Dear Fuqua Colleague,

The Duke Center for International Business Education and Research (Duke CIBER) at the Fuqua School requests your assistance in an important research initiative on cross-cultural communication by participating in an online survey.

The survey takes approximately 30 minutes of your time. In exchange, all participants will receive one month access to the web site: www.cultureactive.com as well as a copy of the research report once completed. With access to Cultureactive.com you will be able to assess your cross cultural communication style according to the Lewis Model™, test your knowledge of over 50 cultures, and assess how well you would perform in a series of cross-cultural situations. The research collaboration (Inter Cultural Edge or ICE) is currently in phase 2 of data collection and requires a minimum of 1,500 completed surveys to conduct the next analyses.

Go to the following URL to self-register and begin the research survey: http://icedge.fuqua.duke.edu/alum_survey/

InterCultural Edge (ICE) http://faculty.fuqua.duke.edu/ciber/ice/ is a collaborative research initiative between the Duke Fuqua school of Business , Duke CIBER, Richard Lewis Communications, Cultureactive.com and 10 Centers for International Business Education and Research: http://ciberweb.msu.edu/

The main goals of the research project are:

• Determine the psychological, sociological and anthropological theoretical underpinnings of the Lewis model: Linear-active, Multi-active and Reactive (LMR).
• Measuring the validity and reliability of LMR assessment scales across multiple countries
• Revising LMR measures to better reflect the cultural concepts assessed
• Study in multiple countries the implications of conducting the assessment tool in one's native language vs. in English
• Empirically testing the relationship between LMR and managerial behaviors such as negotiation, leadership, problem solving, working in teams and planning (future)

Professor Arie Y. Lewin, Duke Fuqua School of Business, is the lead principal investigator. Professors Wendi Adair, Nancy Buchan, and Xiao-Ping Chen are the lead researchers on the first ICE foundation project. We believe this and subsequent studies will be highly influential in cross-cultural business research in theoretically assessing and distinguishing communication styles and interaction patterns across countries.

If you have any questions about this initiative, please contact the project director, Jeff Russell at jrussell@duke.edu , (919) 660-4099. Additional information can also be found on the InterCultural Edge home page: http://faculty.fuqua.duke.edu/ciber/ice/

Your time and assistance is greatly appreciated.

Best wishes always,

Professor Arie Y. Lewin
Professor of Business Administration and Sociology
The Fuqua School of Business
Duke University

Center for International Business Education and Research
Duke University, The Fuqua School of Business
Box 90120, Durham, NC 27708-0120
Tel: (919) 660 7654
Fax: (919) 660 7769
http://faculty.fuqua.duke.edu/ciber