The unifying theme of Dr. Mortazavi s research projects has been the economic model of rationality and its limitations. Dr. Mortazavi s research shows that cultures matter and cultural institutions could explain the success and failure of inter-cultural borrowing of ideas. His research has demonstrated that the disregard for cultural differences among nations is the reason for the failure of Japanese-style employee involvement in the United States, the failure of the U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East, and the failure of neo-classical economics in protecting the environment.