This 460-page handbook provides an excellent overview of current research on globalization and the global management of organizations. A set of organizational processes and personal characteristics that can be used as a guide to help the global manager develop alternative paths, decide on the most appropriate path, and move along the chosen path making adjustments and changes when necessary is provided. The editors recognize from the beginning that there is no one best solution for any one organization or industry. This repertoire of processes and skills will help you when managing the complexity of global operations.

The 41 contributing writers are all recognized leaders in the field, widely published, and very experienced both in academia and industry. They are all members of the International Organizations Network (ION), a loosely coupled research network with the mission of increasing the quality and impact of research on people and their effectiveness in international organizations. They close the gap between research and practice. A total of 23 articles are organized under five topics.

• Understanding People and Context
  Discusses the dynamic complexity and cultural context of managing globally with processes through people. People and human processes are central to the book's approach. Culture, personality, and social dynamics must be understood in a global context.

• Global Competencies
  Examines essential traits, attitudes, orientations and skills required for effectively managing global operations including communication, creating and building trust, spanning boundaries, and building community through change and ethics.

• Leadership and Teaming
  Examines the interaction processes among individuals comprising global teams — designing and forming global teams, building effective global team processes, and management of performance.

• Executing Strategic Initiatives Globally
  Examines approaches to developing a set of relevant strategic initiatives. How to bring together context, individual competencies, leadership and teaming to execute strategy effectively. How to manage knowledge in global organizations.

• Special issues in Developing and Transitioning Economies
  A discussion of challenges specific to emerging and developing economies.

The collaborative effort of the 41 ION members effectively provides the reader with a cohesive discussion of this complex subject. A unique feature of the book is that each chapter builds sequentially on its predecessors, creating a seamless coherent process of efficiently managing global enterprises. Even so, the reader can start the book anywhere and progress through it in any order should they wish. Each section is linked to all the other sections conceptually. To facilitate this interdependency, a “map” of the handbook is provided.

This handbook is one of a series of Blackwell Handbooks that cover the sub-disciplines of the functional areas of management, providing a comprehensive and authoritative survey of the field.