Giving IT staff the opportunity to think more broadly about their applications and solve international business problems has created a . . . But at the end of the day, it all comes down to people. In a global merger, Kinder says, it's important to develop a common understanding of objectives and create a new standard for all teams. So get together and come up with joint standards for quality and professionalism. One example of this is the way technical documentation is developed.
Some cultures use memos and e-mails as a formal means of communication.
God forbid you don't read the e-mails. Other cultures, like America, are much more verbal. The first step, taken last year, was to visit Hong Kong to meet with Chinese employees about expansion into that market. This can cause a gap in communication that makes it essential to find a Chinese national to help create a productive working environment. Communicating across nations and time zones is another challenge of going global, says Baney.