1. IABC France
April 24, 2013
Karina R. Jensen, PhD
Managing Director, Global Minds Network
Professor, Reims Management School
Bridging Global with Local:
Strategies for Multicultural Collaboration

2. Senior managers responsible for cross-cultural teams in conceiving,
planning, and delivering new products for international markets.
Qualitative study with 120+ global project leaders at 38
MNCs with HQ in Europe, Asia, and North America
Across 3 continents and 12 countries
Source: Global Innovation and Collaboration Study, Dr. Karina Jensen, 2010-12

3. The Challenge
Customer
Personalization
International
Market
Expansion
Rapid Time
to Market
Global
Competition
Product /
Service
Innovation
R&D DESIGN GTM
Manager
Team
Organization
PRODUCT DEV
DISTRIBUTION
SERVICE
Suppliers Partners
Customers

4. Global or Local Strategy?
70% of study participants indicated that front-end activities are centralized.

5. Global Leadership Style
Ideation
Planning
Validation
Global Project
Management
Team
Performance

6. Knowledge-sharing Behaviors
Trust-
building
Cross-cultural
mindset
Open
communication
Act and deliver
on promises
Structure
– Team role and hierarchy
Power
– Knowledge and sharing
status
Openness
– Saving face and
communication style
Initiative
– Recognition and support
82% believe that national culture affects knowledge-sharing behaviors.

7. Communication Process & Tools
Have a social media platform
Social Network
No (60%)
Yes (40%)
Social networking practices
Type
Formal (39%)
Informal (34%)
Virtual (27%)
Preference for traditional networking despite increased access to social media.

8. Cross-cultural Team Issues
Understanding
& Support of
Global
Strategy
Interactive
Dialogue
Team
Participation
Trust-building
A majority (88%) listed culture as a predictive element in global team processes.

9. Cross-cultural Collaboration Mechanisms
Ideation
Planning
Validation
Go to
Market
Launch
Collaborative
Vision
Leadership &
Strategy
Cross-cultural
Collaboration
Collaborative
Space
Organizational
Culture & Climate
Collaborative
Dialogue
Knowledge-
sharing Structure
&
Communication
Process
Time to market Product Localization
Customer satisfaction Local sales results
© 2012-13 Global Minds Network

10. Global Leadership Style
Ideation
Empowering
Planning
Inclusive
Validation
Decisive
Global Project
Management
Communicative
Cross-cultural
Team
Performance

11. Local to Global Strategy
local market knowledge as competitive advantage
HQ
Global
Value
Creation
HQ
Global
Value
Creation
Sub 1 Asia
Role
Sub 1 Asia
Role
Sub 2 Asia
Role
Sub 2 Asia
Role
Sub 1
Europe
Role
Sub 1
Europe
Role
Sub 2
Europe
Role
Sub 2
Europe
Role
Sub 1
Americas
Role
Sub 1
Americas
Role
Sub 2
Americas
Role
Sub 2
Americas
Role
Sub 1
Africa/
Middle East
Role
Sub 1
Africa/
Middle East
Role
Local value
creation
Local value
creation

12. Global Innovation Culture & Climate
Cross-cultural
Global Teamwork &
Cultural Diversity
Creative
Global Ideation &
Innovative
Thinking
Collaborative
Transparency &
Knowledge-
sharing
Market
responsiveness
Entrepreneurial
initiative
Global team
transparency
Execution
efficiency

13. Knowledge-sharing and Learning
Global
Teams
Social
Networking
(+53%)
Knowledge-
sharing
(+67%)
Cross-
cultural
Learning
(+69%)
Effective
infrastructure
Interactive workflows
Collaborative tools
Live forums and
communities
Knowledge facilitator
Spontaneous
sharing

14. Effective Technologies
Live
Meetings
(25%)
Live
Meetings
(25%)
Web
Conference
(18%)
Web
Conference
(18%)
Web Portal
(14%)
Web Portal
(14%)
Email
(24%)
Email
(24%)
Day-to-day updates,
action items, status
Web portal for global
and local updates
Live interaction for
project start and
milestones
Web meetings for
weekly updates
Web 2.0 and Social Media tools represent 19% of active users:
Skype, wikis, texting, video conference and telepresence

15. Cross-cultural Collaboration Success
VISION
DIALOGUESPACE
Leadership &
Strategy
Organizational
Culture &
Climate
Knowledge-
sharing &
Communication
Process
Establish a common vision,
values, and language.
Develop a collaborative space
for transparent communication.
Create dynamic and
interactive conversations.
• Leader as knowledge facilitator
• Engage team members in process
• Initiate local to global planning
• Establish on site and virtual collaboration space
• Ensure time and place for ideation
• Create transparency for project collaboration
• Listen and respond to local market voices
• Allow time for preparation and reflection
• Promote frequent interactions, live and virtual
• Understand and promote culturally diverse views
© 2012-13 Global Minds Network

16. “Le véritable voyage de découverte ne consiste pas
à chercher de nouveaux paysages, mais à avoir de
nouveaux yeux.”
-- Marcel Proust
Questions? Contact:
Karina Jensen, PhD
Global Minds Network
Paris: +33 (0)6 32 32 04 84
San Francisco: +1 (650) 223 3334
Email: karina@globalmindsnetwork.com
Web: www.globalmindsnetwork.com