Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/124472
technology Tools of the Trade App Conquers Time Zone Hassles Even though geographically distributed teamwork has become a mainstay at many businesses and business schools, it's not always easy to manage. Different time zones, national holidays, and even weekend structures can turn scheduling a conference call into a higher math problem. Michael Segalla, a professor of management at HEC Paris in France, conducts research that specifically examines this challenge, including the effect of time differences and holidays on business. He has found, for example, that the workday in New York City is the worst when it comes to synchronizing with schedules in other parts of the world. (The best? Lunch time in Mumbai, India.) In addition, Segalla notes that there are only 78 business days in the calendar year that do not coincide with a national holiday in at least one country in the world. Segalla's research inspired CWT 78 BizDays, a mobile app he created in partnership with Carlson Wagonlit Travel to help users determine the best times for calls, conferences, and meetings. After a user enters the email address and city of each participant, the app takes into account national holidays, time zones, and weekends in each participant's location and calculates the overlapping times. The app organizes the times into three types: "green" times are the most convenient for everyone, "yellow" times are less convenient, and "red" times are the least convenient. After the user chooses the best time, the app sends email notifications to the participants, who can accept or reject the time slot if it doesn't suit their schedules. Segalla says the app has helped him collaborate with research partners who live in China, Hong Kong, Hawaii, Boston, and Paris. Other tools, like Google Calendar, work, but only if everyone is using Google Apps, he points out. "I have tried to share a calendar with colleagues in the past, but have never actually succeeded," he says. "People have to go through too many steps, and some just give up." The app also includes information about different countries, such as airport codes, currency names and exchange rates, economic information, calling codes, and explanations and backgrounds for different national holidays. Some of Segalla's MBA students have used the app in their work groups to familiarize themselves with the cultures of different countries. The app also could help travelers avoid frustration once they reach their destinations. "I often hear stories from travelers who arrived at a city only to find that everything was closed due to a local holiday," he says. "Our plans are to keep adding more information to the app—from the location of business district hotels to the cost of a taxi ride from the airport." The free app is available for Apple iOS devices from the iTunes store or at www.cwt78bizdays.com. To read Segalla's article that inspired the app's creation, visit hbr.org/2010/10/vision-statementwhy-mumbai-at-1-pm-is-the-center-of-the-business-world/ar/1. TOOL FOR GLOBAL ED Indiana University's Kelley School of Business in Bloomington has adopted GlobeSmart, a Web-based tool created by Aperian Global, to provide students with information and guidance on the business practices, cultural norms, and travel considerations for more than 65 countries. GlobeSmart Assessment Profile also allows students to compare their personal work styles with the average work profiles of other cultures. Available to all students at the university, GlobeSmart is part of Global Foundations Core, a mandatory course for Kelley undergraduates. To learn about GlobeSmart, visit corp.aperian global.com/globesmartn. BizEd May/June 2013 63