One of the most significant dimensions in understanding                                                                                               
globalisation in management studies is the focus on the                                                                                               
culture continuum of universalism and particularism.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                                      
The universalist's stand on organisation and management is                                                                                            
that management and best practice can be transferred                                                                                                  
anywhere regardless of their cultural orientation.                                                                                                    
Ultimately, all cultures will form one gigantic                                                                                                       
international work culture, thus making cultural                                                                                                      
differences irrelevant.                                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                                      
On the other hand, the particularist respects diversity and                                                                                           
a plurality of ideas, views, technologies and institutions                                                                                            
based on the assumption that there are many distinct ways                                                                                             
to reach a goal. No one culture's way is better than any                                                                                              
other as different cultures have different heritages and                                                                                              
logics that can be equally valid and effective given                                                                                                  
different societal contexts.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                                      
While the debate on convergence/universalism and                                                                                                      
divergence/particularism continues to engulf our thoughts                                                                                             
and actions ' a tentative conclusion can be reached at two                                                                                            
levels:                                                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                                      
* THE macro level is more often associated with the                                                                                                   
structure and technology of the organisation, its tools and                                                                                           
services; and                                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                                      
* THE micro level looks at the uniqueness of behaviour of                                                                                             
people within organisation.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                                      
Perhaps the truth of the debate lies somewhere along a                                                                                                
continuum where any theory related to human behaviour must                                                                                            
be demonstrated to be "fit for use" in more than one single                                                                                           
cultural context if it is to be universally applied. The                                                                                              
more a theory receives cross-cultural confirmation, the                                                                                               
more closely it approximates universal generality.  While                                                                                             
organisations may have the same work structures and                                                                                                   
business goals, managers across cultures tend to interact                                                                                             
and implement managerial practices differently.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                                      
With the current emphasis on diversity management,                                                                                                    
particularly in global project teams, there is now a                                                                                                  
realisation that while the functions of management are                                                                                                
almost accepted as universal, the way in which the human                                                                                              
element performs and integrates these processes varies                                                                                                
enormously from society to society, from economy to                                                                                                   
economy, and from sector to sector.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                                      
In fact, management strategies and decisions are often a                                                                                              
reflection of the values of managers who themselves                                                                                                   
represent a particular mode of mental programming unique to                                                                                           
their culture of orientation.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                                      
For those who are involved in management studies, this                                                                                                
would mean that theories and concepts that are sensitive to                                                                                           
the different power differentials of many diverse groups in                                                                                           
the various global scenarios must be developed.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                                      
Different entities, such as nation states, multinational                                                                                              
corporations and the international organisations, have to                                                                                             
approach the global field with different resources (both                                                                                              
economic and cultural) and seek to set different agendas.                                                                                             
As a result, there is no longer a need to fit every nation                                                                                            
state on a development sequence derived from the experience                                                                                           
of the Western world of tradition, modernity and post                                                                                                 
modernity.                                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                                      
The value orientations of managerial thinking and behaviour                                                                                           
will now have to be identified and located within the                                                                                                 
context of the culture where development is to take place.                                                                                            
After all, a human phenomenon can only be accurately                                                                                                  
interpreted when there is an attempt to look for the hidden                                                                                           
and deeper patterns of thinking, feeling and acting in                                                                                                
which people do not readily recognise.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                                      
One of the consequences of this line of thinking is to                                                                                                
examine Malaysia's contribution to the field of management                                                                                            
studies and human resource development and then ask the                                                                                               
following questions:                                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                                      
* HOW do we describe our Malaysian management?                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                                      
* WHAT are the unique and distinctive features of managing                                                                                            
in Malaysia?                                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                                      
* CAN we talk about a recipe for success?                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                                      
* IS there a particular branding of managerial style that                                                                                             
is typically Malaysian?                                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                                      
* WHAT makes the Malaysian multicultural workplace unique?                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                                      
* WHAT do we need to make our organisations world class?                                                                                              
Who do we benchmark with?                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                                      
* HOW different are our Malaysian managers from their                                                                                                 
foreign (read Anglo Saxon and Japanese) counterparts?                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                                      
* WHAT are the values of managers at the Malaysian                                                                                                    
workplace?                                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                                      
* HOW are we responding to the forces of globalisation?                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                                      
Or are we a bit of this and that, like the rojak buah that                                                                                            
is a mixture of ingredients of various shapes, sizes and                                                                                              
tastes!                                                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                                      
Can Malaysian trainers and educators take pride and                                                                                                   
describe to others the Malaysian way of managing people? If                                                                                           
so, what would be the essential ingredients? Or do we still                                                                                           
refer to ideas and theories in managing people based on                                                                                               
foreign constructs to strengthen our efforts at                                                                                                       
organisational transformation, managing change, resolving                                                                                             
conflict, and delivering even customer service?                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                                      
How many of us still look to our counterparts in the West                                                                                             
to provide answers and recipes that seemingly have all the                                                                                            
magic potions? My hunch is that we have a long way to go to                                                                                           
remove the residual effects of colonialism, which resides                                                                                             
in many disguises and forms.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                                      
May the answers to the above questions draw us closer to                                                                                              
evolving our own version of cultural capital.  This would                                                                                             
require us to look at the values of our multicultural                                                                                                 
workforce as a "tool" to reinforce managerial actions while                                                                                           
liquidating its negative elements considered "traps" and                                                                                              
obstacles to greater efficiency.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                                      
It's time we surfaced and put on centre stage those                                                                                                   
particular, indigenous and culture specific management                                                                                                
practices that are equally effective and efficient in both                                                                                            
local and global settings.                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                                      
In the spirit of "Malaysia Boleh," we have to generate our                                                                                            
own unique, distinctive and innovative responses to the new                                                                                           
global work scenarios by capitalising on our inherent                                                                                                 
strengths, demonstrating a willingness to learn, reflecting                                                                                           
from our own experience, and accepting the fact that                                                                                                  
tension and conflict are inevitable in a context of                                                                                                   
globalisation.                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                                      
All the above have an important bearing on promoting                                                                                                  
particularism in management education for managers in                                                                                                 
non-western cultures.                                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                                      
Perhaps the time is now ripe for us to take the lead.