The CEO of a chemical manufacturer watched the morning business news report with growing concern. Another rival had just announced plans to sell its product line in China. It seemed like most of the industry had either already moved into the Asian market or was actively planning to do so. The shareholders had seemed satisfied with the company's focus on domestic market share, but this latest news was sure to raise questions regarding the company's international strategy.
On one level, the idea of moving into the global market was very appealing. The product line would sell well overseas and the step would greatly expand the potential customer base. However, the more the CEO thought about it, the more obvious it became how ill prepared they were to act on the concept. While the company had a full array of experts in the basic business disciplines, all their experience was rooted in domestic careers.
Driving to the office, the CEO was mulling all of the factors involved in such an undertaking. Besides regional politics and cultural differences, they would also face challenges in international finance, law and hiring practices. The company's vendors, with their global operations, would be a valuable resource. But how much of the executive staff's proficiencies would be transferable? Could they learn new skills fast enough to interact with the vendors and other outside experts? How could the company maintain its current level of operations while building up the international expertise of its executives and addressing the immediate strategic needs of preparing for a China launch of its product line?
As global business patterns continue to evolve and companies expand into new markets and product lines, many organizations find themselves facing the need to educate their management teams in areas where they have little or no experience. The use of Action Learning Projects may present the best solution. An Action Learning Project can be defined as a developmental exercise in which a group of persons, under guidance, work together on a topic which is outside their functional expertise in order to achieve an objective based on a current unresolved need of the company.