Developing the Global Manager Using a Capability Framework

Abstract

A significant educational challenge for the future of international management in western nations is satisfying multicultural domestic markets, and overseas visitors, who have profoundly different cultural beliefs and traditions from those of the traditional western populations. With the emerging growth of one global market, limited vigorous research exists concerning the management of these globally diverse perspectives. The present theories and models have arisen, predominantly, from western paradigms and are largely based on rational scientific approaches to analysis, which are not directly relevant to the different perspectives necessary for multicultural management. The breadth and depth of global knowledge and competencies required is beyond any one individual or method of education and hence a new management development framework is required to deal with what are often familiar problems occurring in unfamiliar cultures/contexts. This article reviews the challenges for education to address such new needs, not always previously included in management curricula—including the competencies required for servicing multicultural markets, and provides a proposed `capability' model appropriate for developing managers in the global context to move beyond basic competence to enhanced flexibility and adaptability. The authors suggest that in order to develop `globally capable managers', experiential engagement beyond competency-developing so-journer or tourist activity by serious management students is necessary. The suggested student international exchange models with direct overt cultural engagement elements in the curriculum are offered as one answer.