Management

Delhi Business Review ? Vol. 1, No. 1, Jan.2000

COPING WITH CHANGE AND GLOBALISATION

A STUDY OF MANAGERIAL PERCEPTIONS IN MAURITIUS

Anita Ramgutty-Wong & Dharam Gokhool

T

HE study reported here was undertaken within a sample of sixty-six organisations, representing a cross-section of economic activity on the island. Its orientation was managerial. No study as yet has demonstrated the status of Mauritian businesspersons’ perception and understanding of Globalisation issues. A recent survey on strategic alliances conducted by Deloitte & Touche and the University of South Africa, SA, showed that managers perceived such factors as knowledge of the local market, technological skills, direct involvement of top management, and the ability to determine financial and political risk, had contributed to their successes in the context of Globalisation. In a Global Village, many economic concerns converge even if each nation retains its specificity, be it economic, social, political or cultural. What are the issues for businesses in newly-industrialising countries like Mauritius? Globalisation is much more than international expansion - it requires organisational development that fosters worldwide standards combined with local thinking and action. For instance, Regionalisation, a current ‘hot’ issue for Mauritius, is an important step toward Globalisation. Enabling managers to make decisions regionally brings the benefits of fast action and tailoring to local needs. However, it can be difficult to manage unless corporate thinking has been instilled into local decision-making. Another important issue is that while Globalisation means flows between societies, it also means flows within societies which are culturally plural. Mauritius, with or without Globalisation is culturally diverse, and this is increasingly the trend in most industrialised countries as well. Although Globalisation is widely regarded as a development of primary and fundamental importance in...