GMSC-3: Abstracts

		GMSC-3 Conference Abstracts

			Pre-Conference Tutorials Introduction to Cross-Cultural Business Ted Dale Managing Director, Meridian Resources To interact and conduct business effectively across national and cultural boundaries, business personnel must examine their own assumptions regarding the best ways to conduct business. The best way to perform even the most ordinary business activities, such as communicating ideas, building teamwork, and obtaining input and feedback from others, can vary dramatically depending on the culture in which people live and operate. This session will cover a number of key issues and strategies that should be considered in order to conduct business more effectively around the world. Some of the topics that will be covered include: New perspectives on cross-cultural interactions Understanding Differences in Business Culture Stereotyping vs. Informed Judgments Key Differences in Behavior and Values Cultural proficiency as a discipline Developing a Global Mindset Intercultural Process Skills A Model for Analyzing Key Dimensions of Culture Skills for conducting business with people from the target country Effective Communication Strategies Expected Protocol: Handling Introductions, Initial Meetings, and Business Entertaining Productive Meetings Building Effective Business Relationships Presenting Information and Persuading Obtaining Accurate and Complete Information Making Marketing Global Tim Fallen-Bailey Director, Global Products Group, Sybase, Inc. timfb@sybase.com Many companies are proficient at exploiting multiple market segments within one country, but lose their edge when they are asked to apply the same expertise to multiple countries. This talk initially looks at the second level of global marketing: practical techniques to progressively refine your marketing and service operations so that your company can be effective in many distinct countries at the same time. However, there is a third level of global marketing which few companies achieve: exploiting the interactions between country markets to both enhance global competitiveness as well as retain valuable customers. We will cover some of the ways to do this, then turn the topic over for discussion among the participants. The discussion will focus on practical steps - organization, product strategy, support, services, partners, and customers. While many of the examples will be drawn from the world of high-tech, this talk will be useful to any business (product or service-based) which wants to be global. Be prepared to briefly discuss your own company's situation, and allow participants to discuss what you can implement on the following Monday morning! Harnessing the Worldwide Internet Marketplace ... Jorden Woods CTO, GlobalSight Harnessing the Worldwide Internet Marketplace for Strengthening Your Global Brand, Increasing International Revenues, and Reducing Costs Today, nearly 60 percent of the more than 300 million Web users access the Internet from outside the United States. By 2003, 65 percent of the nearly 600 million online users will access the Web from outside the U.S. while nearly 50 percent of the $1.3 trillion of global e-commerce will take place in Europe or Asia. Survival in this explosive global Internet economy requires global e-business sites that address local languages, cultures and business practices. Soon, the most successful companies will be those that can look beyond their local markets and leverage the Web as a true global e-business. True Web globalization is a complicated process that involves content reviews among thousands of worldwide Web site contributors, linguistic technology and an expertise in local business practices such as regulations, taxation issues, cultural nuance, legal issues and more. This presentation will outline the challenges and opportunities faced by executives of multinational companies in developing and maintaining a Web presence in the languages and cultures of overseas markets. It will also provide the strategy and international guidelines necessary so managers can design and implement an effective global Web presence that will strengthen the company's brand, increase international revenues and reduce costs. Attendees will learn: Guidelines for managing consistent brand across a global Web site while respecting local business processes How to balance centralized brand control with local content relevance for a global Web presence Web globalization – The barriers to creating and maintaining a large-scale Web site for global B2B and B2C markets How to define and measure ROI for Web globalization initiatives What globalization services and technologies are available, including those for translation, localization, internationalization and more How to approach global partnering to maximize the effectiveness and reach of a global Web site Passport to Proper Internationalization Benson Margulies CTO, Basis Technology Corporation From Multibyte Coding System character set nightmares to tricky Western SQL database support, from GUIs that assume Latin font metrics to poorly planned parallel development, myriad mishaps can occur in what looks like a simple localization exercise. You've probably heard horror stories about how hard it is to modify software to work in Japanese or other Asian languages. On the other hand, perhaps you've encountered claims that such a process is a simple matter of extracting strings and translating them. In fact, there are many potential procedural and technical pitfalls in building international software, and there is no substitute for thinking carefully about the problem and formulating a plan of attack. This tutorial will cover a plan of attack in assessing and scoping the overall internationalization effort that might be needed for a particular product or project. With more than half of the world's Internet users predicted to be non-native English speakers by 2002, going global is not merely a business advantage inthe 21st century; it is a business imperative. Conference Sessions Keynote: Corporate Strategy in the Era of Globalization Abbas J. Ali, Ph.D. Director, School of International Management, Eberly College of Business, Indiana University of Pennsylvania Globalization induces fundamental changes in strategic postures, intentions, and approaches of nations and firms alike. At the state level, nations, in general, have witnessed a significant change in their orientations and conduct. The era of self-sufficiency and hostility toward FDI is in decline. Governments are competing to attract FDI and are pursuing "export promotion" rather than "import substitution" strategies. At the firm level, companies have developed a wide range of strategies to enhance their competitive advantage. Having access to customers has become the focus of competition. In this paper, the primary emphasis is on firms' strategies and policies. Strategy is a subject that provokes curiosity, interest, and fear among policy and decisionmakers and common individuals alike. This is because strategy always conveys an action or an intent to act. In the business world, strategy assumes a pivotal role in corporate life and in executives' priorities. A firm's survival, growth, and potential hinge on developing and executing relevant, practical, and sound strategies. Competitive firms are always recognized as those that are blessed with an excellent strategy that gives meaning and direction to their actions and behaviors in the marketplace. In the era of globalization, strategy becomes more complex and more important than ever. Its complexity reflects the multiplicity of forces that shape and impact strategy (e.g., governments, competitors, partners, etc.) and the nature and scope of these forces. Strategy in the age of globalization is more than a road map for achieving certain goals. It is a process of continuous revitalization of a firm's activities that aims at solidifying its present and future competitive position. Traditionally, firms navigated familiar terrain. In today's environment, the emphasis is on navigating unfamiliar terrain (e.g., new markets, new industries, partnerships, etc.). Ford, Honda, Merck, Nestle, Roche, Siemens, and 3M, among others, are pioneers in adopting new strategic outlooks characterized by alertness and foresight. In this paper, practical approaches to strategy are highlighted. These approaches are based on a thorough review of the archives of more than sixty corporations. In addition, the paper suggests a new framework for perceiving strategy evolution and argues that global strategy should be viewed differently from the commonly held view in academia. STRATEGY TRACK The Changing Internet Steve Teixeira Chief Technology Officer, Full Moon Interactive By 2003, it is projected there will be 361.9 million Internet users, nearly two-thirds of whom will live beyond U.S. borders. To become a successful global business player in an Internet based economy, a sound global strategy is required, coupled with advanced global marketing and technology solutions. This presentation will summarize worldwide markets, their sizes and expected growth, and address the key to effective internationalization - bringing together in a coherent whole the concepts of research, strategy, technology, branding, creative concepts and marketing. Attendees will leave with an understanding of the changing Internet economy, the importance of presenting one image to the world, the most effective way to approach a global audience and conquer cultural differences, as well as the limitations and advancements in globalising a business and managing its growth. Key issues presented in the session The Internet as a key driver of global economic growth Compressing the business planning process into Internet time How customer experience creates brand preference in the Internet economy Overcoming the technical challenges of building a successful global e-business Lessons for managed growth in the global Internet economy A Contrarian View : Why Companies Shouldn't Globalize Donald A. DePalma, Ph.D. Vice President of Corporate Strategy, Idiom, Inc. Globalization in the political and economic sense is a foregone conclusion as U.S. companies, culture, and currency blanket the planet. The Internet isn't any different. The lion's share of content is oriented toward U.S. anglophone users, and most consumer and business revenue comes from the States. Three years out, analysts project that the U.S. will account for just 30% of Web traffic - but a full 60% of the revenue. As U.S. companies lay out their e-commerce strategies, is it worth their while to bother with the rest of the planet? Or should they continue with business as usual? This presentation will take a hard look at the issues that globalists must face as they try to sell their globalization plans to an interested but wary American business community. It will consider raw statistics; the inevitable questions about return on investment; tradeoffs with other corporate initiatives; staff availability; and other boardroom concerns. This discussion will provide budding globalists with a to-do list before their budget presentation to the Board; board members with the right questions to ask the budding globalists; and doubting Thomases with the ammunition they need to ensure that globalization is done for the right reasons. OPERATIONS TRACK How New McDonald Might Run His Farm Richard Youatt Operations Manager, American University of Armenia The "McDough" incident in France has captured the imagination of the press in the US and France, and epitomizes the issue of globalization. It highlights the paradoxes of globalized cultures and the associated challenges for internationalized enterprises. This session uses the real problems posed by "McDonald's Farm" as a case study and introduction, and then proceeds to examine the management paradigms, technologies and operational strategies that could be applied to managing similar scenarios...be they for silicon chips or for French Fries. The purpose of the session is to examine the effectiveness of alternate operational models for globalized institutions, drawing upon the experience of the presenter and the likely real life issues faced by the participants. It will look at false solutions to real problems and encourage participants to understand and embrace positive and productive approaches. Emphasis will be placed upon the power of comparative analysis and the respective contributions of technology and human factors. Special attention will be paid to the problems of high tech industries. The primary thrust will be achieving an optimal balance between human factors and technology in global planning and strategy. Global Frameworks in the Internet Era Roger Jeanty President, Lionbridge Technologies, Inc. Today, the Internet turns all businesses, both fledgling dot-com startups and "Old Economy" stalwarts into global concerns. Strategic planning, organizational structure, and corporate governance take on new dimensions as boundaries and cultures are crossed. Communicating through these dimensions becomes far more critical. CEOs and senior executives typically view their businesses as global. What does this mean? Decentralized decision making? Subsidiaries on different continents? Centralized brand management? Having outposts in multiple geographies and overcoming linguistic barriers is but a single dimension of globalization. How do accountants in Europe react to their marketing colleagues in California? What are the mechanisms for establishing both intra- and extra-company dialogue? What are the contexts (cultural, functional, linguistic, hierarchical) that must be understood and assuaged? With a case example of one global communications framework, this session will demonstrate the multi-layered approach to governing and operating in the new global Internet era. The Internet offers both the challenges of operational stewardship and the rewards for companies who can master globalization through new technology. MARKETING TRACK Capitalizing on Japan's E-Conomy : Taking American Products and Services Overseas Mark Mason, Ph.D. Senior Vice President, Global Strategy, Basis Technology, Inc. Japan, the world's second largest economy, represents an enormous opportunity as the Internet enters a period of explosive growth. The number of Internet users in Japan, currently 18 Million, is expected to climb to 60 Million over the next three years. Yet successfully entering the Japanese market requires much more than a standard US business plan, technical expertise and a willing local partner. To win in Japan, companies must take into account distinctive features of the Japanese market such as complex industry structures, government regulations, wireless Internet devices, settlement methods, local employment practices, and formal and informal business alliances. My talk "Capitalizing on Japan's E-conomy: Taking American Product and Services Overseas" will explore these crucial market differentiators, and propose strategies for launching in Japan successfully while avoiding potential pitfalls. I will compare market-entry financial investment choices, and use three joint venture examples to explain the trade-offs that can affect the long-term outcome of any foreign venture. To explain consumer behavior, I will discuss the Japanese penchant for I-Mode, and the parallel increased role of local convenience stores. These financing, structuring and market elements, unique to Japan, all must be understood in order to make appropriate Japan market-entry business decisions. Making the Global Jump Mark T. Moore International Channels Manager, Timberline Software The theme of the paper would be based around 3 central themes: How to do it the wrong way How to do it the hard way How to 'Grease The Rails' and make the process much easier and less stressful and, above all, more profitable more quickly(in other words, how to do it the 'right' way) The purpose would be to give senior executives within companies intending or embarking on globalization activities to give them insights into the mistakes they can easily fall into and the traps and landmines that will blow up their globalization attempts with relative ease. I will also include selected info on selecting the proper channel strategies and some of the everyday things that companies do to inhibit or derail their globalization objectives. The conclusion would be, in effect, the fundamental do's and don'ts of the globalization process; in effect, a 'marker' or 'flag' to put next to each landmine so that their company can negotiate the globalization minefield successfully. Included within the presentation(and documentation) will be a document entitled 'WHAT SHOULD YOU THINK ABOUT BEFORE YOU TAKE YOUR SOFTWARE COMPANY INTO THE INTERNATIONAL MARKETPLACE?' How to Increase Global Profits Curtis R. Porritt Director, SDL Globalization Consulting Services Globalization is an aspect of international success that is often overlooked and frequently underestimated. Yet, for most companies, the value of this effort cannot be overstated. In most cases it is only through solid globalization efforts that a product or web site can be competitively introduced into the international marketplace. As a result, most high-tech companies lose millions of dollars each year due to poor globalization efforts. This session is intended for upper management and international marketing personnel charged with the profitability of their international markets. It's purpose is to show you how to increase international profits by focusing on the following five key areas: Reducing the risk involved with entering specific international markets. Increasing the overall quality and "international appeal" of your products, web sites, and marketing approaches. Increasing the speed to market of your international products and web sites. Decreasing the internal effort and cost required to efficiently develop and market international products and web sites. Decreasing the external (vendor) costs of localizing your products and web sites on a regular basis. These five goals define the fundamental needs and wants of most software and web publishers as they strive to be competitive in the global marketplace. The end result will be increased profitability in each of your international markets. TECHNOLOGY TRACK Technology & Distributed Development Michael Roche Senior Architect, Lotus Development Corporation The paper will discuss and present the technology used in managing and integrating a development team distributed across five countries (US, UK, Ireland, Austria, Canada) with secondary involvement from many other countries spread across Asia, Middle East and Europe. It will show how the use of this technology has evolved from the original requirements of face to face communication and video conferencing into more widespread use of desktop based communication such as email, groupware in the form of Lotus Notes and web technologies such as "Team Rooms" and "SameTime" (Web conferencing, chat and application sharing). It will discuss how the team is brought together by this technology and how products are brainstormed and designed using collaborative authoring. How workflow can be used to automate and expedite the decision making process. How testing and problem reporting results can be shared worldwide and tracked across many geographies giving producers and consumers the ability to share information and contribute to a more robust end product. The example is particularly interesting as the end result of this process is a product that is itself used to globalize web sites. Finally a presentation of the future that may be made possible by the next generations of this technology will be discussed. (The processes and technology discussed have been adapted to their current state over a period of six years since the formation of the product group, and 5 releases of the product produced by this team have been made in that time using ever increasing reliance on the technology discussed.) Unicode 101 for Globalization of Software Keith A. Regli CTO and VP Product Development, Transparent Language, Inc. Unicode is a means of expressing all of the characters of all of the languages of the world in one (really) big table. On the surface it solves the problem of making global software, storing multi-language reports and e-mails, and avoiding all the "codepage" issues that come up. It is never that simple! Languages, and the associated scripts, were not designed by engineers. The designers, such as they were, did not think about the binary representation of their work. Unicode is a huge step forward, but programmers must have clear objectives in their globalization strategy and must understand the implications of working in their target languages. In all of the platforms we use today there is some degree of support available, but it is not consistent or complete. This talk is about a case study of implementing a Unicode strategy and how it affected the software development team working across multiple operating systems versions. The end result was and continues to be very positive. E-Business Strategies and Tools to Increase Global Market Share and Preserve Global Branding Martha Ferro Geller Vice President of Globalization Strategies, GlobalSight Multinational companies are increasingly tasking their e-commerce departments to "globalize" their Web sites to market their brands, products and services worldwide. But within corporations, all too often, there exists a disconnect between Internet and traditional sales and marketing strategies. As with advertising, public relations, direct marketing or collateral, the Web needs to become part of a company's overall marketing strategy. Successful global e-business, then, considers both the unique qualities of the Web and a company's global sales and marketing objectives. This presentation will address the challenges faced by enterprise executives in developing and maintaining an effective global Web presence. Attendees will learn methods for developing strategies to harness the Internet's potential for meeting global marketing objectives while avoiding the cultural, technical and legal pitfalls of Web globalization. Topics covered will include: Marketing issues and strategies to consider when building a multilingual Web site The globalization market trends that every senior executive should know Communication, technical and other challenges of Web globalization Hot tips for transforming a Web site into a multilingual marketing and sales medium to gain valuable global market share The danger of "brand drift" – the importance of striking the right balance between adapting content for local markets and maintaining a consistent global brand The issues to consider for sustaining a multilingual Web site once it's operational Why it's a must to obtain overseas office buy-in and content review "The good, the bad and the unintelligible:" real-life examples of Global Web sites Keynote: Globalisation and the Level Playing Field - Reconciling the Geometry Earl Mardle The promise of globalisation is that the whole world can achieve similar standards of living to those enjoyed by post industrial, capitalist western economies. The mechanism for this will be free trade across borders on a "level playing field" where each participant will be able, and encouraged to benefit from their unique "competitive advantage". To achieve this outcome, it is obvious: that the poorest economies will have to grow even faster than the wealthy ones, that the tools of capital investment and business and legal reform must produce for those countries greater wealth, faster than for their investors. that the impacts of such a process were it to be successful are unlikely to be acceptable to those who currently experience the benefits that the environmental costs of raising global consumption patterns to anything remotely related to current western levels would be prohibitive. That it will not happen The evidence so far is patchy at best and at worst is producing results exactly the opposite from those intended. I will argue that globalisation is in any case much more important. If it is to be anything more than window dressing for economic and cultural colonisation, if it is genuinely to benefit those nations who have been left behind economically it demands a revised attitude among its practitioners. An attitude which understands; that sustainability and constant expansion are incompatible in a global economy that the pure market economy must be moderated to take account of currently unmeasured factors such as environmental impacts and quality of life projected not just a few years, but generations into the future. that there is an ethical component to globalisation that has so far been missing and without which it is nothing more than exploitation. I will consider some options that might meet and begin to deal with the issues I raise and point to some examples which demonstrate that other models are more successful and much more sustainable in the three dimensional network of a global environment.

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