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Be global or be gone: Global mindset as a source of division in an international business community
Author(s) -
Goxe François,
Belhoste Nathalie
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
european management review
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.784
H-Index - 32
eISSN - 1740-4762
pISSN - 1740-4754
DOI - 10.1111/emre.12300
Subject(s) - mindset , public relations , doxa , internationalization , sociology , work (physics) , china , field (mathematics) , globalization , political science , business , epistemology , engineering , law , philosophy , mathematics , mechanical engineering , international trade , pure mathematics
Global mindset is usually considered as a positive skill or resource that helps individuals and companies succeed internationally. We argue that it is also a collective scheme of thought that brings some actors together and sets others apart. We investigate this perspective through a qualitative study of French MNC managers, internationalisation support providers, and SME owners and managers attempting to create or grow their business in China. We reveal that global mindset is a double‐edged concept: it is not solely an instrument for integration, but also a doxa, a particular viewpoint imposed to identify and reject outsiders through symbolic struggles. This alternative conceptualisation is necessary to rethink the social forces at work in the field of international business. It is also necessary to encourage educators and practitioners to acknowledge the struggles that result from the imposition of certain views and behaviours and to adapt education, support and training programs accordingly.