I recently wrote an Executive Briefings article (at https://www.clomedia.com/executive-briefings/2008/March/2122/index.php) about the dynamics at play in emerging markets. One challenge unique to these countries is the lack of employees who are ready to take on leadership roles.
A solution to this issue is learning, something IBM has already realized. Through a new initiative called the Corporate Service Corps, 100 employees will travel to these emerging markets to cultivate leadership skills and help address socio-economic challenges. The teams will be sent to Romania, Turkey, Vietnam, the Philippines, Ghana and Tanzania. Not only will the project help develop business leaders in these countries, but the participants will return with a thorough knowledge of emerging markets and the challenges that they face.!@! To read more about this program, visit http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/marketwire/0379674.htm.
This initiative is important in that global companies struggling to develop leaders in these markets start to think creatively about how to do so. We need to start seriously considering answers to questions like: How can we manage turnover and develop leaders in emerging countries? If it’s through learning, who should be in charge of that learning and how can we prepare them to overcome challenges that they may face?
As always, we welcome your feedback in the Comments section below.
