How Does Globalization Affect a Manager's People Skills?

21st century managers may be asked to take a foreign assignment.

Economic and technological globalization has allowed for a greater exchange of goods, technology, information and people across borders. Globalization has affected the people skills of today's manager with the requirements to respect diversity, be mobile and manage across great distances.

Heterogeneous Workplaces

As a result of globalization, businesses around the world are more heterogeneous places to work. Even employees at the same company may come from a variety of countries and cultures and have different ways of looking at things and approaching their work. Managers must respect diversity and effectively bring people of varying backgrounds to work harmoniously together.

Foreign Assignments

A manager may be asked to take on a foreign assignment. This requires the manager to rise to the challenge of living in another country, mastering considerable cultural and language differences.

Virtual Teams

Managers are increasingly required to manage employees and teams several time zones away. With a remote team, a manager cannot show up at an employee's desk to address a problem. Managers today must be adept at technology as well as managing remotely through e-mail, conference call, videoconferencing and other mediums.

References

• Organizational Behavior, 10th edition; Stephen P. Robbins; 2002
• "Time" magazine: In Control, 10 Time Zones Away