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24 - Optimizing Globalization through “Intelligent Swarming”

Suggested Activities for Training

from Part IV - New Interdisciplinary Approaches to Intercultural Training

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 September 2020

By
Gary Fontaine
Edited by
Dan Landis  and
Dharm P. S. Bhawuk
Dan Landis
Affiliation:
University of Hawaii, Hilo
Dharm P. S. Bhawuk
Affiliation:
University of Hawaii, Manoa
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Summary

This chapter proposes that globalization of multinational enterprises (MNEs) can be viewed as involving self-organizing swarms searching for optimal solutions to challenges presented by new and rapidly changing organizational ecologies. These challenges include developing innovative strategies for leadership, communication, training, management style, organizational design, and so forth. In this model, optimization most effectively occurs through evolutionary performance-based processes rather than more rational, analytic ones. This chapter applies recent theory and research on swarm intelligence to globalization, relates it to work on building microcultures in MNEs and suggests that the combination of these two processes can lead to more “intelligent swarming.” The latter involves a more detailed description of the past solution attempts of one’s own work team and those of other potentially comparable teams, including a fuller explication of key ecological characteristics, identification of potentially relevant comparison ecologies, and accurate evaluation of solution outcomes. It also involves better data storage and retrieval.Conditions which nurture intelligent swarming are discussed. Two training activities that have been used in a variety of organizational contexts and adaptable to enhancing intelligent swarming are described – “World Café” and “Smart Swarming.”

Keywords

globalizationmultinational enterprisesoptimizationwork teamsswarm intelligenceinternational microculturesintelligent swarmingintercultural training
Type
Chapter
Information
The Cambridge Handbook of Intercultural Training , pp. 680 - 700
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2020

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