Now that Donald Trump has pulled out of the Paris climate deal, what hope is there for addressing the more than critical issue of climate change? As discussed in one of my previous blog posts on the topic, I believe we shouldn’t despair, especially to the extent that moving towards clean energy makes sense for […]
What Can Corporations Learn from Digital Nomads?
In your opinion, what would be the trending job-related ‘wannabe’ and fantasy many people, especially millennials, have these days? I would definitely vote for keywords such as flexibility, meaningfulness, entrepreneurship, global travel and digital… basically everything that is so well captured and ‘romanticized’ by digital global work, or a digital nomad lifestyle. Even without looking […]
When Robots Are Not Science Fiction Anymore
‘Rise of the machines’, ‘Robots are taking over’ and ‘AI is here to replace humans’ – don’t these sound like science fiction movie titles, which bring to mind images of human-like robots with burning eyes and hands, made of steel? And if not inspired by ‘Terminator’ movies, maybe you picture the ‘old-school looking’ robots like […]
The French Election: Shall We ‘Keep Calm and Carry on Globalizing’?
This Sunday was an important day. Yes, it was the second round of the presidential election in France, but the results seemed to be quite important far beyond its borders. Namely, the second round of the French presidential race was viewed by many as a race between globalization and populism/nationalism, between further European integration and […]
The Real ‘Up in the Air’ Story?
Today there are many different ways to tap into the global interconnectedness of businesses, many of which do not even imply any physical relocation. For example, locally based businesses can use global digital networks to reach out to potential international clients with ‘just a click’, or utilize highly multinational teams, where people from different locations […]
M&A deals: How to bring cross-cultural teams together?
‘Merger and acquisition deals’ (M&A deals) – these often imply potential opportunities and profits for business leaders, yet may invoke resistance and anxiety among employees, and create headaches for managers. Indeed, it is hard to argue that M&A deals, similar to other business deals, have certain business goals, be it access to a new market […]
Work-Life Balance AND (OR) Flexible Work?
Donald Trump notoriously sends out his tweets early in the mornings and reports on sleeping for only 3-4 hours at night. Naturally, Trump is not the only one, as plenty of success stories about ‘short sleepers’ can be found. What is the message of these stories? Or, to put it differently, are these stories telling […]
Not Eager to Go on a Business Trip? How about Bleisure Travel?
What comes to your mind, when you think about business travel or business trips? If you are a novice in this, I assume you would feel excitement. Business travel may sound like a great opportunity to get out of your daily routine, visit new places, meet with new colleagues and do some sightseeing, all of […]
Startup Mindset
In today’s volatile global market, it is quite challenging to sit back and enjoy stability, as rapid changes are increasingly part and parcel of doing business and being flexible and agile is essential to keep up with the flow. For companies these ever-changing business conditions mean both risks and opportunities, in terms of moving operations […]
More Thoughts on Globalization
In January I wrote about the era of protectionism and populism, which we seem to have entered. As discussed, these trends seem to indicate a globalization backlash, voiced by Brexit and Trump supporters, who probably haven’t felt the benefits of a globalized market. As one Financial Times article puts it, the current socio-political climate is […]
The Era of Protectionism and Populism is Upon Us
As the left-leaning media keeps saying, ‘it has really happened’; last Friday Donald Trump was inaugurated as the 45th president of the United States. How does it feel? I believe the best word to describe the current state, both in the US and around the world, is uncertainty… it feels uncertain. First there was Brexit, […]
Leadership Talent: How to Spot It if It Is Hidden?
I haven’t written about talent for a while here, yet this is not an indication of reduced importance of the topic in any way. Indeed, the Talent Shortage Survey by ManpowerGroup indicates that in 2016 employers globally reported the highest talent shortage since 2007. Based on the survey data it seems that employers struggle foremost […]
New Year, New Outlooks, New Utopias?
So, here we are. It is the first week of the new year, the holidays have ended and everyone is slowly getting back to their busy working mode…after all several resolutions have been written down and new goals have been set, right?! J I am also settling back into my work routines, catching up with […]
My Christmas Wish List
As the year comes to an end, it is about time to make Christmas wishes. I will certainly make my personal ones, but I would also like to provide some on behalf of the world of global business and global mobility – topics I work on and write so much about. Looking back at the […]
Globalization, Robots and a Future Scenario
We all understand globalization as the free movement of goods, ideas and people. Buying Chinese products in European stores, working together with foreign colleagues, and taking an online-course from a physically distant university are all results of globalization. Richard Baldwin, a Geneva-based economist, sees all these results as a consequence of a series of waves […]
When Global Businesses Can Provide Global Hope
Last week I wrote about global warming and the importance of acting upon it. I also mentioned the U.S. president-elect Donald Trump, who throughout his campaign denied the issue and planned to withdraw the US from the Paris Agreement on a global climate deal. While Trump seems to be slightly pivoting on the matter, much […]
