The Global Mindset Issue (Spring 2016)

Whether you work in financial services, consumer products or run a tech start-up, growing your company will increasingly be about finding new markets and scaling them to global success. In our Spring 2016 issue, we focus on the importance of a Global Mindset and provide some of the tools and inspiration required for you to thrive on your global journey.

Feature Articles

Feature articles from Rotman Management magazine can be purchased individually as PDF documents.
Click on any title to proceed to the purchase page at hbr.org.

	(FREE) Shifting Tides: Global Economic Scenarios to 2025 by Luis Enriquez, Sven Smit and Jonathan Ablett Not sold on hbr.org. Click on the title to read the article or here for a PDF version.
	(FREE) Rebooting Canada’s Relationship with China by Wendy Dobson Not sold on hbr.org. Click on the title to read the article or here for a PDF version.
	Creative Capitalism and the Global Creativity Index by Richard Florida, Charlotta Mellander and Karen King Going forward, growth and prosperity in communities around the world will depend on three enablers of creativity: Technology, Talent and Tolerance. The authors call these ‘the 3Ts of economic development'. In this article they share findings from their Global Creativity Index, indicating that certain countries are ahead of the pack—while others are falling behind. They also show that the divide between the Creative Class and the Service Class lies at the root of the pervasive inequality that we are seeing across advanced and developing nations alike.
	Beyond Bias: How to Shift Ingrained Thinking by Heidi Grant Halvorson and David Rock Whether we admit it or not, common, everyday biases influence how we see the world. We cannot go shopping, enter a conversation, or make a decision without a bias of some sort kicking in. The authors show that the best way to overcome common biases in the workplace is collectively. They describe five classes of common biases that all leaders should be familiar with, and show how team-based practices can be redesigned to help identify biases as they emerge—and counteract them on the fly.
	How to Lead Innovation: 7 Critical Steps by Alessandro Di Fiore and Elisa Farri Even well-managed companies versed in modern practices can generate an environment that is hostile to innovation, without realizing it. The authors argue that large companies need to have a distinct Innovation Unit, headed up by a senior executive who reports directly to the CEO. They provide a framework for designing the mission and scope for such an in-house Innovation Unit, anchored by seven key tasks for the organization’s innovation leader, including 'scanning for best practices' and 'designing shelter for innovations'.
	Leadership Forum: Globalization Lessons from the C-Suite by Karen Christensen Three current and former C-suite executives of thriving global companies (Magna International, Research in Motion and Manulife Financial) discuss the challenges faced by their companies in establishing global operations, and key lessons learned. They also unveil current opportunities, and look to what lies around the corner for companies seeking to expand beyond their national boundaries. In the end, they agree that the biggest risk of globalization is simple: not participating in it.
	Strategies for Embracing Low-Income Consumers by A.M. McGahan, W. Mitchell, K. Mossman, D. Leung, L. Hayden, R. Sohal, O. Bhattacharyya If your company is considering entering a new market, why not target a wide range of that market’s consumers—from the wealthy, to the middle class and all the way down to the poorest of the poor? The authors show how a wide range of for-profit healthcare organizations are experimenting with different types of smartphone-enabled services for low-income consumers. They provide several examples of how these business models work, and describe three approaches that for-profit organizations can use to serve the poor—in the realm of healthcare and beyond.
	Globalization: A Cautionary Tale by Robert Salomon Most business leaders speak optimistically about the prospects of globalization, and for good reason: Globalization has fostered an increasingly interconnected world, with nearly $30 trillion in goods and services traded in 2013 alone. So, why do so many well-run companies fail in global markets? The author, an NYU Professor, says it's because executives fail to account for important differences between nations and to consider how those differences generate operational risks. Using the 'cautionary tales' of IKEA in Russia, Walmart in China and Tesco in the U.S., he shows the importance of understanding the impact of 'institutional distance' when taking a business global.
	Leading Huawei: Lessons from China’s Most Successful Executive by D. de Cremer and T. Tao Chinese giant Huawei surpassed Ericsson in 2012 to become the global telecom leader in terms of sales revenue and net profit. Yet the company is still relatively unknown in the West. Many Chinese believe the blueprint for Huawei's success was created by its founder and long-time CEO, Ren Zhengfei. The authors describe seven characteristics of his leadership style, including 'adaptive vision', 'humble dedication' and 'winning by cooperating'. Characterized by his employees as someone who 'leads with his heart and moves with his mind', Zhengfei's purpose, inspiration and humility in leading China's most global company provide inspiration for leaders everywhere.
	Summitry and Global Order by Donald Brean and Alan Alexandroff Today, the biggest challenges—from financial (in)stability to immigration, health, the environment, terrorism and food safety—are global in nature, and their solutions demand global thinking. The authors argue that modern summitry is one of the best ways to addresses such 'spillovers'. The philosophical foundations of arrangements to achieve consensus among otherwise sovereign states as they deal with joint problems is imbued with idealism, they say, and the advance of globalization has only made such collaboration a higher imperative.
	CEO Spotlight: Amazon’s Jeff Bezos by James Quinn In a wide-ranging interview, Amazon founder and chief executive Jeff Bezos describes his leadership style, his company's little-known failures, and his approach to ongoing innovation. From his early days delivering packages to the post office, to his purchase of The Washington Post, to Amazon's forays into TV production and delivery drones, he provides a glimpse into a world of innovation and his desire to continue to delight customers worldwide.