Introduction

While some organizations have shrunk over the years, others have grown – through merger, acquisition or the absorption of formerly public sector operations – into global entities occupying hubs and centres across different countries and continents. Large multi-site global organizations, whether service-led or professional, face a unique set of challenges in managing their information and knowledge. They have significant knowledge requirements: they need to know about all the sectors in which they work, in all the territories in which they are based, and about all those which might offer opportunities for the business in the future, not to mention legal, regulatory, technological and political changes which might affect current or future activities. They need to know what everyone else in the organization is doing, what knowledge is being created and how they can re-use and exploit it. In today's informationhungry world, such organizations employ teams of knowledge and information experts: research analysts, intelligence specialists and knowledge managers to ensure that front-line staff can do their jobs effectively. Although the trend is now to employ only at the higher level of analytical work, with more basic searching and ‘transactional’ activity automated, outsourced or carried out by end-users, some organizations also manage offshore teams who remain part of the enterprise while operating in cheaper labour markets.

The author of this chapter has managed knowledge workers for a global consultancy for a number of years. In this chapter, he shares his advice on how to manage the challenges of providing information to a global organization. He covers both those concerned with keeping the information products relevant and well used, and the cultural, practical and human problems associated with teams dispersed around the world.

Successful global information functions

Careers in global markets, issue and policy analysis and knowledge management attract people with a wide variety of superb skills and aptitudes. And so they should. It is a privilege to watch the flow of data around the world, rewarding to see the impact of our distillation of it, and enriching to work with others who are trying to achieve the same goals. It is fun – and we want to carry on analysing or researching and be recognized for doing so successfully.