| "You must be the change you wish to see in the | | | | Drucker, author of Managing for Results, maintains |
| world." | | | | that some of these organizational issues stem from |
| Mohandas Gandhi | | | | ineffective leadership. Drucker argues, "Business |
| As competition continues to increase around the | | | | tends to drift from leadership to mediocrity. And the |
| globe, why are some organizations unprepared for | | | | mediocre is three-quarters down the road to being |
| globalization? Senge, author of The Fifth Dimension, | | | | marginal." Given the unforgiving nature of the market, |
| suggests that many businesses suffer a narrowness | | | | why are leaders being caught unprepared for |
| of focus. This causes leaders to miss the root cause | | | | globalization? |
| of problems. Senge argues, "Yet the primary threats | | | | Clearly, leaders must understand the needs of the |
| to our survival today come not from events but | | | | international markets while optimizing the efficiency |
| from slow gradual processes to which we are 90 | | | | of the whole supply chain. Leaders cannot afford to |
| percent blind." | | | | neglect any component in their socio-technical |
| Obviously, globalization is forcing organizations to | | | | systems. This means staying on top of technology, |
| change. However, these corporate changes are | | | | interconnecting with suppliers, and monitoring the |
| beyond nontraditional organizational structures, such | | | | needs of this global market. As a result, 21st century |
| as spider plants. First, structural indeterminacy is the | | | | organizations face another paradox. Will today's |
| issue. Galbraith, author of Designing Organizations, | | | | organizations be ready to transform themselves into |
| argues no single organizational structure is the answer | | | | international champions or become extinct? Time will |
| in an international environment. This reality is clear for | | | | tell. |
| multinational companies. They must be able to | | | | References: |
| integrate activities in different countries. | | | | Drucker, P. (1964). Managing for Results. New York: |
| Therefore, organizational structure gets blended into | | | | Harper & Row, Publishers. |
| culture. Second, some management gurus believe | | | | Gailbraith, J. (2000). Designing the Global Corporation. |
| that decentralization isn't achievable, even globally. | | | | San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. |
| Peters, management guru, argues, "It is easier to kill | | | | Peters, T. (1997). The Circle of Innovation. New York: |
| an organization than to change it. Therefore, | | | | Alfred A. Knopf. |
| decentralization is hard to do." Furthermore, Senge | | | | Senge, P. (1990). The Fifth Discipline. New York: |
| warns that organizations that rely solely on their past | | | | DoubleDay. |
| experience to solve future problems will make fatal | | | | © 2007 by Daryl D. |
| mistakes. | | | | |