The Pros and Cons of Working for a Global Company
Posted in August 18th, 2008 by Wandrianne DiasThe idea for this blog post occurred to me when I was accessing the recently created milengo intranet. milengo Inc. is a company formed by Ccaps and 15 other partner companies worldwide. The goal of the intranet is to allow the people who are part of the milengo family to be at the same place, at least in the virtual space.
The idea behind the company is rather interesting: “milengo is an alliance of leading localization companies situated in the most important global IT markets.” Each member brings in a great deal of experience to the group and follows both a unified and proven quality-assurance methodology and a centralized project management system.
It is clear that, despite the uniform methodology of this “single” company, it is actually comprised of 16 different companies, with their own particular structure and working habits. How then can these “branches” embrace milengo’s identity and work as one company?
Bearing this in mind, I created the following list:
Cons
Different Metrics – Because each language has its own particularities, sometimes it is hard to have a single metric for all languages offered by milengo, making it more difficult for the GPM to elaborate quotes.
Working Methodology – Each company has their working methods established, and these are often different from the unified methodology of the corporation.
Cultural Differences – Since the 16 companies are located throughout Asia, the Americas and Europe, we are in the middle of a genuine Babel Tower.
Long Distance Relationships – Personal contacts are invariably done in the virtual space, contributing for potentially superficial relationships.
Pros
Response Time – despite the variety of time zones involved in the process, the response time of a global company is undoubtedly shorter, when compared to that of independent companies.
Working Methodology – These various methods are acknowledged and often times incorporated into milengo’s unified methodology
Cultural Differences – As GPMs, we have to work exclusively with the partners, which allows us to learn how to deal with such differences and benefit the most from them.
Long Distance Relationships – The impossibility of communicating live with your colleagues is rather challenging, yet when properly conducted can result in long lasting friendships.
Apparently, the pros have been more powerful than the cons as milengo is gaining momentum by the day and has helped me grow both as person and a professional.
Related posts:
