Beyond Tribalism – Book Review

Beyond Tribalism by Celia de Anca a review

Beyond Tribalism – beyond the cover

This is a 300 page book with a smattering of figures and tables, 15 in total. At first look a traditional “heavy” flick showing page after page of text in a uniform layout.

The forward to Beyond Tribalism is by Professor Emeritus Arpad von Lazar of Tufts University, who says

This is an important book about circumstance, a condition and a behavioral and structural given with which we are already living, but the full implications of what we do not understand

Moving from a world in the 1960s and beyond to present day, we need to change our thinking from an individual basis to a community – or tribal approach  So interestingly in a modern technological society, maybe we need to start to learn from our cave dwelling forefathers. The book certainly puts a lot of society changes into context and provides the readers with context and examples throughout.

Who is the book aimed at?

Do you know what – I am not sure. Anyone with a passion for organizational design, organizational efficiency, human resources and certainly public sector leaders and policy makers!

The six chapters of beyond Tribalism

Chapter 1 – Identity and self

Chapter 2 – Identity and community

Chapter 3 – Identity and gender

Chapter 4 – Idendity and the market

Chapter 5 – Testiomonies – and who do you want to be?

Chapter 6 – Moving civilizations

Followed by an Epilogue – Managing Identities within organizations

Setting the scene for Beyond Tribalism

Before the main event, the author goes to great length in an Author’s Notes area, to both set the scene from her perspective and to create some working definitions. For example when exploring “Identities” says

Diversity is still a valid word to describe the society we live and work in with all of our differences in identity. However when we talk of managing diversity, what we really manage is the myriad of conflicting identities we all carry inside.

My biggest learning point from Beyond Tribalism

The epilogue is a great mash-up of the key messages from within the entire book. It neatly puts all the pieces of the puzzle together for the reader to consume and reflect upon. Walking through each chapter like an executive summary on stimulants, its a neat and yet articulates clearly. The importance of personal development in all contexts is explored, and we as the reader are urged not to impose, but to enable individuals to take more responsibility for our own development. The focused programs based on age, race, religion or other grouping should be avoided at all cost, as the net result of potential stigmatization outweighs the potential gains.

That identity and communities of origin should change to communities of aspiration – increasingly important in the connected 2012 and beyond.

and finally that diversity management needs to be revisited with a blank sheet.

Worth a Read?

If you are exploring the global transitions and the international workforce, Beyond Tribalism is a must read. It is certainly a different book from many others in the organizational development space, where the focus is as much on the culture of society, as it is the community of an individual or organization. Certainly if you want many of your beliefs tested, this is a book for you, for it gives few answers, but lots of questions to ponder.

A real fusion of the history of civilization, ancient, historical and modern into the future in an organizational context.

About the author

Celia de Anca is a professor of Islamic finance at IE Business School in Spain. She is also the director of the school’s Center for Diversity, focusing on the development of female talent in the corporate world through training programs for women directors and entrepreneurs in Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Source: ft.com

On Kindle:

Beyond Tribalism: Managing Identities in a Diverse World (IE Business Publishing)

Beyond Tribalism by Celia de Anca