Globalism, Culture, and Business Environment

As the international business environment becomes increasingly global and competitive, a manager’s job becomes more challenging and diverse. The recent trends of globalization and competition are attributed to several triggering factors such as technological development, new emerging and investment-friendly markets, and the availability of globally-scaled logistics. Companies increasingly seek a variety of growth options including cross-border mergers, joint ventures, direct investments, and strategic alliances. Similarly, markets are integrating via a variety of mechanisms ranging from a simple trade level integration (witness the growth of free trade agreements) to a more complex political unification, such as the European Union (EU).