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What is a global manager?

Christopher A Bartlett1, Sumantra Ghoshal

  • 1Harvard Business School, Boston, USA.

Harvard Business Review
|July 30, 2003
PubMed
Summary

Global business requires specialized managers, not a universal approach. Transnational corporations thrive with a balanced structure of business, country, and functional managers, fostering efficiency and learning.

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Area of Science:

  • Business Management
  • Organizational Structure
  • International Business

Background:

  • The contemporary global landscape is marked by fragmentation, yet international business operations persist.
  • Effective management of transnational corporations (TNCs) is crucial for navigating complex global demands.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To present a management model for TNCs that balances local, regional, and global requirements.
  • To define the roles of specialized managers within a transnational organizational structure.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of the "What Is a Global Manager?" model by Bartlett and Ghoshal.
  • Examination of case studies featuring executives from Electrolux, NEC, and Procter & Gamble.

Main Results:

  • Identified three key managerial roles: business managers, country managers, and functional managers.
  • Highlighted the role of top executives in managing interactions and developing talent.
  • Demonstrated how this structure enables global efficiency, national responsiveness, and cross-market learning.

Conclusions:

  • A "universal" global manager is ineffective; specialization is key for TNC success.
  • A flexible, triadic management process (business, country, functional) is characteristic of successful transnationals.
  • Developing specific managerial skills is vital for TNCs to achieve strategic capabilities.

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