"Glocalization": Think Global, Act Local
This month's newsletter explores the intersection between globalization and local customization...think globally, act locally.
In this issue: Going Glocal , Book Nook: Three Cups of Tea, Reel Reviews: Slumdog Millionaire , Kudos: Consistency and Customization, Upcoming Events and Notable Quotes.
Some of the most visible symbols of globalization are North American fast food signs towering over a Middle Eastern landscape (with menus catering to specific religious needs, of course) or magazine ads for cosmetic products in Asian languages that emphasize “good feelings” rather than directly promise an outcome – appropriate for the indirect communication style of their target audience.
These are real examples of the impact of globalization, and how cultural adaptations have taken place by companies with respect to product development and marketing.
But – what about the mindset towards the operations of a company…specifically: how it does business, manages employees, and – ultimately reaches its market in the long-term?
The term “ glocalization ” incorporates the concepts of “globalization” and “local” – emphasizing the adaptation of global strategy within a particular locale.
The concept is nothing new - in fact, origins of it derive from the Japanese concept of dochakuka – originally describing adapting farming techniques to local conditions, but later applied to marketing in the 1980s. Sociologist and Professor Roland Robertson is credited with introducing the idea beyond Japan , and popularizing the term “ glocalization ”. Since that time, it has taken various forms, referring also to economic policy within cities and countries, also sometimes embraced by opponents of globalization as a middle ground solution, because it addresses the concerns of local communities.
In the business sense, it refers to “tailoring a company's offerings to suit the interests of local markets across the world”. The impact of glocalization is that the success of a product or service will likely increase if it is adapted to the specific location or culture that is based in. One challenge for any diverse organization is creating a consistent, relevant corporate culture across locations, countries, and communities.
With this in mind – what are you doing to make sure your organization and human resource management approaches are meeting the local needs of both your client and employees, in every region?
Here are some ways you can glocalize your organization:
• Align your company culture with local culture. When creating a business strategy, do you incorporate values of local culture into your mission? How do organizational values of innovation and courage translate into cultures who value collectivism and indirect communication? Companies can struggle with buy-in from employees if company values are in contrast with employees' own personal cultural norms. Incorporate performance indicators that value teamwork, communication, participation in a way that all cultures can succeed.
• Dialogue with partners who are in the know. Engage partners who know the culture of where you will be doing business, before you break into a market - this could also include clients and employees. An example: when Wal-Mart opened its stores in Germany, greeters were seen as “superficial” by customers, so this common practice in the US was eliminated. Instead, some local store employees came up with an idea to have “singles shopping nights” on certain days as way to mix and mingle and draw a different audience. This idea increased sales by 25% on those days.
• Adopt best practices with the management of your human resources. Knowing that women in India often relocate when they marry, Karandeep Singh, Managing Director of the IT consultancy Sapient, describes the company approach: “We are accommodating; we let people take some time off to make sure they have an adjustment period to the family and then come back to work. We are culturally sensitive to that”. These strategies increase retention amongst employees. Sapient was voted as India 's fourth best company to work for in 2007.
It is a business imperative to seamlessly incorporate local norms within your overall strategy – whether you are a part of a domestic, international, multinational, or global organization.
Contact Executive Diversity Services at eds@executivediversity.com to learn more about how to customize your company's initiatives to be more “ glocal ”.
Sources:
“From Global to Glocal: How Gillette's SensorExcel Accommodates to Japan” by Michael L. Maynard. Keio Communication Review (2003).
“Glocalization as Globalization: Evolution of a Sociological Concept” by Habibul Haque Khondker. Bangladesh e-Journal of Sociology . (2004)
“India 's Still Rising” by J. Durett. Consulting Magazine. (Jan/Feb 2009)
“Wal-Mart: A Glocalised Company” by David Towers (2004).
A novel by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relinere
Have you ever made a promise that was hard to keep but you did it anyway? This book begins with a promise kept that has resulted in impacting thousands of Afghani and Pakistani children. Greg Mortenson was a world-class, well-known mountain climber. After a failed attempt at K2 he survived only because he found his way into a small Pakistani village. After his recovery, he promised the villagers that he would return and build them a school. This commitment grew to a life mission that has spanned almost two decades and multiple instances of “just in time” funding. His first school was funded by his own sacrifices (living in his car for months to save money) and by a last minute contributor. Mortenson had many cups of tea that built friendships allowing him to build over 55 schools, especially for girls, in Taliban territory. This book is a must read for anyone who questions “the power of one” person to make a difference in the world—both globally and locally. - Donna Stringer
Reel Reviews: Slumdog Millionaire
Clinching its latest award, the Academy Award for Best Picture, “Slumdog Millionaire” has been one of the most talked about films over the past year. The opening presents Jamal, a “chai-wallah” (server of tea) and unlikely winner of the India's version of the “Who Wants to be a Millionaire” television show. Shrouded in suspicion for his success as a contestant, Jamal is interrogated by local police, and the “inspector-sahibs” (police inspectors) discover the convoluted life story of a child born in the slums to a Muslim family. Incorporating the 
culture, history, and conflict within India with each question, Slumdog Millionaire interweaves sweeping landscapes and colorful characters with deep emotion at every turn. Through its rich imagery and use of flashbacks, the film comments on social class differences, communalism, the rise of technology and development of Indian cities. This movie is definitely an example of the coming together of “global” and “local” as the gameshow host endearingly refers to “computer-ji…and odes to the renowned Indian actor Amitabh Bachan mix with depictions of call centers. The cinematography is breathtaking; subtitles and a following of the characters as they grow up in the slums creates a gritty realism with a Bollywood feel. Use your lifeline and phone a friend – ask them to join you to see this fabulous movie. - Farzana Nayani
Kudos: Consistency and Customization
The January 2009 issue of training magazine features an article proposing that the success of a global training initiative is a combination of consistency and customization. That is exactly what PepsiCo International has done with its diversity and inclusion initiative. This initiative features four modules: the first requires leaders in each global region to identify the specific strategic issues they need to achieve with the initiative; the second provides self awareness experiences; the third offers eight core tools for greater effectiveness across cultural differences; and the final session focuses on global leadership competencies. Consistency is found in the core tools and concepts incorporated into the training; customization has been achieved by having the leaders in each region identify their specific issues and modify the training processes (exercises, language, materials) to be locally relevant.
Following delivery of these four modules to leadership and managers in all global regions, the organization has now developed a learning map intended to take the same awareness and core tools to line employees—delivered by front line supervisors. Again, the basic concepts and tools are consistent while the learning map offers alternative exercises for facilitators to select from based on local needs.
Executive Diversity Services designed and delivered the Core Tools portion of this initiative, trained internal trainers to deliver the material, and participated as one of a four-member team in development of the learning map. For more information, please contact dstringer@executivediversity.com
Upcoming Events
March 5-7, 2009, Families in Global Transition (FIGT)
The next Families in Global Transition (FIGT) international conference will be held in Houston, Texas from March 5-7, 2009. This conference will feature workshops, panel discussions, and many sessions on the topics of global transition for families and employees. For more information, visit: www.figt.org .
April 1 - 4, 2009 SIETAR (Society for Intercultural Education, Training and Research ) Registration for the 2009 SIETAR-USA conference in North Carolina is now open. The conference theme is: Intercultural Solutions for Challenging Times and will be an opportunity to meet researchers, educators, and practitioners from many fields. For more information about SIETAR-USA or the 2009 conference, visit: http://sietarusa.org.
July 15 – 31, 2009 Summer Institute for Intercultural Communication (SIIC)
The 2009 Summer Institute for Intercultural Communication in Portland, Oregon will be held in July this year. SIIC has posted its 2009 schedule: http://www.intercultural.org/calendar.php . For more information about workshop sessions, certifications and other resources, visit: http://www.intercultural.org/ .
“Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony...No culture can live, if it attempts to be exclusive.”
- Political and spiritual leader Mahatma Gandhi"[Globalization is] the intensification of world wide social relations which link distant localities in such a way that local happenings are shaped by events occurring many miles away and vice versa."
- Sociologist Anthony Giddens
“Understanding human needs is half the job in meeting them”.
– Diplomat Adlai E. Stevenson
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