12/3/2010
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LEAD 504: Inclusive Excellence and the Leadership Role Globalization, Diversity, Leadership and Organizational Change |
Globalization and the ability to lead as a globalize leader is an exponentially growing ability that will continue to be needed. During my exploration through many sources on the net, magazines and books, globalization seems to be a common business concern these days. In the book “The World is Flat”, Thomas Friedman states that “the lowering of trade and political barriers and the exponential technical advances of the digital revolution have made it possible to do business, or almost anything else, instantaneously with billions of other people across the planet”. (Friedman, 2005) A definition as I see it, that clearly shows the way of the future. Although Friedman shows how the internet, in essence, is bringing down berries to conduct global business. He rarely mentions that with the removal of any barriers come challenges. I look at it like this, you can’t remove a damn without expecting to do a lot of work to divert the water safely, and if you don’t, expect damage to occur.
In the article “A New Mandate for Human Resources” by Dave Ulrich he focuses on increasing challenges that human resource faces. Among them is globalization. In this article Dave Ulrich states that “with the rapid expansion of global markets, managers are struggling to balance the paradoxical demand to think globally and act locally” (Ulrich, 1998). A challenge that needs thought, it’s not hard to see that some of this is do to diversity. Those managers not having the required diversity training, a multi cultural sensitivity, experience and clear business strategy that assist them in capitalizing on the challenges, instead of struggling in the situation will drown in this globalizing world. Ulrich further argues that having a strong HR department can help an organization deal with globalization. “Globalization requires that
Cited: Drucker, P. F. (1985). How to Make People Decisions,. Havard Business Review . Friedman, T. L. (2005). The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century. New York. Ulrich, D. (1998, October 18). A New Mandate for Human Resources. Harvard Business Review , 6.