Chapter 2

Good judgment comes from experience; experience comes from

bad judgment.

-- Mullah Nasrudin13th Century Sufi sage, Central Asia

2

(p. 24)

In a time of drastic change, it is the learners who will inherit the future. The

learned usually find themselves prepared for a world that no longer exists.

-- Eric HofferMoral philosopher, USA

3

(p. 24)

Opening question:

How can we best prepare today’s managers for tomorrow’s global challenges?

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Consider: Management development at Google1. What is unique about Google’s approach to providing global

training for younger managers?2. What are some advantages—and disadvantages—of this

approach to training?3. If you ran this program for Google, how would you improve

upon it?4. Under what circumstances might this approach to training be

easily adapted to other companies?

5

(p. 24)

Topic for today: Developing global management skills

• Traditional views of management

• Global managers: Variety of the species

• Rethinking managerial roles

• Rethinking managerial skills

• Developing global management skills

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What is management? Some definitions

• Coordination and control of people, material, and processes to achieve organizational objectives as efficiently and effectively as possible.

• Getting things done through coordinated efforts.

• Planning, organizing, leading and controlling.

• Coordinating and overseeing the work activities of others so that their activities are completed efficiently and effectively.

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(pp. 26-28)

Consider: Is management universal?

1. Are these definitions of management universal or can they vary across different geographic regions?

2. If these definitions are universal, how might their implementation vary across national and regional boundaries?

3. What are the implications of such possible variations for global management development?

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Types of Global Managers

Expatriates Frequent flyers Virtual managers

Management Focus • Long-term• Face to face• Live in foreign country

•Short term•Face to face•Frequent visits

• Remote • Work through technology

Mode of communication

Mostly face to face Mixed face-to-face and virtual

Mostly virtual

Key success factors • Deep knowledge of local culture

• Local language• Local business environment

• Global business issues

• Understanding of cultural issues

• Multilingual skills important

• Deep understanding of global issues

• Some understanding of cultural differences and variation in business practices

• Multilingual skills useful

Cultural challenge Regional myopia: overemphasis of local versus global

Global myopia: overemphasis of global versus local

Technological myopia: ignore impact of culture on uses and applications of technology

9 (p. 29)

Consider: Expats at LG

1. Why did LG seek to hire several senior executives from abroad?

2. To date, what benefits and possible drawbacks have emerged as a result of their decision?

3. What are the advantages and disadvantages for the expatriates of taking such overseas assignments?

4. What can both LG and the expats themselves do to enhance the likelihood of success in such ventures?

10

(p. 30)

Consider: Adhira Inengar, frequent flyer

1. What are the key managerial challenges faced by frequent flyers like Inengar in running her business on-the-go?

2. In her hectic life, how can she insure that important details do not fall through the cracks?

3. What personal characteristics might serve to enhance the chances of success for frequent flyer entrepreneurs like Inengar?

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(p. 32)

Building Global Management Skills

GlobalGlobal Management Management

SkillsSkills

Integration of management

and cross-cultural skills

(p. 37)

Key multicultural competencies

• A cosmopolitan outlook

• Intercultural communication skills

• Cultural sensitivity

• Rapid acculturation skills

• Flexible management style

• Cultural synergy

13

(p. 38)

Consider: Multicultural competencies

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MANAGER’S NOTEBOOK:Developing Global Management Skills

What many people fail to understand about being a global manager is that the view from 10,000 meters up is often very different than the view from ground level, where the managerial challenges are immediate and very real.

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MANAGER’S NOTEBOOK:Becoming a global manager

1. While the basic definition of “management” may be fairly constant across cultures, its implementation can vary widely.

2. Global managers come in a variety of shapes and sizes (e.g., expats, frequent flyers), and each requires its own qualifications and skills.

3. Global management skills typically consist of a combination of managerial and multicultural competencies.

4. Successful global managers are always learning.

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MANAGER’S NOTEBOOK:The experiential learning cycle

Learning Learning EnvironmentEnvironment

(p. 40)

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(p. 42)

MANAGER’S NOTEBOOK:What are we missing?

1. What are we missing here?

2. To what extent do you think the average manager can successfully adapt to various cultures and environments around the globe?

3. Are multicultural competencies largely developed or inherited?

4. What can companies do to enhance the likelihood of managers’ success here?

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Application:Building a skills development program

1. Several multicultural skills have been discussed here and elsewhere. As a group, identify what you consider to be the three most important multicultural skills for managers to have in order to build successful careers in global business.

2. Next, provide the outline of a management development program aimed at developing these three skills in young and largely inexperienced managers.

3. How will you know if your program has been successful? What criteria will you use?

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Think about it: Developing your global management skills

1. What type of global assignment do you believe you are best suited for? Why?

2. What multicultural competences do you currently possess?

3. Based on what has been discussed, outline a learning strategy to further develop your own particular multicultural competencies.

4. What are your greatest challenges in achieving this plan?

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