Globalization & Outsourcing

Diversity at the top: are companies walking the talk?

06 Oct 2015 | Brian Amble

Public companies in the world’s leading economies earn an increasing proportion of their revenues from outside their home countries. But does their leadership reflect this global reality?

Driving enterprise growth in emerging markets

10 Mar 2014 | Alison Romney Eyring

For the leaders of global business units, the focus on achieving their own targets can become a barrier to growth for the organization as a whole. That's why building enterprise-wide growth requires focused collaboration and a special mind-set.

What makes a growth leader?

29 Oct 2013 | Alison Romney Eyring

Leading an organization through a period of rapid growth is hard work. But when that growth is taking place outside a company's home culture or market, growth leaders face even tougher challenges.

The culturally intelligent organization

27 Feb 2013 | David Livermore

We know what a culturally intelligent individual looks like. We have more than 15 years of research that answers that question. But what are the characteristics of a culturally intelligent organization?

International growth and cultural intelligence

08 May 2012 | David Livermore

The economic downturn is spurring companies to become more international, not less. And this makes their team's cultural intelligence (CQ) all the more important.

Business, Chinese-style

28 Nov 2011 | Myra White

People in the West do business rapidly, frightened that if they don't act quickly, the deal will be lost. The Chinese way is very different. It takes time and patience. And perhaps that's no bad thing.

Can you really be a "Global" leader?

02 Sep 2011 | David Livermore

Whatever leadership and management books might try to tell us, leadership simply isn't is a universal skill set that works that same anywhere. All of us carry implicit cultural assumptions about what makes a good leader – which is why we need to ditch all those 'one-size-fits-all' leadership mantras.

To outsource or not to outsource?

26 May 2011 | Bob Selden

Whatever the numbers might suggest, it is almost impossible to successfully outsource the sharp-end of your business, particularly when that means your interface with customers. Yet many organisations still don't seem to understand this.

A retrospective of the 21st Century

05 Jan 2011 | Bill Fischer

Looking back at the first decade of the 21st century, it's hard to avoid thinking that we should be ashamed of how little we have accomplished. But even if we haven't seen much revolutionary change, some vital trends have nevertheless emerged that will shape all of our lives.

Cultural intelligence: a better way to fly

22 Dec 2010 | David Livermore

How do you operate in markets you don't fully understand? And how do you find leaders able to grow local business, communicate with headquarters and manage local teams effectively while implementing global processes and strategies? This case study provides some powerful lessons.

How culture impacts management practices

10 Nov 2010 | Myra White

The US is considered a world leader in management. But despite the popularity of 'the American way', it is unclear whether it is effective in cultures that don't subscribe to the US model of individualism and aggressive and capitalism.

The politics of China-bashing

05 Nov 2010 | David Livermore

We live in a global world. There's no going back. And while there are challenges that need to be regulated and addressed, our global interconnectivity also brings with it many opportunities.

China and the world of tomorrow

15 Oct 2010 | Des Dearlove & Stuart Crainer

Economist and author, Linda Yueh, tells Stuart Crainer how China went from being one of the poorest countries in the world to its second largest economy in only four decades - and explores the challenges it faces in the future.

India and China firms seeking European and American talent

12 Oct 2010 | Brian Amble

A growing number of firms from India and China are planning to increase the number of staff they hire in North America and Europe, a new report has revealed.

Outsourcing threatened by poor risk management

27 Jul 2010 | Brian Amble

The global market in outsourcing may be worth thousands of billions of dollars, but as a new study has found, the management of these vital projects often leaves much to be desired.

Improving, not inventing: the secret of China's success

30 Mar 2010 | Bill Fischer

China is affecting the way global business operates and the way value-chains work. In particular, it is changing the speed at which business is done. And to do this, it is concentrating on improving, rather than inventing.

Trends for the Tens

08 Jan 2010 | David Livermore

The transition into the second decade of the century has futurists busily forecasting what's coming next. I've been thinking more about the kinds of cross-cultural management trends we can expect in the Tens. So here are some of the big changes I expect to see over the next few years.

Cultural intelligence: nice ideal or a key to survival?

15 Dec 2009 | David Livermore

In a shrinking world, cultural intelligence (or CQ) is more than just a nice-to-have. The capability to function effectively across national, ethnic, and organizational cultures has a direct correlation to the bottom line and to a company's sustainability in the flat world of globalized business.

How to bestride continents with confidence

01 Apr 2009 | Nic Paton

Whether the recession ends this year or next, managers are going to have to get used to the reality of being in charge of ever more culturally diverse and geographically remote teams.

The future of HR and IT will be off-shore

10 Dec 2008 | Nic Paton

The economic slump is likely to lead to an acceleration of functions, such as HR, IT, procurement and even finance being outsourced overseas.