Competitiveness in the Global Economy

Competitiveness in the Global Economy

            Countries globally are connected more than ever before, and so are their economies. The ease to which people travel, communicate with nearly anyone, and get greater access to the internet and technology is generally shrinking the world to a ”global village’’(Guillén,2005). Corporations compete and collaborate globally to maximize output. Managers are faced with managing diverse portfolios of resources in organizations and, thus, require various skills to be effective in their management. The study aims to analyze the various skills that managers require to be effective in leadership and cross-cultural management.

Managers are tasked with managing in a global setting more than ever because of the advancement in technology. Firms are connecting more swiftly, thanks to the internet. The interconnection between firms globally implies an increase in leadership roles delegated to managers. Technological advancement enables firms in the modern age to have locations and subsidiaries in distant countries compared to previous times when firms could only operate in their home countries. Therefore, managers manage company operations situated in various locations globally, for example, delegating duties to distant employees through a Video link or giving orders through the company websites accessible in every location globally.

Flexibility is one of the essential skills a leader must have to manage across multiple cultures. Flexibility is a leader’s ability to adapt to new situations, invent and modify strategies to meet different types of problems facing an organization (Manning,2003). When managing employees from diverse cultures, a leader should be open-minded. This involves swiftly adapting to changing needs and scenarios in the course of management. For example, if PG industries manager wants to delegate duties to employees in Saudi Arabia from the US, he/she should consider the time difference between the two countries. He/she needs a good flexible system in place to communicate tasks because when one workday ends in one country, the other begins.

Inclusive Leadership is another essential skill in cross-cultural communication. This involves making people from diverse backgrounds feel understood and appreciated for their perspectives. One great step for fostering this is through the development and implementation of diversity programs in the company to give employees knowledge about other cultures while learning to appreciate them in the workplace. Building a healthy work environment as a leader involves taking into account the perspectives of each employee and embracing their contributions in management.

Cultural curiosity is observing other people’s cultural behaviors in a non-judgmental way. A skill that helps leaders in culturally diverse settings lead others, increase engagement, and gain collaboration. In a culturally diverse workplace, a curious leader will work hard to know each employee’s cultural perspectives. For instance, if a PG industries manager wants to effectively manage the firm in the UK, Japan, or Saudi Arabia, he/she has to be curious about knowing his employees. A face-to-face call with the employees is one method of inquiring more about their culture and getting to know their opinions while checking on their progress at work.

In the UK, the leader should shake hands and maintain eye contact. Another relevant cultural practice in the UK is gifting your fellow employees. When in a social setting as a leader in the UK, always bring chocolates, flowers, or wine as tokens of appreciation. In Japan, silence is golden. A silent leader is valued more than a talkative one. The manager has to remain silent until allowed to talk. Secondly, business cards’ etiquette is highly valued. Accept the card with both hands, read it briefly and place it in the table for the duration of the meeting. In Saudi Arabia, a manager would need to take into account the Islamic practices, observe the holidays of Ramadan and Hajj. Secondly, observe formalities. For instance, a manager should know appropriate titles used in addressing the elderly and the young.

In conclusion, competition and collaboration in the global economy are broadly sharpening the skills of managers. Globalization is ensuring more roles are assigned to leaders anywhere on the planet. Thanks to technological advancement, managing large multinational corporations is becoming easy. The cross-cultural competency skills described above not only ensure effective management but also improves the image and reputation of any particular company. Therefore, for any leader in a cross-cultural setting, having those skills is essential in management.