The globalization of the 1990s has had a profound impact on every facet of the business world. Companies in every nation can now reach customers around the world and cut operation costs through global scales of production and distribution. Today, Gillette Co. is manufacturing razors in Russia, Fidelity Investment is selling its funds in Germany, addition is serving millions of customers from Asia to America. Meanwhile, international markets undergo constant change, intense competition, and heightened customer expectation, which makes it increasingly difficult for a company to gain and maintain its competitive edge. Managers must therefore take on a broader range of responsibilities. A successful manager will monitor the competitive landscape and decide if his organization has the strategies, structures, and personnel to be viable on a global level. In spite of the different approaches he may take, one thing remains constant--a manager must instill a commitment to globalization throughout his company. Simple exposure to an expanded economy does not make a corporation international. Rather, there needs to be a widespread adjustment of attitude, as well as sweeping changes in operation, to ensure the company's profitability.
The initial steps a manager must take are twofold: to clearly outline the challenges and opportunities of an international market, and to address the individual talents of each employee. A successful manager will tailor his company's global strategies to suit its resources and capacities. This involves setting realistic goals without losing sight of more elevated ones. Not every corporation, for instance, has the size and reach of citigroup, which will have one billion customers by the year 2010. While a manager should take the limitations of his corporation into account, he must also remember that quality of products and services can achieve goals that mere size cannot. Instead of being all things to all people, a smaller company can take a more specialized approach to the global market by focusing on a certain sector in which it can excel. To achieve this, it is critical to match the talents and experience of each employee to the task best suited to him. For instance, a salesman who excels in the United States may not possess the cultural knowledge needed to succeed in China or Brazil.
