Session Summary

Session Number:247
Session ID:S88
Session Title:Management and Organization Development Across Borders: The Use of Technology Based Learning Processes by Multinational Companies
Short Title:Mgmt and OD Across Borders
Session Type:Division Joint Symposium
Hotel:Hyatt East
Floor:LL2
Room:GndBall B
Time:Tuesday, August 10, 1999 3:40 PM - 5:00 PM

Sponsors

MED  (James Stoner)Stoner@mary.fordham.edu (212) 765-5573 
ODC  (Rami Shani)ashani@calpoly.edu (805) 756-1756 

General People

Chair Probst, Gilbert  HEC / U. of Geneva gilbert.probst@hec.unige.ch +4122 705 8127  
Coordinator and Discussant Yiu, Lichia  Center for Socio-Economic Development yiu@csend.org 41-22-906-1720 

Submissions

Technology Aided Management Development Process: Case Example from 3M 
Presenter Parker, Judith E. 3M jeparker@mmm.com 651-733-9258 
Technology Aided Management Development Process: Case Example from Motorola 
Presenter Moorthy, R. S. Motorola aahr15@email.mot.com 847-576-2152 
Technology Aided Management Development Process: Case Example from Hewlett Packard 
Presenter Weed, Mary  Hewlett-Packard mary_weed@hp.com +4122 780 8311 

Abstract

As a result of globalisation, many multinational companies employ on increasing number of employees located across continents and countries. This geographic expansion has also resulted in increasingly complex and pluralistic cultural configurations. The challenge for the multinational companies is to leverage this multiplicity of cultural backgrounds of their employees for performance and innovation while forging operational and managerial consistency around the world. In attempting to achieve a seamless synchronization of the global supply chain management, internal networks which straddle functional/geographic/cultural lines need to be developed in order to exchange and share tangible and intangible resources. How to sustain these "virtual" teams and networks across national borders also post an interesting challenge for these multinational companies. This symposium attempts to explore the use of technology-based management and organisation development processes in multinatinal companies. Examples from several leading multinationals will be used to illustrate how technology enables the companies to devise innovative individual and organisational learning processes which foster cross-border team development, enhance better utilisation of in-house knowledge and enforce consistency of corporate standards. This symposium will also suggest how multinational companies can beter use the information technology from a learning design point of view to support the mangement and organisation development activities across continents. Discussion will also address specific issues regarding the challenges in facilitating virtual teams with multi-cultural configurations and their implications for the skill requisites of the consultant/facilitators. A life demonstration will accompany each of the presentations of this symposium.