Question

Question 1:

Why do you think the tension between a desire for global uniformity and local responsiveness is greater today than in the past? (Multiple Examples please)

Question 2:

As a manager/leader, how would you structure a "Global" team vs. a "Domestic" team? (Specific examples and reasons please)

Answer 1

Q1) Today, more than ever in the past, we are interconnected throughout the world because of improvement in technology. This has meant the teams have become more global and hence in order to have effective communication, there is a desire by every team to have certain level of uniformity to ensure that teams perform effectively and in alignment with team's strategic objectives.

At the same time people can let go of the local sensibilities and realities as these reflect the local cultural ethos. Thus people need to keep that in mind as well while working for global teams. Thus in today's time there is tension between global uniformity and local responsiveness.

2) A global team should have people who can speak the global language while continuing to understand local realities. Also it should have people who can understand the global trends and then translate the implications to domestic environment. Their ability to manage domestic risks in conjunction with international risks also needs to be greater.

In contrast, a domestic team should have people who are more hands on with the local environment and can deliver goods based on local realities. They need not be fluent bin global languages but should have a solid understanding of local cultures and sensibilities.

Finally a global team would have a structure wherein leader might be in some other country and team members in others thus leading to a transnational team. While in a local team, the members and the leaders are all in the same geography.