GBI Reflection Paper

Posted: August 25th, 2021

Student’s Name

Instructor’s Name

Course

Date

GBI Reflection Paper

In the global business environment, companies and corporations from the USA have been dominating for a long time. In recent years, however, this trend has changed significantly following the advent of globalization. In our business tour to Estonia and Finland, we visited several companies. We found out that technology and transportare the major factors which have fueled business globalization in Europe. We also realized that business norms and practices between the USA and Europe differ considerably. From observation, it emerged that personal attributes and managerial competencies of the global managers explain the success of the companies we toured. From the trip, it is apparent that European companies are soon going to be the most dominant in the global business spheres. 

As outlined, technology and transport are the key dynamics underlying globalization of business. In Finland, a dramatic revolution in high-technology industries has been experienced. In Estonia, technology advancement, though not popular, has been a force to reckon. During our first day of the trip, we observed a sophisticated public service digitalization in Estonia. When we toured Finland on our fifth day of the trip, we came across companies with hi-tech facilities, for example, automatic entrance doors. It is not by chance that companies in both countries have grown and expanded tremendously. Technology is a key factor explaining this development. With regard to transport, which is a major driver of globalization, technology has revolutionized it. We toured Estonia in a public service bus. We used sea-route to Finland from Estonia. It is this kind of transportthat has facilitated the movement of factors of production within the countries and between them leading to the high growth of local and regional companies which we toured.

From the itinerary, we discovered several key differences in business norms and practices between the USA and Europe. The USA is home to millions of people from a variety of ethnic groups. In Finland, 93% of the population is made up of Fins while in Estonia, 69% are Estonians. This ethnic domination in both countries explains why we could hardly find a variety of goods and services, for example, meals, from non-European companies. In other words, cultural diversity in the USA accounts for the diverse business norms and practices unlike in Europe. One of the similarities in practices that we observed from our business trip is the culture of hospitality. In both the USA and Europe, visitors to companies are welcomed and treated with utmost respect. The noted diversity in culture of the USA explains the business practices and norms in the rest of the South American continent where people have different ethnic origins.

Personal attributes and managerial competencies mainly explain the success of global businesses. At the Port of Tallinn, Triin, who is the marketing specialist, briefed us about the company. Mr. Gabriele Aimone, though a busy business executive, found time to explain to us about Helsinki Game Capital. These executives demonstrated commendable hospitality attributes. By not assigning their juniors duties to take us around the companies, they portrayed leading by an example managerial competency. These are the key skills and aptitudes that are necessary for success as a global manager.

Our five-day business tour was exhaustive but we learned a few things we could not have learned if the trip never happened. Globalization mostly occurs as a result of transport and technology factors as it emerged from the tour. The underlying factors fuel business growth and development within and across borders. Differences in cultural diversity between the USA and Europe explain the divergences in business norms and practices. Hospitality and leading by an example are the key competencies we discovered as the most effective for global managers. In brief, the business trip was interesting and informative.