Academic Director: Professor Jonathan Doh

Competency:  Management

Globalization is having a profound impact on countries, industries, and companies.  In this course, we explore the concept of globalization and derive relevant insights for firm strategy and individual understanding.  Through iterative dialogue, we derive insights around two key globalization trends: (1) the changing balance of global economic power from developed to developing countries, and (2) shifting global demographics resulting in significant older average populations in the developed, and increasingly, the developing world.  A brief exercise explores implications for the specific industries and companies represented by participants. 

We then turn our attention to implementing global strategies.  We introduce and apply a framework that acknowledges how firms face competing pressures to (1) standardize their international strategies and operations in order to reap the benefits of scale and scope, while simultaneously (2) adapting and adjusting products and processes to the demands of local market conditions such as level of economic development, institutions and culture. 

We focus especially on the emerging markets that are now the target of many global strategies.  These markets feature widely disparate levels of economic and institutional development and potential. In this session, we review basic economic, political, and institutional data to help better define and differentiate among emerging markets. Focusing on institutional context, we develop a framework for evaluating the potential opportunities and risks associated with emerging markets. We apply this framework to specific emerging markets (especially the so-called BRIC markets of Brazil, Russia, India, China) and evaluate the strategic implications in terms of shape, adapt, or withdraw strategies.  We also explore the risks in emerging markets using cases and illustrations to identify strategies for managing this risk.

We also focus on the cultural challenges in cultivating and maintaining relationships with governments, suppliers, customers and other partners in global markets and how firms and individuals can better manage those relationships.

Finally, we profile companies from the developed and emerging world that have successfully navigating these challenging and often uncertain global markets.

Who Should Attend

The course is designed for middle through upper level executives in the business travel industry who need to extend their core business knowledge. 

Approach

You will learn to understand both the opportunities and challenges presented by globalization and apply practical frameworks to guide decision-making for global expansion. During multiple breakout sessions, you will apply new theories and approaches to your own challenges from work. Insights from these sessions are discussed group-wide and lessons learned shared across participants and their organizations. The faculty works with organizations through an interdisciplinary approach, including concepts from economics, strategy, and marketing.  This balance of theory and practice creates a stimulating and challenging environment, with a good deal of fun.

Classes and Meals: 

Millennium Biltmore Hotel
Los Angeles, CA

Program Start: Sunday, October 3, 2010 at 3:00 PM
Program Finish: Tuesday, October 5, 2010 at 12:00 PM

This Global Leadership Professional Program session is funded by contributions from: