"The reality of thinking and being global in mind-set should be a no-brainer for all of us. But for those who believe that such is not the case, Professors Govindarajan and Gupta have put to rest any romantic or unrealistic views that we can sit back and bask in our prosperity. So it's back to work on figuring out how to win globally, not locally or nationally, that will get you in the Hall of Fame for Business Leaders worldwide. You will find yourself referring often to
The Quest for Global Dominance as you chart your course forward."
— William F. Achtmeyer, president and chief executive officer, The Parthenon Group
"A must-read for executives who expect to harness the accelerating trend of globalization. Vijay and Anil make a compelling case for an accelerating rate of change based on broad-based support for free trade, the increased economic power of developing nations, and the pervasive impact of enabling technology."
— Alexander M. Cutler, chairman and chief executive officer, Eaton Corporation
"This book is not only visionary but very practical in thinking about globalization. It makes a compelling case for why globalization has to be at the very forefront of your plan to build a foundation for a lasting business."
— Desh Deshpande, chairman, Sycamore Networks
"In an interconnected global economy, every company-technology companies in particular-must look at the entire world as the playing field. Vijay Govindarajan and Anil K. Gupta have done an excellent job of unpacking what companies must do in order to emerge as the undisputed leaders in serving their customers worldwide, effectively and efficiently. This well-written book is a must-read for anybody charged with leading the globalization of his or her company."
— Robert W. Galvin, chairman of the executive committee of the board, Motorola
"Rich with up-to-date examples but also built on rigorous research, this book is a must for executives who are intent on going global."
— Donald C. Hambrick, Samuel Bronfman Professor of Democratic Business Enterprise, Columbia University
"The Quest for Global Dominance is an excellent review of the increasing need for global focus and the opportunities and challenges that face companies that globalize. It is a book of great value for managers who are facing globalization, but it can also serve as a checklist and reminder for managers already experienced in this important field."
— Jukka H?rm?l?, chief executive officer, Stora Enso
"The Quest for Global Dominance should be must-reading for CEOs and would-be CEOs in all industries, whether or not they realize that they are-or are about to be-global players. Professors Govindarajan and Gupta make a powerful case for the inevitability of globalization, and they give the senior executive a practical road map for making the most of the opportunities it presents, while avoiding some of the pitfalls."
— Frank C. Herringer, chairman of the board, Transamerica Corporation
"This book provides fundamental inputs for managers who are leading modern global corporations in the new age of information technology, networks, and e-business. Above all, I am impressed with the focus on building a global knowledge ecology within these modern corporations. Globality truly becomes relevant and meaningful when seen in the light of knowledge development, taking us from learning within smaller individual 'silos' or 'kingdoms' to learning and knowledge accumulation in a global context. Overall, this is a great book and a must for the modern leader of the global firm."
— Peter Lorange, president, International Institute for Management Development, Lausanne, Switzerland
"Contained between the covers of The Quest for Global Dominance is an exciting, challenging, and provocative assimilation of business values, beliefs, and accomplishments derived from a contemporary analysis of successful global business experiences. Govindarajan and Gupta have tied together in one high-energy, fast-moving document the concepts of globalization, diversity, and convergence into a coherent global business model facilitated by the real-time attributes of electronic knowledge and commerce. The world will not become smaller; rather we will learn to embrace it more effectively and efficiently through The Quest for Global Dominance."
— Richard Matzke, vice chairman of the board, Chevron Corporation
"The velocity of change in the global arena has significantly accelerated. The Quest for Global Dominance provides the strategic imperatives to succeed in a global business."
— John Menzer, president and chief executive officer, Wal-Mart International
"Globalization is undoubtedly a key imperative for business leaders the world over. Professors Gupta and Govindarajan bring rich experience, a keen eye for detail, and strong conceptual abilities to their investigation of this phenomenon. The Quest for Global Dominance not only presents incisive and in-depth analysis but also inspires real-world, implementable solutions to the challenges faced by practitioners of management in today's global village."
— N. R. Narayana Murthy, chairman and chief executive officer, Infosys Technologies Limited
"The Quest for Global Dominance presents the impact which globalization is having on countries, companies, and leaders in a fresh and superbly documented way. Above all, it raises the strategic implication of this in a fashion that should allow leaders to consider how to leverage their global presence and capability into a more successful leadership enterprise."
— John E. Pepper, chairman of the board, Procter & Gamble
"The Quest for Global Dominance comes at the appropriate time. The end of the twentieth century, because of the combined forces of technological and cultural changes, has brought a revolution in the way we work and develop our activities. Today what we lack most is 'time,' yesterday it was money.
But we are only at the beginning of change, and in the years to come the breakthroughs in our habits will be much more important than what we have lived recently. The magnitude of the changes to come will also modify our society, bringing major cultural modifications.
'Rising up to the global challenge' is a thorough study of these changes, an analysis of the old and new economies, of the links which exist at all levels of our not so 'brave new world.' Much more, it brings a prospective view of what is going to happen, how it is going to happen, and how we should adapt ourselves in order to succeed in our increasingly global world.
Today, as you will see in this complete, precise, and factual study of our world economy and its participants, we have no option; every strategy from the biggest to the smallest corporations cannot avoid the 'global' option because there is a growing interdependence among markets, among countries, among people, as reflected in increasing flows of goods and services, capital and know-how.
The Quest for Global Dominance treats for the first time-in the most complete way-all the aspects of what we have to think about and the dynamics which prevail. It is no doubt a book of reference that anyone involved in the new game should have and keep near by. From the student to the CEO, they will find most of the answers to the questions they have in mind on those subjects. It is no doubt targeted to managers worldwide who are entrepreneurs and want to expand their companies' global presence through new competitive differentiation. It is a leading-edge thoughtful work that will help entrepreneurs, students, politicians, and, in brief, all decision makers.
Many thanks to Vijay Govindarajan and Anil Gupta for their remarkable input in this analysis of the increasingly complex world in which we live."
— Didier Pineau-Valencienne, pr?sident d' honneur, Schneider S.A.
"Vijay Govindarajan and Anil K. Gupta are among the masters on the subject of global strategy. In this book, they have succeeded in putting forth tight logic and leading-edge thinking in a manner that is highly practical. If you were to read only one book this year on how to assess and develop a global strategy for your business, this would be it."
— John Quelch, dean, London Business School
"In The Quest for Global Dominance, the authors have successfully combined facts and figures with insightful examples; together they give us a highly educational, yet enjoyable, reading experience. The book helps every business leader to see the challenges and opportunities which globalization brings. It invites everybody to get on board and warns about the dangers of being left behind. It points out the great opportunities that globalization offers for those who adopt it early and why no company can ignore it, not even those operating in smaller, local markets. The Quest for Global Dominance is also a practical guide and offers clear advice on how to avoid a number of pitfalls in managing the global or globalizing company. This is the guide to the new era."
— Keijo Suila, president & CEO, Finnair
"I found The Quest for Global Dominance to be an outstanding guide to building global presence and effectiveness based on the real, often painful, experiences of some best-practice companies and a few theoretical underpinnings. It helped put words and a framework around some of the experiences and learnings in my own international career. I often found myself nodding in agreement and saying how I would have loved to have read this before my first expat assignment. It goes well beyond merely stating the imperative - it explains how to make the transition from international/multinational models to true globalization. The book is particularly helpful in giving practical advice on managing the complex human dimensions of global businesses and global teams."
— Peter F. Volanakis, president, Corning Technologies
