2.3. THE STAGES OF GLOBALIZATION: APPLYING A DIVERSITY MODEL
In a world in which European offices are powered by Japanese semiconductors set in American computers housed in Thai teak office furniture that rests on Iranian rugs, it is clear that the world is increasingly our corporate environments and that we cannot position ourselves in isolation from others. Even so, not all corporations are global—and not all will become global. Before evaluating or developing your global diversity program, it is important to understand the stage of globalization that currently exists in your company as well as your desired corporate diversity goal.
Managing global diversity requires an expanded paradigm and additional models. Understanding the drivers and stages of the organization's global development as well as the various diversity dimensions involved are critical beginning steps in formulating an effective global strategy as well as in identifying and addressing obstacles. In reading the following descriptions of the four stages of global organization,[] consider where your company best fits and plot it on the Continuum of Globalization and on the Continuum of Diversity Development. This assessment will be useful when filling out the "Global Diversity Organizational Development" tool later.
2.3.1. Domestic Focused Organizations
Most domestic enterprises operate, produce, and sell within a home marketplace and do not have a true global focus. While a manager in this type of company might have cross-border employees, the overriding perspective is national, with primary attention on compliance to national law as far as diversity goes.
Global diversity is still important, even in domestic companies, because the corporation must understand the different patterns of social and professional behavior that can be expected from potential international customers, global peers, transnational alliance partners, or the nonnational workforce employed by the company. While primarily domestic in focus, managers in these companies also need cross-cultural knowledge to understand international threats to their markets. For example, a small craft artisan, Wild Wood of West Virginia, who employed ten people in making a unique rocking wooden horse sculpture lost market share to the Chinese Taiwanese manufacturer who entered the market with a "slightly" different sculpture and took customers away. Domestic firms need to scan globally. The Internet has helped this process.
2.3.2. Import/Export Enterprises
Import/export businesses focus primarily on domestic markets, but buy or sell materials from other countries. This type of corporate structure usually works with local nationals hired on a contract basis and responsible for the exchange of goods and services. These in-country corporate agents represent the hiring or home corporation, manage a small in-country office or operation, and typically follow their own country's approach to diversity issues, which may or may not align with the corporation's national perspective.
In the United States, and particularly in the apparel industry or any other industry that uses offshore manufacturing labor, this type of company is a major source of diversity confrontation due to the role of women in the workplace, work/life balance, sexual harassment, and child labor laws. Many investors in the parent U.S. corporation are critical of export contractors and subcontractors and increasingly include diversity requirements as part of the contracting and negotiating process. Since much of this business is contractual and governed by home country representatives and laws, it is difficult to create sustainable national change related to diversity to address their interest. The choice is withdrawing from that contract, as Levi Strauss did in China over issues of human rights.
2.3.3. International Enterprises
International enterprises generally have production and sales activities both in the home country and outside their national borders; however, they are highly influenced by the corporate culture of the home-country headquarters. While there is an interchange of staff across borders, the overall tone and definition of the organization is established from the home country with its preferred national business style, whether that center be in Stuttgart, Seoul, or Saginaw.
When headquartered in the United States, these companies demonstrate a strong bias to "roll out" their U.S.-centric domestic diversity program to their international units. There is minimal attention to redefining diversity to address the new trans-border context. Clearly, models of diversity built on the power and confrontational models forged from a history of race and gender conflict, as in the United States, have experienced difficulty moving across borders to countries that do not share that historical context nor that approach to social change. Equally true, a company forged primarily from a homogeneous national perspective, like Japan or Korea, might have difficulty in absorbing and using the diversity within their American and Western workforce. This was demonstrated when the Japanese automotive industry entered into European and American manufacturing contexts.
2.3.4. Global Enterprises
Truly global organizations have planning, production, and sales operations in multiple countries that are coordinated as an integrated entity. By definition, these organizations consistently use national, cultural, and personal diversity to run their businesses. Few companies begin as global entities. Many that have become global retain residual programs, patterns, and processes that maintain a cultural bias, creating the need for tools and processes to help them become globally diverse.
The following exercise, "Stages of Corporate Development and Global Diversity," is a tool to audit your company's stages of global development, its diversity issues and initiatives. Most respondents will find that generally several developmental areas are occurring simultaneously. It is important for global diversity practitioners and managers to understand the diversity issues that each stage of global development demands within their company
2.3.5. Suggestions for Using "Stages of Corporate Development and Global Diversity"
Objectives
To demonstrate that global diversity is a concern that needs to be addressed in all organizations, regardless of their current level of development
To provide an organizational tool to assess a corporation's current level of global development
To analyze different levels of diversity that the company needs to use to function effectively in a global environment
To assess the appropriateness of current programs and identify alternative programs required to be more successful as a global company that excels in the use of diversity
Intended Audience
Members of any human resource staff or management group exploring global diversity and its organizational implications
Any manager, facilitator, internal/external consultant, HR professional, or trainer charged with the task of creating a global diversity initiative
Time
45 minutes
Materials
An overhead transparency and copies of "Stages of Corporate Development and Global Diversity"
Chart paper and markers
Directions
Review the four stages of global development, highlighting the diversity issues in each stage.
Divide the participants into groups of six.
Invite the participants to identify which stage of development best describes their organization.
Ask each group to discuss the diversity programs that exist in their company and their relationship to the current organizational stage.
Ask participants to chart those programs or aspects of existing programs that are helping and those that are hindering in a global context.
Then ask each group to create a list of programs that are needed in order to be successful on a global scale.
Questions for Discussion/Consideration
Is your company global or international? How does that designation make a difference in how you deal with diversity?
What have you discovered about the breadth and depth of your company's diversity programs, policy, and structure? What additional suggestions need to be made?
Stages of Corporate Development and Global DiversityDirections: After reviewing the stages of development and their associated diversity issues, list in the last column all the programs, policies, and processes that your company has instituted to support global diversity.
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What specific diversity issues do you believe your company will face as it moves along the stages of development to become a more fully international or global company? What are some programs, policies, or structures to address the organizational and attitudinal changes required?
Would employees who are nationals of countries other than those in your group list these issues the same way that your group has? What might be different? What would they want to include? How would they approach creating organizational and attitudinal change?
Cultural Considerations
When facilitating, be aware that as people describe examples of diversity, those examples will be nationally limited. Continue throughout the debriefing process to solicit worldwide examples so that the exercise is not supporting a mono-cultural perspective of diversity but a more inclusive perspective.
Caveats, Considerations, and Variations
This exercise draws on the participants' ability to conduct a structural analysis and some background in organizational development. Some employees may not have the breadth of knowledge to respond to this exercise. Do sufficient prework to have an accurate picture as to the stage of global development the company is experiencing, as well as the scope of diversity issues experienced. If participation is limited, have information to share as a point of discussion.
2.3.6. Using Diverse Workforces in a Global Corporation
Like it or not, diversity is being played out in global corporations. Corporations have a rich opportunity to shape global interactions, frequently transcending the efforts of government as well as nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). Let's look at how organizations intentionally manage the diversity dynamic within its boundaries.[]
There are four dynamics in corporate diversity initiatives, each with its own drivers, objectives, methods, and outcome measures: (1) using legal structures; (2) managing performance of diverse workforces; (3) using individual talents; and (4) empowering leadership and vision. They are shown in the Continuum of Diversity Development and described below.
2.3.7. Using Legal Structures
Nations—as well as some regions like the European Union—have varied histories of employment law and specific laws addressing workplace discrimination. While founded on common principles of individual worker rights and collective social responsibility, statutes governing workplace diversity may have different interpretations depending on the national culture. Even the definition of "law," as well as how infractions are defined and dealt with in national courts, are different. As a result, the legal departments of global corporations guide their firms in worldwide compliance to employment law. Do you have cause to fire employees who engage in sexual harassment, based on your own national standards or on the standards of the headquarters country? Is it legal to ask whether a candidate is married? What candidate or employee information can I put into my files and what cannot be recorded? With whom can I share that information? What are the consequences of termination for discrimination and am I required to pay termination indemnities?
Diversity approaches that are legally focused affirm the value of inclusion, but in a limited, protective, reactive, and socially compliant way. In many cases, compliance efforts focus on protecting the corporation from financial and market consequences of legal action and the subsequent loss of reputation capital or brand equity should legal action be taken.
Measuring results in this stage of diversity utilization often requires numerical analysis of demographic profiles of employees and customers. That data can influence the creation of staff quotas from targeted groups as defined by national legislation or social "persuasion." Another legal measure is the decrease in the number of diversity complaints related to individual worker rights, particularly around issues of hiring and promotional opportunity. Using this approach, organizations such as Operation Push in the United States continue to place considerable pressure on corporations for minority workforce and management representation. On the other side of the globe, Malaysia's bumiputra laws require that a set number of Malaysian employees be drawn from the Malay community, as distinct from Malaysian citizens of Chinese or Indian heritage. The target groups are different, but again, this legalistic approach drives change. The "Legal Drivers and Implications for Global Diversity" tool can be used to heighten knowledge and compliance to global legislation in your firm related to international employment law and is a good tool to begin the dialogue.
Legal Drivers and Implications for Global DiversityDirections: This exercise will compare laws pertaining to International Employment Law in different parts of your global organization. Identify the law and its specific diversity intent. Note the positive and negative implications of that law within your organization. Example: In the United States you cannot ask if a job candidate is married or if he or she has children. In Indonesia there are no laws that prohibit this question.
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2.3.8. Suggestions for Using "Legal Drivers and Implications for Global Diversity"
Objectives
To understand how different national contexts have structured their employment law
To identify the global diversity requirements related to reconciling nationally biased employment law
To position corporate diversity efforts in the context of an emerging global diversity plan
Intended Audience
Members of any employee or manager's group exploring global diversity
Any manager, facilitator, internal/external consultant, HR professional, or trainer charged with the task of creating a global diversity initiative
Time
45 minutes
Materials
An overhead transparency and copies of "Legal Drivers and Implications for Global Diversity"
Chart paper and markers
Directions
Define and discuss specific legal drivers for diversity and their impact in creating change. In the large group, solicit examples from participants.
Ask participants to review their experience and identify one law related to diversity that best demonstrates legislative excellence in one's country of origin and at lease three other laws coming from different national contexts.
Continue to have participants record the implications of those laws, highlighting the positive outcomes that the laws have provided as well as the inherent limitations of those legislations in their country.
Divide members into small groups. Ask them to compare their individual responses and create a listing of significant legislation that best supports their company's commitment to global diversity.
Conduct a whole group discussion of findings and insights for expanding legislation to support global diversity.
Questions for Discussion/Consideration
Has legislation been an effective tool for creating inclusive workforces and supporting diversity? In your home country? In other countries where your organization works? In countries where multinational companies work?
When discussing legal drivers for diversity, what is consistent or inconsistent across nations?
Based on your responses, is there a need for a global legal standard to support diversity and, if so, what might it be?
What specific aspects of diversity need to be included in legal response in the countries where your company works?
Do you believe that legal interventions will create the required change to broaden global diversity? If so, why? If not, why not? What will work better?
Cultural Considerations
Be aware that some participants may value religious law as much as civil law. Model a diversity perspective by allowing open conversation of the implications of religious law and its role in establishing global diversity within corporations.
Caveats, Considerations, and Variations
Before any discussion, the facilitator should have studied different aspects of law and how they apply to global diversity. Contact your corporate legal department to find out the number of diversity-related cases legal is managing and how they differ from country to country.
This exercise can be used in program prework and can be used as a needs assessment tool for gathering valuable corporate information.
This exercise can be used as a research and education tool for human resource staff both at headquarters and in regional locations.
2.3.9. Managing Performance
While legal requirements provide one set of drivers for workforce inclusion, they do not directly address the impact of diversity on performance. Another impetus is performance management, an approach to diversity that seeks to sharpen awareness of the impact of difference in the workplace, help employees master knowledge around those differences, and sharpen their skills for dealing with employees and managers who are different. But frequently these kinds of diversity programs focus on awareness rather than skill building around how to be inclusive, how to actually reconcile differences, and how to achieve transformative organizational change by using diversity.
Corporate training and organization development's mission is to provide the tools to help diverse individuals enhance their interpersonal and intergroup skills, thus increasing their influence and effectiveness inside the corporation. In the United States, corporate universities frequently integrate a diversity component into all training programs and/or they may design specific courses to help employees value, manage, and leverage the diversity within their teams.
When implemented in international and global companies, these kinds of courses typically focus on expanding employees' understanding of and ability to work with people of different national cultures. Frequently, they focus on "dos and don'ts"—a nationally focused version of "Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus"—or specifics associated with the national culture being studied and its political, social, and economic context. These cross-cultural curricula often do not provide an in-depth understanding of the national values that have created these dissimilar approaches to life, business management, thinking, and industrial workforce interactions. They also do not deal comprehensively with issues related to traditional diversity themes, such as gender, sexual orientation, and race, and explore them relative to another national culture. They focus on questions such as "Can a woman lead a team in Brazil?" or "As an African American, can I work in Japan?"
Measuring success in this approach involves organizational audits where people of different backgrounds and nationalities assess how well workplace differences are acknowledged and managed. Other performance management tools, such as corporate 360-degree assessments, can be effective measures, particularly when those tools assess skills related to diversity. One example is a major telecommunications company that asks worldwide employees on a quarterly basis to rate their managers on their demonstration of diversity skill and cultural respect. Often, the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) in London and the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) in the United States, through its Global Forum, will identify best-of-class companies who excel in programs and policies related to managing global diversity performance. You can use the "Global Performance Management Audit" to assess your team on these points.
2.3.10. Suggestions for Using "Global Performance Management Audit"
To identify the core diversity programs, policies, and structures in the firm
To evaluate the effectiveness of these programs, policies, and structures in implementing and capitalizing on diversity within the global organization
To gather insights as to what participants feel are appropriate programs, policies, and structures to enhance and leverage diversity management in their firm
Intended Audience
Members of any employee or manager's group exploring global diversity
Any manager, facilitator, internal/external consultant, HR professional, or trainer charged with the task of creating a global diversity initiative
Time
45 minutes
Materials
An overhead transparency and copies of the "Global Performance Management Audit"
Chart paper and markers
Directions
Expand on the concept of performance management and how an effective diversity program functions through targeted programs, policies, and structures.
Ask participants to fill out the form individually and encourage them to list at least two examples in each category.
Ask the participants to form into groups of six and discuss their individual responses and the effectiveness of their company's response.
Select a group recorder to lead the group in coming to consensus as to which example was the most creative in advancing global diversity within their company and which was the most effective in creating change.
Have the group come to consensus as to what might have been overlooked within the corporate global diversity program.
Questions for Discussion/Consideration
What nation or region of your company has been most effective in dealing with global diversity through their use of programs, policies, or structure? To what extent?
In reviewing your company's response to diversity, what aspect of diversity still seems to be lacking awareness programming, policy adjustments, or organizational change? What can be done about it?
Are these programs, policies, and structures equally implemented in all nations and regions? If not, why not? What prevents universal enforcement within the corporation? Should there be universal enforcement?
If yes to the above question, how successful has the company been and what has been learned that will facilitate the advancement of the global diversity agenda across boundaries?
What have been major resistances in the corporation for the institution of programs, policies, and structures to advance global diversity? Who has the authority and role to address them and what might he or she do?
Cultural Considerations
A natural tension exists between corporate culture and national or regional culture that may be reflected in various programs, policies, and structures. Caution participants not to minimize national and regional differences by resorting to an uncritical acceptance of corporate culture.
Caveats, Considerations, and Variations
This exercise can be used as prework for a program as well as a needs assessment tool for gathering valuable corporate information.
2.3.11. Using Individual Talents
At this stage in the evolution of corporate diversity initiatives, efforts focus on using individual talent. Corporations intentionally begin advancing employees into leadership positions because they believe that their diversity perspective compliments other proven professional competencies and enables the company to function better and be more competitive. This cadre of diverse leaders brings specific characteristics, qualities, and competencies that are closely aligned with their national identity and that can bring value to the global organization.
To fully use individual talent inside the corporation, executives, managers, team leaders, and all staff responsible for human resource allocation must be able to effectively identify the unique contributions of an individual employee and effectively position that talent within the organization. We must first understand and be able to measure the value that a specific diversity perspective brings to a global company—be it gender, ethnic, national, or civilizational perspective, to name a few. For example, what does being French or espousing a Cartesian mindset add to the bottom line of a global or international corporation in comparison with the analytical perspective of a Scotsman? What benefit does being a Brazilian man or Brazilian woman bring a senior management problem-solving session and how can we quantify that value to the company?
How many international people are on your corporation's board of directors? Of the senior leadership group and high-potential employees, how many managers are not nationals, by either birth or citizenship, of the country in which the corporate headquarters is located? Do all high-potential employees worldwide have access to promotions regardless of the location in which they are currently working? Of the board members and the senior leadership group, how many have a first language that is different from the "business" language of the company? While not an exhaustive list, the answers to these and similar questions can provide valuable information about how an organization uses inclusivity in its workforce, selects its senior managers, and creates global leaders.
Outcome measures at this level may include whether the company has cross-national and transnational leadership development and succession plans inclusive of all potential candidates, regardless of the location in which they work. The "Identify Global Exemplars" exercise can be useful to determine this.
2.3.12. Suggestions for Using "Identify Global Exemplars"
To increase the capability to identify global diversity exemplars (GDE)
To acknowledge global contributors who are developing an inclusive environment in the company
To set in motion a rudimentary competency study and begin the process of identifying the attitudes, skills, and attributes of successful global diversity leaders
To document the qualitative and quantitative value that global diversity exemplars bring to the corporation
To create an action plan to increase personal skills in becoming a GDE
Intended Audience
Members of any employee or manager's group exploring global diversity
Any manager, facilitator, internal/external consultant, HR professional, or trainer charged with the task of creating a global diversity initiative
Time
60 minutes
Materials
An overhead transparency and copies of "Identify Global Exemplars"
Chart paper and markers
Directions
Begin by explaining the meaning of an "exemplar"—a person whose actions demonstrate a commitment to a standard of excellence, in this case, the ability to operate effectively in a corporation using diversity. Provide examples from one's organizational context as well as two other international corporations.
Identify Global Diversity ExemplarsDirections: Many corporations have employees whose professional behaviors demonstrate what it means to fully utilize diversity. Some identify these people as being aware of their cultural heritage as well as highly skilled in reconciling their cultural orientation with others. In this exercise, please identify employees who are global diversity exemplars (GDE). Identify the specific affinity group(s) that the GDE most frequently acknowledges. Describe the specific contribution, skill, or competency that the GDE most frequently demonstrates. Give details as to how those competencies add value to the company.
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Ask participants to list at least two exemplars from their home country and name two or three exemplars from international settings.
Direct participants to review their lists and identify which of all their responses best typify a global diversity exemplar for their corporation.
Form into small groups of six and share the background related to your selected global diversity exemplar.
Ask the group to create a generalized list of the common characteristics of their chosen exemplars that may be helpful to develop the required competencies for future global diversity change.
Identify the five most important competencies that will advance the company's global diversity initiative.
Ask participants to personally review the list and create one action step to increase their capability to be a GDE.
Questions for Discussion/Consideration
What characteristics and skills demonstrate a global diversity exemplar in your own national context? In another regional context? Within the global context of the company?
Are the exemplars a result of the programs, policies, and structures that the company established? If so, which programs, policies, and structures?
What programs, policies, and/or structures are not helpful in creating global diversity exemplars?
If exemplars are people with innate diversity skills, what are they and how do they function in bringing global diversity to a corporation? How can others be trained in these qualities and skills?
Cultural Considerations
Cultures vary in their belief that exemplars are "born" or that exemplars are "developed." Explore this difference as well as the organizational structures that groom people for leadership across cultures. Attempt not to be too definitional or prescriptive because that will inhibit the participation of low-context people. Being too vague will also limit participation of high-context people, whose answers may not be sufficiently focused to bring value to the discussion. Aim at striking a balance by giving good examples that allow individuals with different learning styles to answer the questions.
Caveats, Considerations, and Variations
Participants, depending on their core cultural heritage and its learning style, may require a specific definition of "exemplar" as well as the meaning of "competency." Explore these variables before beginning the exercise.
If participants do not have a great deal of exposure in the company, allow them to identify global exemplars from their previous work experience or their personal knowledge of other companies.
2.3.13. Empowering Leadership and Vision
This final phase addresses the fuller employment of those cultural skills inside the organization. Empowerment, a term most used in United States and Western European firms, suggests the ability of a person or leader to act using his or her own judgment and potential for the betterment of the organization. This phase of diversity work focuses on the full capability of employees to leverage the multiple perspectives that exist within themselves and their workforce.
What is critical is the employees' ability to align the core values, beliefs, and styles of their own affinity groups and others in the workforce with the vision, values, and strategic and operational focus of the corporation. A European CEO of a U.S.-headquartered company may be much different in his or her thinking, perspective, and strategic approach from his or her American counterpart. That difference brings potential to the global corporation since it allows problem solving, communication, and decision making to begin from a different perspective and ultimately affects the outcome. The difference in starting point and the ability to reconcile one's starting position with other divergent views is the essence of diversity reconciliation and global inclusivity.
Outcome measures at this level are difficult to prescribe. In prior stages we count numbers. Later, we have rated and recorded how aware and sensitive we are and finally have promoted diverse candidates to more complex opportunities. Our outcome measure at this new level requires a measurement of some process measurement skill that takes the "different," whether a different idea, process, program, or group, and creatively reconciles that difference for the strategic value of the corporation. In this stage of global diversity work, we must measure and articulate the value of a consistent orientation to "difference" as a core tool for learning and leading the company.
2.3.14. Assessing Your Organization
Knowing where your organization is on the continuum from "domestic" to "global" and in its development from a "legal" to "empowering" organization is the foundation for applying the SSI Model as well as many of the exercises in this book. By understanding both the breadth of diversity initiatives within your company and the level of global corporate development, you can more rapidly analyze how well your diversity programs are functioning and supporting the type of organization that you aspire to become. You will also be able to assesswhere you may need to create new diversity approaches to operate more effectively as a global company.
For example, having a U.S.-centric legalistic diversity approach may work well at all levels within a domestic company, but that approach may not be as effective when the company becomes international in focus.
Use the "Global Diversity Corporate Assessment Tool" to assess your corporation's global diversity strategy. This integrated tool enables you to assess your corporation's diversity program and cross-reference it to the requirements of the four different levels of global corporate development.
Think of concrete examples of your corporate diversity initiative that demonstrate a program, policy, or behavior that was successful in each of the boxes of the diagram. For example, if your organization has a strong diversity training program for its domestic operations, that would fit into the lower-left quadrant. If you have an active international recruitment, relocation, and career development process, and you operate in six countries yet are still headquartered in one, that would fit in the upper-right quadrant close to the center of the diagram.
Many domestic-focused companies are able to demonstrate a relatively integrated program and policy on diversity, but few can demonstrate those kinds of integrated examples on a more international or global scale.
2.3.15. Suggestions for Using "Global Diversity Corporate Assessment Tool"
To understand how diversity expresses itself differently within a domestic, import-export, international, or global organization
To identify the different diversity requirements related to current levels of global organizational development
To position national diversity efforts in the context of an emerging global diversity plan
To highlight major domestic diversity accomplishments in relationship to global diversity requirements
Intended Audience
Members of any employee or management group exploring global diversity
Any manager, facilitator, internal/external consultant, HR professional, or trainer charged with the task of creating a global diversity initiative
Time
45 minutes
Global Diversity Corporate Assessment ToolDirections: Think of each diversity program, policy, and process in your company and consider if its frame of reference is a national, import-export, international, or global orientation. Then consider whether it is a tactical or strategic diversity response. Consider its intent as legalistic, managerial, utilization, or empowerment. Place an X at the appropriate coordinates. Continue for as many programs, policies, and processes as possible. 
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Materials
An overhead transparency and copies of the "Global Diversity Corporate Assessment Tool"
Chart paper and markers
Directions
Define and discuss each dimension of the profile's two axes.
Ask participants to plot their company's programs and operations as a national, import-export, international, or global company and the current level of diversity activity.
Ask participants to think of concrete examples that illustrate the current company structure and diversity accomplishment as they have plotted it.
Divide members into small groups. Ask them to compare their individual profiles and create one shared profile that best reflects their company's current level of global diversity.
Conduct a whole-group discussion of findings and insights.
Questions for Discussion/Consideration
Where is your organization in its diversity processes?
What examples, similarities, and differences were most notable among group members?
What surprises, if any, did you find in the responses?
When you look more closely at the differences, what impacts do they or might they have on the development of a global company?
How can we make those differences work in our favor?
Cultural Considerations
Identify the national and civilizational ideals that are contained in your examples. Are there national preferred values that enable diversity to be more successful?
Words such as "diversity" and "empowerment" have a wide range of meanings and cultural interpretation. Process participants' understanding and use of these terms.
Caveats, Considerations, and Variations
This exercise works best with groups that are international, providing for an open and fruitful exchange of regional and cultural differences. Mono-cultural groups may not have the scope or insight to give examples, even when their company is global or international. In this case, bring data regarding programs or have participants gather data through interviews with managers in other locations, for example.
Respondents can also use this tool to identify current state and future state and strategize on the action steps required to create the change.