BizEd

JulyAugust2003

Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/62203

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 5 of 67

From Editors the In the 'Zone' Making a phone call from the U.S. to France, Namibia, or Singapore is not a matter of simply picking up the phone. It takes planning. After all, when my workday begins, that of the French is about to come to a close. It's already evening in Namibia. And in Singapore? Well, it's already tomorrow. As the scope of articles for BizEd grows more international, I've found that my visits to a certain Web site, www.worldtimezone.com, have become more fre- quent. At this site, I can coordinate my own time (Central Standard Time) with any other to make sure I reach the person I'm calling. With one click, I can bring up a world map that shows me where the sun is shining and where it has already set. With another, I can see which countries are in daylight-saving time. I've learned the proper military designations for time zones, from "Alpha" to "Zulu," and that the abbreviation for Hong Kong's time zone is HKT. Such knowledge might seem esoteric, but it's truly symbolic of the age in which we live. Everyone in business is moving at different speeds, at different times, in different directions. As a result, it has become important for executives to have a larger frame of reference than their own. To work with diverse groups of people, they need a cultural and ideological context for others, whether they're in different time zones or simply have a different way of looking at the world. In this issue, we've delved into ways businesses Curriculum" explores how business schools are using creative exercises to help students broaden their perspectives in the corporate arena. And in "Putting People First," Enterprise CEO Andy Taylor discusses how international expansion is not possible without putting together a global workforce of committed employees. Navigating time zones is just one small part of this new age of business. But and business schools are expanding their own frames of reference to accommodate new employees and new ways of thinking. The article "The Creative the fact that my favorite time zone Web site boasts more than 1 million visitors a month demonstrates that people are becoming more curious and aware of how others experience the world. And, some might say, it's about time. ■ z 4 BizEd JULY/AUGUST 2003 BILL BASCOM

Articles in this issue

Archives of this issue

view archives of BizEd - JulyAugust2003