Global Consumer Gives Small Companies a Big Reach

Rapid flows of information and trade require companies to respond quickly –and that has forced corporations of all sizes to create flexible, yet specialized versions for a range of markets around the globe, explains Samuel Palmisano, chairman and chief executive of IBM, in an opinion essay for the Financial Times. Because of technology, companies small in size are no longer limited to local markets. A fast-growing middle class seeks quality at low prices regardless of source. “This new species – the global small business – can tap into worldwide supply chains and global talent pools, with skills available any time, anywhere,” writes Palmisano. “They are able to adopt very new kinds of management systems – networked, real-time and highly collaborative.” Palmisano notes that few government mechanisms support the new global entrepreneur who will contribute both complexity and jobs to global markets. – YaleGlobal