Thinking Globally and Managing Locally

The article begins by explaining the strategic need to “think globally”. It analyses strategic perceptions of what and where the market is, and examines the competitive consequences of global thinking by the enterprise. The requirements of enterprise capacity for the effective national implementation of international strategies are analysed. This means “managing locally”. The article concludes by considering some of the skills and personal traits of the international manager. These may have to be developed if enterprise management is to achieve the proper local implementation of its global strategies. A variety of case examples and studies are illustrative of the international strategies.