The demands of this globalized world require multi-cultural expertise to facilitate social, political, and economic affairs. This article examines the use of cultural metaphor as a means to enhance cross-cultural understanding and argues that processes to enhance cultural knowledge or awareness should consist of strategies that build upon the use of proverbs as metaphor. This analysis begins with a brief discussion of what is cultural metaphor and relates this concept to models used to build cross-cultural competence. The aim is to help construct a conceptual framework to understand how cultural metaphor can be used in management practice to build cultural understanding. In conclusion, the practical application of strategies to enhance cultural knowledge and leadership for doing business in the Caribbean and globally will be discussed.
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