Globally Distributed Work (GDW) is an emerging area of modern business practice addressing management of work distributed geographically across nations, economies and cultures. The concept includes offshore and near-shore IT Services, software, and BPO work, distributed R&D activities, medical and pharmaceutical research, technical and financial research, and distributed production and manufacturing facilities. Moreover, it includes both outsourced work as well as work distributed to and conducted at MNC-owned or partnered companies and work-units at various sites around the globe.

The Globally Distributed Work Research Consortium is a group of forward thinking universities and companies working collaboratively towards advancing the state of knowledge and practice in the Management of Globally Distributed Work. The collaboration brings together universities and companies from across the world.

The objective of the collaboration is to conduct, collect, and disseminate world-class research on Globally Distributed Work (GDW) and globally distributed R & D. A related purpose is to understand, analyze, and share best practices in managing GDW that have been developed over time and are being currently being used by firms across the globe. The third purpose of the research collaboration is to identify current gaps in knowledge about the management of GDW and research on development of ideas that could help bridge these gaps. Educational programs at the doctoral, MBA levels as well as executive education programs on management of Globally Distributed Work will be offered collaboratively by the participating Institutions