Managing Asia, a Changing Landscape

The Asia Pacific Region is too big to be managed by just one Regional Office.  Advances in technology, and its impact on both the convergence of consumers and talent trends has created the opportunity for managing  Asia as regions of North, North East and South Asia.

Three key forces today drive all aspects of the Region’s markets and businesses, and indeed on a global dimension: technology, the convergence of consumers and Talent trends

Technology has brought about the Convergence of Consumers, changing the marketing of goods and services exponentially.  Information captured from social media and other internet channels can enable advertising to be delivered to targeted groups of consumers and bring them together, resulting in far higher efficiency and effectiveness, and lowering cost.

Technology is also driving HR and Talent Trends.

Skype, emails, digital conferencing systems and similar tools have enabled easy communication among offices no matter the location.  Communication can be ‘virtual’ with real time video link, and productivity has increased through reducing dramatically the time and cost of air travel from times past.

As a result, Regional offices are now kept small, and young people do not see much career path working in them.  In multinational companies they may have more expatriates, but the local talent pool is small.  For bigger exposure and operational experience, young people would prefer the big and growing markets such as China.

In terms of the size of talent pool in Asia, China’s pool is big but not comparatively talented yet; Australia and India are both big and with better talents;

Korea is a ‘maybe’ for both size and talent.

It is a case of how to utilize the talent pool say from Australia and New Zealand, and indeed India to bridge the gap in the developing countries.  At the same token, the managerial level of local people in Asia usually has high achievement motivations.  They work hard, and technology is helping them on their career pathway.

The challenges of managing a fast-developing landscape such as Asia will continue.

The above were some thoughts shared by Boyd Williams, Regional Human Resources Director of Asia Pacific for Bacardi-Martini in a recent conversation with the Cornerstone International Group in Hong Kong.