As the current global environment becomes larger and more diverse, it is necessary to learn how to manage different companies in such rapidly changing circumstances. Since conducting business is undoubtedly complicated, especially on a global scale, the role of the manager cannot be underestimated. The reason for this necessity is the fact that aside from handling the professional goals of firms, they also have to manage such issues as cross-cultural communication and to solve possible conflicts at the workplace. It is evident that such serious responsibilities require a professional worker with years of experience and a number of various skills. Nevertheless, I believe that the skills and knowledge that I got from this semester provided me with enough experience to be able to work as a manager effectively.
First of all, I have to note that during the semester, I felt more inspired since I had to learn so much new and important information. While learning, I have developed a deep understanding of several aspects of managing business globally. For example, such elements include the idea of the global business environment, working in cross-cultural teams, intercultural communication, and the impact of globalization on business. Moreover, I have come to realize that globalization drastically changed the business practices around the world; it made them more complex and demanding. Another important field of knowledge I have got to broaden is my competence in foreign management roles and methods that can help to grow business in the global climate.
In addition, classes in managing in the global environment helped me to not only understand that there are differences in cultures across the globe but also how such disparities affect business and the work ethic. This aspect of managing is of crucial importance since an effective supervisor has to be aware of various forms of communication between people of different origins. I realized the importance of recognizing differences in cultures around the world, and this, in turn, has shaped the future role that I have as a manager working in a global business environment. It became evident to me that only one form of interconnection cannot be applied to everyone. After all, the culture of each country has a range of strategies and subtle differences in relation to a human connection (Inegbedion et al., 2020). For this reason, a global manager needs to be aware of them all so that he or she could guarantee that communication between team members provides good results for the business.
However, aside from learning the theory, I also found out about how intercultural teams should work together in order to ensure the best outcome of the task. It is a well-known fact that workers should communicate in order for companies to run the business effectively. The problem of ensuring effective contact is of particular importance in the area of work in teams with staff from different cultural backgrounds. The reason for this is that, for the most part, people from different countries also have diverse work ethics. That is why sometimes they cannot understand each other and, therefore, cannot come to a fruitful decision when discussing the business. For this reason, when handling such a team, the manager must be aware of certain aspects. After all, different points of view in cultures can apply not only to religions and lifestyles but also to business. It would, therefore, be a great challenge for a manager to respect everyone’s positions while also ensuring that they do not interfere with completing the company’s missions.
Furthermore, during the semester, I have learned that regular and effective team meetings have a significant impact on the productivity of the team as it improves the team-building process and cooperation between members. Another important advice for a potential manager is to “make yourself available to clarify steps or redirect the team” (Miller, 2015, p. 16). It is also vital to encourage and support all workers to keep them motivated.
In conclusion, it would appear that through this learning experience, I have got to learn different elements that affect working in multicultural teams and in global business in general. I believe that all the work I conducted during this semester will certainly help me in pursuing my future education and career plans. I also managed to change my perception of the key details of the structure of the global business environment in regards to different aspects, such as cultural, legislative, social, and technical factors. However, as this experience helped me to improve some skills, I also have found out that I have to work on increasing my knowledge and abilities. For example, I understand now that I should improve skills in international communication, maybe even learn a foreign language so I could acquire a deeper understanding of another culture. Another important skill in this matter is leadership since with the position of the manager a number of various responsibilities are obtained. Nevertheless, in general, I am completely satisfied with my learning experience, and now I am ready to chase for more.
Reference List
Inegbedion, H., Sunday, E., Asaleye, A., Lawal, A. and Adebanji, A. (2020). ‘Managing Diversity for Organizational Efficiency’, SAGE Open, 10(1).
Miller, B. (2015). Quick team-building activities for busy managers: 50 exercises that get results in just 15 minutes. New York: Amacom.