment and service to the intercultural field.[12]

Fish Can't See Water by Richard D. Lewis and Kai Hammerich won the Management Book of the Year award in Denmark in 2013.[13] The book has been cited since then in many highly acknowledged business magazines, newspapers and blogs for its practical approach and tips on how national cultures impact corporate strategies and their execution.[14] [15] [16] [17] [18] [19] [20] [21] [22] [23]

Lewis publishes regularly articles in the worldwide read business magazine, the Business Insider. His articles focus mainly on tips and background information for doing successful business with different cultures of the world.[24] [25] [26] [27] [28] [29] [30] [31] [32]

In 2016 Richard Lewis Communications plc was "named and shamed" for failing to pay several employees the National Minimum Wage.[33]

However, this relates to a situation dating to 2013, when a change in the system of deductions for accommodation and meals meant that the company inadvertently and temporarily paid less than the National Minimum Wage to some members of its domestic staff. As soon as this was clarified, arrears were paid in full to the staff concerned, and the system was changed to comply with National Minimum Wage legislation. This action was acknowledged in a case closure letter from HMRC in which the Compliance Officer said he was 'satisfied' that all arrears had been paid and that the correct rate was now being paid.[34]

Publications

External links

Notes and References

  1. “The Road from Wigan Pier: Memoirs of a Linguist” (1998, autobiography),
  2. “Robert Lewis and His Son Jake: Life-and-death Struggles of the Wigan and North Wales Mining Communities in the 19th Century” (2013),
  3. Web site: Portraits of 19th Century Lancashire Miners Leaders. North West Labour History Society. en-GB. 5 February 2024.
  4. Web site: An Interview with Richard D. Lewis. Riversdown. en-GB. 5 February 2024.
  5. The Influence of Cultural Activity Types on Buyer-Seller Negotiations: A Game Theoretical Framework for Intercultural Negotiations. Ott. Ursula F. 2011. International Negotiation . 16 . 3 . 427–450. 10.1163/157180611X592941.
  6. Web site: The Lewis Model Explains Every Culture In The World. Business Insider. 2016-02-11.
  7. A set theoretic analysis of international negotiations in Japanese MNEs: Opening the black box. Ott. Ursula F.. 2016. Journal of Business Research . 69 . 4 . 1294–1300 . 10.1016/j.jbusres.2015.10.095. Kimura. Y..
  8. L'influence des facteurs culturels sur les négociations achat-vente: un modèle théorique pour comprendre les négociations interculturelles. Ott. Ursula F.. 2014. Négociation . 21 . 1 . 93–117. 10.3917/neg.021.0093. free.
  9. The Influence of Cultural Activity Types on Buyer-Seller Negotiations: A Game Theoretical Framework for Intercultural Negotiations. Ott. Ursula F.. 2011. International Negotiation. 16 . 3 . 427–450 . 10.1163/157180611X592941.
  10. The Art and Economics of International Negotiations: Haggling, Hurrying-Up and Holding-Out. Ott. Ursula F.. 2016. Journal of Innovation and Knowledge . 10.1016/j.jik.2016.01.014. 10419/190692. 55803626 . free.
  11. Web site: Defending Finnish culture - Embassy of Finland, London : News & Current Affairs. www.finemb.org.uk. 2016-02-10.
  12. Web site: Richard D. Lewis won the SIETAR Founders Award Cross Culture. www.crossculture.com. 22 October 2015 . 2016-02-10.
  13. Web site: Berlingsketidende - Business Søndag - 22-09-2013. www.e-pages.dk. 2016-02-10.
  14. News: Crossing the divide. The Economist. 2016-02-10. 0013-0613.
  15. Web site: Fish Can't See Water: How National Culture Can Make or Break Your Corporate Strategy Business Digest. www.business-digest.eu. 2016-02-10.
  16. Web site: Eight Types of Corporate Crisis and the Role of National Culture The European Business Review. www.europeanbusinessreview.com. 7 November 2013. 2016-02-10.
  17. Web site: Fish Can't See Water Book Management Book of the Year. Management Book of the Year. 2016-02-10. en-GB.
  18. Web site: 7 Common Causes of Corporate Culture Crises. Business News Daily. 2016-02-10.
  19. Web site: Company Lifecycle And Culture Change Too Fast Today. Forbes. 2016-02-10.
  20. News: Corporate history retold through cultural clichés. Financial Times. 2013-07-31. 2016-02-10. 0307-1766. Adam. Palin.
  21. News: Book extract: Start up a cultural revolution The Sunday Times. https://web.archive.org/web/20160216034038/http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/public/Appointments/article1334900.ece. dead. 16 February 2016. The Sunday Times. 2016-02-10. 2013-11-03.
  22. Web site: Cultural Stereotypes Can Kill Remote Teams GreatWebMeetings.com. www.greatwebmeetings.com. 2016-02-10.
  23. Web site: How different cultures say "I disagree". Quartz. 22 August 2013 . 2016-02-10. en-US.
  24. Web site: Business Insider Deutschland. Business Insider Deutschland. 2016-02-10.
  25. Web site: Why China Considers Itself The Center Of The World. Business Insider. 2016-02-10.
  26. Web site: 24 Tips For Understanding Russians. Business Insider. 2016-02-10.
  27. Web site: How To Empathize With The British. Business Insider. 2016-02-10.
  28. Web site: How A Japanese Salesman Schooled An American Hotshot On Doing Business In Japan. Business Insider. 2016-02-10.
  29. Web site: This Creativity Challenge Perfectly Revealed The Difference Between Hungarians And Germans. Business Insider. 2016-02-10.
  30. Web site: North Korea's Behavior At The 1979 Ping Pong Championships Really Said It All. Business Insider. 2016-02-10.
  31. Web site: This Hiking Story Reveals Cultural Differences Between Finns, Italians, And Japanese. Business Insider. 2016-02-10.
  32. Web site: What You Should Know About Negotiating With Japanese. Business Insider. 2016-02-10.
  33. Web site: UK Government NMW offenders.
  34. Letter from HMRC, 13 May 2015

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