The Personal, Professional, and Societal Imperatives of

Building Global Competence

Charles Vance, Ph.D., Visiting ProfessorDepartment of Leadership and Corporate Strategy

University of Southern Denmark

and

Professor of Management & Human Resources

Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles

Why should we be at all

concerned about developing

global competence?

What is global competence?

Where is the global marketplace?

Major Global Marketplace Contexts

o Domestic contexto Transnational contexto Multinational contexto Regional contexto Fully global contexto Virtual context

But why should we be at all concerned about developing

global competence?

Personal ImperativesProfessional ImperativesSocietal Imperatives

Societal Imperatives

• Local• National • Regional• Global http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1vAJYX4WEQ

–Superordinate Goals–Self-Perception Theory

Personal Imperatives

• Testing/Transcending Cultural Stereotypes

• Broadening thinking to overcome prejudice (unproductive for others and yourself)Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain):“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness.”

Personal Imperatives• Surfacing Personal Values• Gaining Self-Knowledge• Self-Confidence• Clarifying Career Direction and Life

Purpose: Source of Defining Moments

Marcel Proust:“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes.”

Professional Imperatives & Globalization Context

• Opening Markets, Emerging Markets• Greater Opportunity for Travel• Technological Advancement• Competiton• Cultural Convergence• Migration (unskilled and skilled)• Increasing Diversity• Contingent Workforce (flexible workforce)• Growing Entrepreneurial Sector (also NGO‘s)• Increasing number and forms of alliances (large and

small, public and private)

Increasing Company Interest in Professionals with Global Competencies

• In the 2011 Global Relocation Trends Survey Report, Brookfield Global Relocation Services found that 61% of respondents expected their expatriate population to increase.

• Striking increase in role of emerging markets• "As more companies are increasing their presence in

emerging markets, international assignments are a key aspect in the global economic recovery…”

--Rick Schwartz, Brookfield President

Increasing Demand for Global Leadership Competencies

“…to be successful, you will have to deal with nationally and culturally eclectic staffs and teams, understand foreign competitors and devote more time to studying the culture, politics and operating style of world markets. If you haven’t done so already, you need to prepare to join this new world

--and you’ll have to do it yourself.” (Wall Street Journal)

According to a major field study featuring interviews of 108 executives in multinational firms:

75% believed that their companies needed more employees with global leadership competencies.Less than 8% of the companies had programs to address this shortage.

Companies are falling seriously short in helping their employees develop global leadership skills.

Most Important Message Today:

•With global competencies becoming increasingly critical for individual career and organizational success in the global marketplace…

•You are in charge of your own development as a global professional!

Your First Step:Self-Assessment –example:

Big 5 Personality Test http://www.outofservice.com/bigfive/

5 Key Personality Traits (OCEAN):• Openness (inventive/curious vs. consistent/cautious)• Conscientiousness (efficient/organized vs. careless)• Extraversion (outgoing/energetic vs. solitary/reserved)• Agreeableness (friendly/helpful vs. cold/unkind)• Neuroticism (sensitive/nervous vs. secure/confident)

Recent research has identified these as some of the most important

global career competencies (KSAs):

• Interpersonal skills• Communication (formal

& informal)• Motivation to learn• Flexibility • Open-mindedness • Respect for others• Cross-cultural

sensitivity

• General intelligence (savvy, duality)

• Business knowledge

• Inquisitiveness• Emotional

Intelligence• Courage• Commitment• Self-management

& adjustment

How Can You Develop These Important Global Competencies?

General Approaches (4 Ts):•Training•Travel•Teams•Transfers

Vance Research on Proven Career Development Strategies for Global

Professionals

• Based on interviews with American expats in 5 Asian countries, 5 European countries

• Important Facilitation Factors:–Family background– Influence of spouse/significant other–Personal motivation/interest

Proven Career Development Strategies for Global Professionals

Phase I: Foundation BuildingExposure

• Tourist travel• Host foreign students• Foreign language• International activities• Study abroad (domestic)• Study in IB program• Work for foreign organization

in your own country• Foreign military service

Immersion• Study abroad (foreign)• International internships• Government foreign

service• Foreign humanitarian or

missionary service

Phase II: Specific Preparation

• Networking (personal and social)• Find and develop mentor relationships• Targeted foreign language study• Develop marketable skills that are

needed in intended area for working abroad

Phase III: Securing Foreign Employment

Traditional MNC Track• Obtain MNC job at

HQ• Build career dev.

plan• Internal networking• Internal mentors• Seek intl. division

jobs• Virtual team

assignments• Intl. work-related

travel• Temporary

assignments abroad (secondments)

Immediate Expat Track (SIE): Move to

desired foreign location and...

• Network like crazy! • Actively seek job• Volunteer service at

local chamber of commerce

• Take temporary forms of employment

• Do local internship