Going Global: Lessons from Late Movers

In his autobiography, former South African president Nelson Mandela recalls his dismay when he boarded an airplane and found that the pilot was African. With shock, he realized his reaction was exactly what he had been fighting against all his life. Mandela was discussing racism, but the same involuntary reactions surface in commerce. Consider labels such as “Made in Brazil” and “Made in Thailand.” Someday they may be symbols of high quality and value, but today many consumers expect products from those countries to be inferior. Unfortunately, that perception is often shared by managers of the local companies that are striving to become global players.