University of Phoenix

IBM Corporation: Rapid Changes and Globalization

By: Kimberly Wylie

Table of Contents

Abstract ... 3
Introduction: ... 4
Four Functions of Management: ... 5
How Rapid Change and Globalization has Affected Planning for IBM Managers: ... 5
How Rapid Change and Globalization has Affected Organizing for IBM Managers: ... 7
How Rapid Change and Globalization has Affected Leading for IBM Managers: ... 7
How Rapid Change and Globalization has Affected Controlling for IBM Managers: ... 8
Conclusion: ... 9
References ... 10

Abstract

Today’s business world is driven by technology. This technology has not only helped organizations become more efficient and effective, but it has also added two new challenges to the business arena. The first is the rapid speed in which industries change, thanks to technology. The second is the introduction of a truly global economy. This paper covers how these factors affect the four functions of management for IBM Corporation.

IBM Corporation: Rapid Changes and Globalization

Introduction:

Today’s business world is driven by technology. This technology has not only helped organizations become more efficient and effective, but it has also added two new challenges to the business arena. The first is the rapid speed in which industries change, thanks to technology. The second is the introduction of a truly global economy.
Technology now allows customers and businesses to interact instantly, despite geographic location. Many organizations have set up intranets allowing their customers and/or their suppliers to view internal data such as availability of an item, status of an order, and more. Thanks to the Internet, information can be shared between parties in a matter of seconds, replacing the postal service, or even the relatively slow overnight delivery service.

As mentioned, this all can occur despite geographic boundaries, thanks to technology. Globalization has occurred, plain and simple. Businesses now compete for customers not just with the competitor down the street, or even in the same country, but also with competitors located around the world. In addition to this opening of competition, technology has opened the world to global suppliers and global customers as well, creating a hyper-competitive environment in a variety of industries.

Even large, well-established companies, such as IBM Corporation, are feeling these pressures of rapid change and globalization. As such, management has been forced to adapt. These two factors have had a profound effect on all four functions of management.

Four Functions of Management:

There are four functions that define a managers job, no matter what industry he is in, or what organization he works for. To sum it up, to set and achieve organizational goals, a manager’s role is to perform: planning, organizing, leading, and controlling tasks. These tasks although separate, are interrelated. If a manager does not perform one or more of these functions, then he cannot efficiently and effectively perform the others. The rapidity of change in today’s world and globalization has affected how IBM managers perform all four of these functions.

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