Let’s Get “Lobal” Trending
Scaling Down and Inverting the Concept of “Glocal”
“It’s just a matter of semantics.”
We’ve all heard this before. We all may even have blabbed this out ourselves in a quick attempt to settle a dispute. It always boils down to the same issue — you say something you believe you mean, but the receiver does not believe you mean what you said. Semantics, by definition, is “the branch of linguistics and logic concerned with meaning.” Certain words can be attached to multiple meanings, which could be confusing to interpret if not specified. Thus, it is important to choose your words wisely, or better yet, create new ones for extra clarification.
I recently read an article titled “ ‘Glocalization’ of Business Activities: a ‘Glocal Strategy’ Approach” by Göran Svensson. The article stresses the importance of defining business concepts and approaches in certain contexts in order to avoid ambiguity. Svensson discusses the issue with using the term “Global Strategy” because its definition is often argued among scholars.
Svensson describes a “Global Strategy” as a company’s business strategy that is integrated worldwide. The issue here is that one strategy is not always the best tactic to succeed globally. Imagine trying to fit different shaped geometric blocks into a circular shaped frame — they just don’t fit.
Every country has its own culture and values. Therefore, it’s important for a business to adapt their “Global Strategy” to the needs of the local market in each country. This adjustment essentially creates a new strategy, which according to Svensson requires a new name as to not be confused with the existing term, “Global Strategy.” The alternative term “Glocal Strategy” is introduced to best describe this.
“The glocal strategy approach [also] recognizes that there has to be a balance and harmony between the standardization versus the adaptation, and the homogenization versus the tailoring, of business activities.”
— Göran Svensson, “ ‘Glocalization’ of Business Activities: a ‘Glocal Strategy’ Approach”
Although these terms may be buzz words commonly thrown around today, this outlook on business strategy is certainly not new. Companies such as Coca Cola and McDonald’s have been doing this successfully for years. Both companies have transformed their iconic brands to fit the needs of global markets, while still remaining true to who they are.
Take McDonald’s for example. Their menu items all have the same “McDonald’s DNA” worldwide, but you’ll find that in each country their menu has been given a twist in respect to that country’s food culture. So in Canada you’ll find “Poutine” on the menu, whereas in Japan you’ll find a “Teriyaki Mac Burger,” and in Hungary you’ll find a “Tzatziki McWrap.” The key here to winning globally is having a “Glocal Strategy” that truly understands and empathizes with the customer.
Although this concept has been coined the term “Glocal Strategy,” its meaning can be applied on a much smaller and local scale. Days away from graduating from the SDM master’s program at The New School for Design, I can undoubtedly say that the most invaluable experience has been having the opportunity to be among such a diverse group of peers. Although the school is located in New York, which happens to be my home state, I fall in the minority in terms of local students v. global students since the majority of students are from countries all over the world.
The most wonderful thing about collaborating with a diverse group of people is the extreme differences of background knowledge and experiences each person brings to the table. Similarly to the idea of a “Glocal strategy,” it’s important to highlight our differences when striving toward the same goal, rather than forcing a “Global Strategy” approach, which Svensson refers to as a “managerial utopia.”
However, one of the challenges is making sure that you’re all on the same page throughout the process of reaching your team’s goal. Back to my earlier point about “semantics,” it is crucial that what’s being communicated is understood and approved by all parties involved. It’s easy to fall into the trap of assuming everyone is in agreement, but it’s crucial to remember that people with diverse backgrounds may tie different meanings to different words. This also means that it is even more crucial to be mindful and respectful when communicating in order avoid unintentional statements. So, although the project should consist of diverse components, the overall meaning as a whole must be unified.
Introducing a “Lobal Strategy”
Having multiple “global” perspectives in a “local” setting got me thinking that this methodology should have its own term, as well. Why not call it a “Lobal Strategy”?
After all, it is essentially inverting the idea of a “Glocal Strategy.” Unlike a “Glocal Strategy,” which transforms one local strategy into many global strategies, a “Lobal Strategy” alters many global strategies by meshing diverse values and strengths into one local strategy (see diagram below).
Diversity is something that should be celebrated. And trust me, I’m well aware that what I’m proposing is certainly not breaking the mold as we all know this concept has been adopted and applied for years. But, it’s important for businesses everywhere to be reminded of it. By adapting this strategy locally, businesses can capitalize on the greatest potential employees have to offer. Leveraging the strengths of a diverse group can ultimately yield more successful outcomes. So to businesses everywhere — it’s time to unleash the possibilities and get “Lobal” trending.
