Convergence confusion

Page 384 discusses forces of convergence and expansion of Western influence throughout the globe. One interesting case experienced as an IBM employee was that of working with our India contingent. Traditional IBM employee structure is based on band levels (i.e. 6, 7, 8). It is not uncommon for someone to remain as a band 8 for quite a while as there is considerable range in pay scale. As long as the pay keeps going up, the band level is often regarded as relatively insignificant.

In pushing much of our "Western" corporate culture to India, many ideals transferred and were accepted well. The band system was not. Looking into the situation, IBM found that for many Indian employees, a promotion of increased band level weighed more heavily than the monetary increases. As a result, our India IBM outsourcing locations adopted a different band scale (i.e. 6a, 6b, 6c). After implementation, worker satisfaction increased.

Even with a sense of heightened global awareness, we must still remain vigilant to learn more about our domestic and foreign counterparts.