Management convergence

Citation

Reve, T. (2006), "Management convergence", Baltic Journal of Management, Vol. 1 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/bjm.2006.29501baa.001

Management convergence

Management convergence

In the world of international business, management practices are converging. Business schools and management consultants teach the same management theories and train the same management practices around the world. Young MBAs become the new change agents.

Anyone who has done business across international borders knows that significant cultural differences remain. The hierarchical organizations of German corporations differ from the flat organizations of Scandinavian firms. Asian employees have different expectations of seniority and executive authority than do young executives working in Europe or the USA. The role of boards of directors differs between Europe and the USA. Most significantly, institutions, norms and regulations vary significantly from country to country. Let us take the role of religion and management. This is an issue that has largely been ignored by management scholars. There is no doubt that religions, ideologies and belief systems impact on management. Anyone who has done business in the Middle East could attest to that.

The field of management, both as a science and as a field of practice, needs to explore the forces of management convergence versus the forces of management differentiation. I am not talking about international management or international business as a discipline separate from the broader field of management. All management today is international management. Even Chinese firms operating in their large home market must relate to internationalization. In fact, Chinese industry has already become the manufacturing hub of the world.

What would be the best base for publishing an international journal of management research dealing with issues of management convergence and management differentiation? I would say the Baltic countries. The Baltic countries are right at the bridgehead of management convergence and management differentiation in Europe. The modern Baltic economies have their major focus on the competitive EU markets, but they also know how to work in Eastern European markets with more centralized structures. This duality gives Baltic companies a competitive advantage, making them competitive both going west and going east.

I like the slogan of Bled School of Management in Slovenia: “Take the best from the West, and leave the rest.” As a program statement it could easily be transformed and used for the Baltic Journal of Management – “Take the best from the East and West and leave the rest”. The Baltic region is just at the crossroad of management convergence and management differentiation in Europe. But there is no need to limit the academic focus of the journal to Baltic or European management. The Baltic countries could easily become the breeding grounds for new and innovative forms of management, combining the best of Central European management thinking with contemporary Anglo-American management thinking. I would caution against simply adopting management theories and management practices from the USA. The convergent management theories and management practices are more likely to appear in smaller countries that are at the nexus of different streams of management thoughts and practices, like the Baltic countries, Slovenia, Scandinavia or Singapore.

In order to live up to this position as a breeding ground for converging management theories and practices, we need a flow of high quality manuscripts, not compromising on any of the scientific quality standards. The Baltic Journal of Management does not simply publish management research from the three Baltic countries, and the journal does not intend to promote a new brand of management, called Baltic management. The journal wants to be open for the new thoughts and the new convergent practices of management, as firms have to operate under a multitude of cultural and institutional influences. These new thoughts and practices have to be captured by highly capable management researchers who want to make a difference in management and organizational research, not simply reconfirming what we already know.

I see the Baltic regions broadly defined, as a test ground for innovative thinking and new management practices. The region should become so strong in management research that it attracts leading management scholars from around the world. That is why we invite the same top scholars to start publishing in the Baltic Journal of Management.

Many people would say: we do not need another journal of management. There are too many already. I strongly disagree. We need journals that will advance the field of management, not simply broadening it. Baltic Journal of Management has such an ambition. It is up to international management scholars to submit original quality manuscripts to reach this objective. In particular, I would like to challenge the young management researchers of the Baltic countries to be active contributors to the journal. The Baltic research community needs such an international outlet, but they do not own the journal. Any research published in the Baltic Journal of Management should be subject to the same high quality standards that are common in other refereed scientific journals.

I would like to thank the Publisher Emerald for making this new research journal possible, and I would also like to thank the Baltic Management Development Association for bringing the idea of an international journal into reality. Finally, I would like to thank all the academic colleagues who have agreed to be on the Editorial Review Board of the journal. Without all of you this journal could never have been published.

Torger Reve