Our world is morphing from a collection of countries to global citizenship. The best proof of that is a close look at industry. Business is stretching itself to reach customers and clients all over the planet. People no longer can be isolationists when they are driving cars made in Sweden, eating seafood harvested in China and drinking beverages bottled in the United States of America. A banking boggle in the UK affects the Tokyo stock market. It is the old “ripple theory” applied to commerce.
This globalization of population and industry brings demands for improved communications systems, cultural marketing knowledge and other considerations, some of which did not exist fifteen years ago. Fifteen is the magic number because data just emerged from Menlo Park detailing questions posed to business leaders about where they saw industry in fifteen years. One thousand business leaders and office workers were surveyed. They answered, almost in unison, that the future of industry lies not in general business professionals, but in specialization. That means because the issues are new, new jobs must be created to meet the challenges.
One of the new positions mentioned in the survey is “Resource Coordinator.” This person would operate like an HR manager, but would have to assemble talent with an understanding of culture and climate to address the needs of corporate offices on a world-wide scale. Another position created to handle remote offices is the “Workforce Controller” who would assess and anticipate needs of remote offices and make sure they had the resources and support they needed. “Knowledge Managers” would assure that all arms of the company operated with the same principles and policies. Perhaps the most noted new position is that of “Telecommunications Manager.” That professional would be charged with building a business information network that is both efficient for the needs of the corporation and secure.
The development of these jobs within the business field depends upon diversified education. Business needs to upgrade the educations of current corporate professionals and produce new graduates with these special skills. Degrees like the online MBA offered at Washington State University allow working professionals to complete a master’s degree on their own schedules. Programs must offer diverse and current information. Modeling after examples like the WSU degree, they must give graduates business fundamentals and special skill sets that will carry them into the future, fifteen years from now and beyond.