| |
Introduction
Work and business processes
distributed across the globe characterize the twenty first century. While global
distribution of business organizations, and consequently work, have been with us
for quite some time, with the advent of modern computing, and bridging
technologies such as telecommunications and aviation, the trend towards global
distribution of work has gained considerable momentum.
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 of GDW includes offshore and near-shore IT
services, software and BPO work, global supply chains, globally distributed R&D
activities, global engineering and electronics research projects, technical and
financial research, medical, biotech, and pharmaceutical research, media and
entertainment industries, and globally distributed production and manufacturing
facilities. 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. Moreover, these globally distributed work activities span
relatively structured and concrete day-to-day operations to abstract, less
structured research and development.
Though lower costs and access to new markets were initial drivers for work
distribution, increasingly companies are realizing that access to global talent
pools, innovative and knowledge rich work cultures, and multicultural settings
provide vast new opportunities for growth and competitive advantage. However,
globally distributed work arrangements involving space, time, organizational,
infrastructure and cultural distances have posed significant problems in
adapting management practices that were developed primarily in the context of
co-located work. While some companies have been successful in evolving new
structures and patterns of working in a globally distributed work environment,
many others, through a perception of risks and problems, have been deterred or
frustrated in their attempts to do so.
As a concept-rich and potentially rewarding domain for empirical research and
theory building, Globally Distributed Work is attracting increasing academic
attention. However given the complexities of researching this topic, there is a
need to bring together researchers and practitioners from diverse domains of
interest to help develop frameworks for analysis and document best practices.
|
|
