By Asma Abdullah                                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                                      
THE global village has shown us that those with more power                                                                                            
bases in terms of technology and human ingenuity are more                                                                                             
likely to set the direction and influence the values and lives                                                                                        
of others.                                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                                      
The more exposed we are to other cultures through media,                                                                                              
travel and business and accessible to those who are not like                                                                                          
us the more rigorous we should be in preserving and retaining                                                                                         
our revered values. Like they say, values are often reasserted                                                                                        
when they are under threat. The more global we become, the                                                                                            
more local we have to remain.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                                      
Globalisation and localisation are indeed complementary forces                                                                                        
as we can only become equal partners in the global arena when                                                                                         
we are able to set our own agenda and determine our direction                                                                                         
and pace to achieve our targets.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                                      
The forces of globalisation of culture and their impact on how                                                                                        
we work and do business locally and internationally are                                                                                               
factors which are beyond our control. The emphasis is now on                                                                                          
the effectiveness of business organisations to he able to                                                                                             
articulate the values of speed, flexibility, responsiveness,                                                                                          
integration and world class innovations in their work                                                                                                 
cultures.                                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                                      
Our future will be shaped not only by our actions.  but by the                                                                                        
world community specifically by countries which are more                                                                                              
advanced economically and technologically. After all, such was                                                                                        
the harsh reality under colonialism where we apply                                                                                                    
unquestioningly a number of social, political and?  economic                                                                                          
constructs which were based on ideas and concepts derived from                                                                                        
a foreign setting.                                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                                      
In preparing our workforce lo adjust to different work                                                                                                
cultures, the most important global prerequisite is for us to                                                                                         
recognise those assumptions and values from other cultures so                                                                                         
that we do not use our familiar set of assumptions to evaluate                                                                                        
them.                                                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                                      
The need to deal with differences at all levels in this                                                                                               
instance means we have to know that while "business                                                                                              
determinants" influence what is done by different parties,                                                                                       
"cultural determined influence how things are done "in the                                                                                  
customer's culture."                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                                      
As the boundaries of the world begin to shrink, cultural                                                                                              
literacy is becoming a valued human currency in doing business                                                                                        
with different groups across the globe. We are now expected to                                                                                        
deal with increasing diversity at our re spective workplaces                                                                                          
by embracing differing values, philosophics, attitudes, ideas                                                                                         
and feelings, as well as acquire a good understanding of the                                                                                          
deep seated values and basic motivational drives of the                                                                                               
different groups that constitute the workforce.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                                      
In responding to these challenges, two tasks lie ahead of us                                                                                          
regardless of where we are:                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                                      
Firstly, we have to be more aware of our own conscious and                                                                                            
unconscious aspects of our individual and collective                                                                                                  
programming which are hidden but have a strong influence in                                                                                           
the way we perceive, feel and evaluate the world around us.                                                                                           
The way we develop an appropriate line of action, solve                                                                                               
problems, make decisions, relate interpersonally, defile and                                                                                          
observe ethical behaveiour, deal with organisational pressures                                                                                        
and confront dilemmas are part of this unseen set of values                                                                                           
and assumptions.                                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                                      
By so doing, we will begin to develop a high regard for our                                                                                           
revered traditions of the past and harness them with visions                                                                                          
of the future. This is critical because we can only improve                                                                                           
when we are able to promote what we have and discard the                                                                                              
dysfunctional ele ments of our cultural values which are no                                                                                           
longer relevant for the global workplace.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                                      
Secondly, besides looking inwards we have to be willing to                                                                                            
look outwards in order to understand and accept the subtle                                                                                            
differences in other cultures.  To compete and relate with                                                                                            
diversity in this borderless world, Malaysians cannot afford                                                                                          
to have a tunnel vision and see only one side of the                                                                                                  
"elephant".                                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                                      
For management, people relat ed issues are becoming more                                                                                              
complex. They are not only expected to create an environment                                                                                          
where each employee is fully committed to apply the                                                                                                   
appropriate knowledge and skills to complete a task and                                                                                               
achieve results. They are now required to manage the total                                                                                            
"wholesome" person, particularly his "heart, mind and spirit"                                                                     
in relation to his work so that he will find what he does                                                                                             
daily is fulfilling and enriching.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                                      
Our personal values are also shaped by the prevailing national                                                                                        
and cultural values. For managers, their value systems are                                                                                            
influenced by their exposure to management theory, practice                                                                                           
and ideology, international practices and globalisation Of                                                                                            
business" as well as their experiences with the dominant                                                                                         
business culture in the country.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                                      
An understanding of the various forces of change ranging from                                                                                         
industrialisation, development, westernisation, globalisation                                                                                         
and the multicultural diversity of the Malaysian workforce are                                                                                        
important factors to be considered.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                                      
Towards this end, it is essential that managers and leaders                                                                                           
make a conscious effort to understand the value drives of                                                                                             
their workforce.                                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                                      
To globalise and become more responsive to external forces of                                                                                         
change, we have to be in touch with our core values of local                                                                                          
culture and the nuances of its context. In our attempts to                                                                                            
relate and work with other people, we have to be able to                                                                                              
articulate clearly the concepts we have invented as part of                                                                                           
growing up in Malaysia.                                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                                      
The saying, Kalau sepohon kayu banyak dan teguh akarnya apa                                                                                           
ditakutkan ribut (If a tree has many firm roots there is no                                                                                           
need to fear the storm), demonstrates that it is by                                                                                                   
understanding and anchoring ourselves in our own cultural core                                                                                        
that we can begin to function from a position of strength.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                                      
Our response to external forces of change must be one that                                                                                            
allows us to remain porous to ideas from all four corners of                                                                                          
the globe and yet strongly embedded in our own Akar, i.e.                                                                                             
globally appropriate and culturally relevant. When this is                                                                                            
achieved, we are indeed GLOCAL!