Management in Canada : a characterisation

Canadian management, like most other things Canadian, shows definite signs of its cultural antecedents in Britain and France, and the proximity of Canada to the United States. It would be unrealistic to deny these influences, but it would be inaccurate to say that Canadian management is merely a product of the country's past, or its current proximity to the United States. Canadian management is a house which can be viewed from a variety of perspectives, and it is through familiarizing oneself with the front, back, and both sides, getting up on the roof, and then peering in through the windows that one develops a comprehensive view. No one single perspective, no matter how detailed, can offer a complete picture of what Canadian management is all about. Canadian managers are often thought of by Europeans as being similar to their American counterparts, which is understandable considering the size of the United States' economy compared to the Canadian economy. However, there are subtle, and not so subtle distinctions between management in the two societies, and it is my aim to capture and record the distinctions and to summarize them in a manner which allows one to see the unique characteristics of Canadian management. My primary goal was to record and comment on the aspects of Canadian management which make it unique. This goal was approached in a variety of 5 detail the social and ways. For example, Chapters 4 and economic environment, past and present, which increases one's understanding'of the context that both influences Canadian managers, and in which they operate on a daily basis. In contrast to these macro level factors that influence Canadian management, a more detailed look was taken at the education of Canadian managers in Chapter 6, and the influences that education has on management style were discussed [...continues].