The Blackwell Handbook of Global Management:

A Guide To Managing Complexity

by

Henry W. Lane, et al.,

Editors

Ten years ago, leading researchers called loudly and clearly for well-coordinated multiresearcher multinational projects. The calls cited two important benefits of such studies. They would allow us to explore the answers to international management questions, which require conducting research in multiple contexts at more or less the same time. They would also counter the cultural biases we all bring to our thinking and turn those biases into synergies. Since the 1990s several well-coordinated multi-researcher projects have been or are being conducted, and we are seeing the fruits of their labors. Some early examples include the GLOBE study on leadership and the event management study on decision-making. Another group of researchers have been experimenting for the last few years with an alternative model of coordinated research – a loosely-coupled research network. ION (International Organizations Network) was formed with a mission to increase the quality and impact of research on people and their effectiveness in international organizations. The network’s vision is to be a catalyst for the creation and application of knowledge and understanding that powerfully impacts how international organizations are managed. ION strives to initiate and facilitate high-quality research addressing management-related challenges of importance to global enterprises, such as motivation, leadership, teams, organizational structure, and human resource systems. ION also works to facilitate the translation of research findings into practical implications for organizations and educational material for innovative and effective teaching. In essence, we are scholars who care deeply about managers and executives who find themselves working in the global business environment.

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