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How Globalisation and Changing Technology have impacted the way Managers Plan, Organise, Lead and Control

Globalisation and changing technology have greatly brought about transformation on the daily operations of business organizations across the world.  This trend has more so affected management strategies for many business. This paper identifies how globalisation and technology have impacted the way managers, plan, organise, lead and control.

In any organisation, managers have the responsibilities to ensure that their entities achieve the set objectives through planning, organizing, leading and controlling (Schelhase, 2008). With the ever-changing business environment orchestrated by the wave of globalisation and technological change, managers have no other option but to embrace change and remain competitive.

According to Schaeffer (2009), globalisation is the integration of different economies across the world through trade, financial, and technological flows. Globalisation has permitted free exchange of information and technology, and facilitated movement of goods and services as well as people. The aspect of physical borders and boundaries has been eliminated with the concept of globalisation and technological changes (Andriole, 2009).

Globalization and changes in technology have opened a widow of opportunities as well as challenges that require managers to develop suitable strategies to emerge successful. Currently, there is easy accessibility to worldwide markets with different kinds of products (Schelhase, 2008). These developments have prompted companies to embrace globally coherent strategies and processes to maximise their profits on the global scene.

Globalisation has necessitated opening of communication channels facilitating sharing of information in real time. In business cycle, time is of essence in the overall functioning and success of a business. Advancement of technology has made it easier for people across the world to get in touch in real time and this has impacted on the decision making process (Schaeffer, 2009). Advanced and improved communication channels such as mobile phones and the World Wide Web have become major modes of communication because of their efficiency and convenience. Business managers have embraced these modern channels of communication such as telegram, Skype, imo, and email among others to expedite their process of doing business.  Nowadays, businesses transact in space without really having to move physically from one point to another, a trend that continues to have immense impact on the running of business. The cost of doing business has gone down and at the same time the benefits have tended to increase due to reduced expenses. Furthermore, with the current technology, managers across various parts of the world can schedule a meeting through video conferencing and discuss business issues.

Globalisation has made it easy for people from diverse backgrounds to move and to socialize as well as engage in business. This trend has also put pressure on the practices and strategies that managers adopt to run their business (Schaeffer, 2009). Nowadays, managers have to appreciate and understand the socio cultural aspects of different people across the world. This is because,  globalization affects almost all facets of the way people live including dimension of political, legal, economic, social/cultural and environmental. A good manager, therefore, must keep abreast with these aspects in their plans and overall strategies in running a business (Hugos, 2009). For instance, global companies must comply with both the local and international regulatory frameworks as they endeavour to streamline their business. On social dimension, managers have to appreciate the different social systems. People from various countries have different social behavioursin terms of the way they communicate, interact, and prefer. When starting up a business, mangers have to be aware of these differences to ensure that they do the right thing to avoid offending customers and in some cases running into losses due to poor global business strategy (Guy, 2009). A good example of this is a global company setting up a company in the host country to sale a product that the host community view as a taboo. Definitely, such a venture will fail. Communication and research, therefore, becomes essential for such business before engaging in such ventures. The fact that information is readily available on the internet has made research on such issues easier. Managers have to consult and engage in expansive research to remain updated on the continuous changes on the global scene.

Legal-political issues also impacts on the way businesses on the global scene operate.  Managers must understand the legal systems of countries they operate or they anticipate investing in. For instance, taxation systems may vary across countries, and it became prudent for managers to put to consideration of such issues (Schelhase, 2008). There are also many processes and legal procedures that companies must understand before deciding to invest in another country. Some countries have stiff and lengthy processes while others have few regulations for new entrants.

Economic dimension must be considered in this period of globalization and changing technologies (Andriole, 2009). The motive of any business manager is to accrue profits and record growth. It, therefore, becomes a key factor for managers when planning on a suitable country to invest in. The manager must assess and analyse the business environment whether indeed it is beneficial or adds value before making a final investment decision (Hugos, 2009). The cost of doing business in some countries may be high compared to others, hence impacting on the business.

With globalisation, customer expectations have increased putting more pressure on firms. The level of competition has intensified as companies compete for the available markets. This has left customers with wide array of choices to select from (Andriole, 2009). This change of market dimensions has also affected managers’ way of doing business. In their planning, leading and controlling, they have to be innovative and creative to remain competitive in these markets. As both local and international businesses scuffle for the same customers because of the high levels of expectation, winning over such markets becomes a game of wit. Worth noting is that globalisation and changes in technologies previously presented a challenge to managers as they had to embrace change to remain competitive. Local and foreign firms encountered challenges of meeting the demands of customers, forcing some to close while those that remained in the industry had to change tactics and strategies.

In conclusion, globalisation and changes in technology has revolutionised the way businesses run. Globalization and advancement in technology remains one of the most salient aspects of the new millennium as it has changed the way business and people share information across the world. Nowadays, it has become critical for managers to remain flexible, creative, and innovative to be competitive.  Scanning the environment has become one of the major factors in achieving success in global business. It became essential to understand the market including the target customers’ behaviours and social norms, culture and so forth to become a successful business manager.