Common Sense Advisory

Organizational governance in companies that cross international borders baffles many executives, especially when it comes to the very real issues of targeted or online marketing with a local flavor. Website globalization puts this issue front and center as firms market their brand and wares through their corporate URLs. Companies often ask us who should control the messaging, budget, technology infrastructure, and other key elements for this very visible channel of global communication and commerce. We address this critical issue in this report.

This report is the unexpurgated version of the corporate governance chapter from “Business Without Borders.” It posits the need for a corporate navigator for global business, a role the book labeled “chief globalization officer” (CGO). Alternate titles include vice president for new or international market development, vice president of international commerce, global business czar, or globalization strategist. Later this year we will revisit the question of corporate governance.

• Topic
  • Who Should Read This Report?
  • A Note from a Prototypical CGO in Training
• Analysis
  • Job Number One: Designate a Leader
    • Too Many Leaders or Not the Right One Can Derail International Plans
    • Globalization Needs a Champion
    • Successful CGOs Will Have a Patron
  • Organizing Your Company for Global Success
    • The CGO Solicits Input from Corporate, Regional, and Local Colleagues
    • Beware: This Local Information Might Be Unreliable
    • Build Trust through Service Level Agreements
  • Define Project Goals for Each Country and Application
  • Set Limits on Quantity of Experience – Living within a Budget
    • Study and Assess: What Content Should Be at Which Site?
    • Transform: Determine the Right Level of Adaptation for Each Market
    • Kaizen: Commit to Service Level Agreements
  • Kaizen: Commit to Service Level Agreements
  • Summary of Issues for Finding a CGO
  • Mira’s Log
• Figures
  • Figure 1: Profile of the Chief Globalization Officer
  • Figure 2: Models for Global Organization
  • Figure 3: One Size Doesn’t Fit All on the Global lnternet
  • Figure 4: Other Key Advisors Sit in the Business Units and Value Chain
  • Figure 5: Help Visitors in Target Markets Accomplish Key Tasks
  • Figure 6: The Content Basics for Entering a Consumer Market
  • Figure 7: Would You Buy This Laundry Detergent?
  • Figure 8: Globalization Means Full-Context Personalization
  • Figure 9: International Sites Require Frequent Synchronization with Home Base
• Tables
  • Table 1: Top-Level Job Description for the CGO
  • Table 2: Shortcomings with Typical Organizational Structures
  • Table 3: Strategy Advisor Titles and Functions 14
  • Table 4: Consumer-Facing Business Channels
  • Table 5: Sample Service Level Agreements by Market

Organizational governance in companies that cross international borders baffles many executives, especially when it comes to the very real issues of targeted or online marketing with a local flavor. Website globalization puts this issue front and center as firms market their brand and wares through their corporate URLs. Companies often ask us who should control the messaging, budget, technology infrastructure, and other key elements for this very visible channel of global communication and commerce. We address this critical issue in this report.

This report is the unexpurgated version of the corporate governance chapter from “Business Without Borders.” It posits the need for a corporate navigator for global business, a role the book labeled “chief globalization officer” (CGO). Alternate titles include vice president for new or international market development, vice president of international commerce, global business czar, or globalization strategist. Later this year we will revisit the question of corporate governance.

• Topic
  • Who Should Read This Report?
  • A Note from a Prototypical CGO in Training
• Analysis
  • Job Number One: Designate a Leader
    • Too Many Leaders or Not the Right One Can Derail International Plans
    • Globalization Needs a Champion
    • Successful CGOs Will Have a Patron
  • Organizing Your Company for Global Success
    • The CGO Solicits Input from Corporate, Regional, and Local Colleagues
    • Beware: This Local Information Might Be Unreliable
    • Build Trust through Service Level Agreements
  • Define Project Goals for Each Country and Application
  • Set Limits on Quantity of Experience – Living within a Budget
    • Study and Assess: What Content Should Be at Which Site?
    • Transform: Determine the Right Level of Adaptation for Each Market
    • Kaizen: Commit to Service Level Agreements
  • Kaizen: Commit to Service Level Agreements
  • Summary of Issues for Finding a CGO
  • Mira’s Log
• Figures
  • Figure 1: Profile of the Chief Globalization Officer
  • Figure 2: Models for Global Organization
  • Figure 3: One Size Doesn’t Fit All on the Global lnternet
  • Figure 4: Other Key Advisors Sit in the Business Units and Value Chain
  • Figure 5: Help Visitors in Target Markets Accomplish Key Tasks
  • Figure 6: The Content Basics for Entering a Consumer Market
  • Figure 7: Would You Buy This Laundry Detergent?
  • Figure 8: Globalization Means Full-Context Personalization
  • Figure 9: International Sites Require Frequent Synchronization with Home Base
• Tables
  • Table 1: Top-Level Job Description for the CGO
  • Table 2: Shortcomings with Typical Organizational Structures
  • Table 3: Strategy Advisor Titles and Functions 14
  • Table 4: Consumer-Facing Business Channels
  • Table 5: Sample Service Level Agreements by Market