The world marketplace is dominated by companies from North America, Europe and East Asia. But what is the role of their respective cultural background in this competitive field?The increasing dynamics of world markets make it all the more urgent to understand the cultural background via scientific research. The authors of this volume have met that call and provide interdisciplinary evidence that cultural differences are what drive economic competition and ensure its future. Both the continuity and the adaptability of economic cultures are analyzed in case studies of both successful and failed attempts.