“Don’t bite the hand that feeds you.” This is a common phrase used as a warning to those who are tempted to allow greed to lead them across a line that will eventually kill them. Unknowingly, this is what many organizations do on a daily basis. They travel a path seeking profits at all costs, leaving little to no room for a conscience guiding their global responsibilities. Organizations can no longer operate as though they live in a bubble, isolated from effecting the world around them. The global village is growing smaller all the time and eventually, those who do not act as though they are responsible in the village will find themselves shut out of the village and their profits drying up.
To be a globally responsible organization requires work across cultures with different value systems and across nations with different legal systems, political priorities, social issues, and languages (Van Velsor et al., 2010). The are intentional about their approach to addressing financial, social, and environmental issues while reaching beyond making a profit and looking to benefit society, limit their environmental footprint, and provide leadership in global challenges (Van Velsor et al., 2010).
Though being globally responsible is important for companies with a desire to be successful in the global village, there is still a need for them to focus on their primary service or product and the purpose for which they exist. Organizations cannot focus on their global responsibilities too much, or they will fail to exist as the company they are designed to be. So, it is important to find a balance.
This can be done through using their marketing efforts for product and service promotion while bringing awareness to their global efforts. By bringing awareness, they build positive public perspective, which can lead to increased profits.
References
Van Velsor, E., McCauley, C. D., Ruderman, M. N., & Center for Creative Leadership (Eds.). (2010). The Center for Creative Leadership handbook of leadership development (3rd ed). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
