Globalization Interview

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The second significant change for Gibson occurred in 2011 when foreign-owned Konica Minolta acquired her previous employer. Her company went from a “mom and pop” business to a large global organization overnight. The new Japanese ownership came with numerous changes. All of the critical decisions within the company were now affected by financial considerations based on the value of the yen. The new supply chain became dependent on the timing of the cargo shipments from Japan affecting the availability of inventory and order fulfillment. The day-to-day business operations became more tedious and time-consuming because of new governmental documentation obligations. The Japanese “standard for evaluating and auditing internal controls over financial reporting” (J-SOX verses U.S.-SOX, n.d.) is called J-SOX. This measure is similar to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 which was established to prevent fraudulent accounting practices for publically traded companies (J-SOX verses U.S.-SOX, n.d.). All Konica Minolta employees are held accountable to J-SOX standards with steep fines issued for noncompliance.

Over the past 20 years, globalization has made a positive influence on Gibson’s personal life through her relationship with her church pastor. Pastor Bemin is Indonesian and is not your stereotypical Lutheran pastor: most are Caucasian or German in heritage. In her role as the education director, Gibson works in close collaboration with her pastor and is responsible for creating programs that enrich the values of the church. Gibson has often used Pastor Bemin’s unique cultural experiences as teaching examples. For instance, her pastor grew up in severe poverty in Indonesia with no running water or inside bathroom facilities. Gibson would use these examples as teaching tools to encourage her church to serve the less fortunate through mission trips and to broaden their view of the world while helping others.

Although Gibson has experienced a few obstacles as a result of globalization, primarily business related process changes and educational inconveniences for her children, the impact of globalization appears to have an overall positive effect that clearly outweighs the negative. Gibson has developed new friends and colleagues all over the world, and with the advances in technology, communication is more efficient. She now has increased opportunities for career advancements, and through company and mission travel opportunities, she can experience new cultures. Gibson, as a result of all the positive cultural influences, clearly demonstrates an increased tolerance for others, shares a sense of compassion for the less fortunate, and enjoys being part of a diverse community, business, and the world.

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References

Eisenramper.com. (n.d.). J-SOX verses US-SOX. Retrieved from http://www.eisneramper.com/

uploadedFiles /ResourceCenter/Articles/Articles/J-SOXversusUS-SOX.pdf

Gibson, M. (2016, September 14). [Personal Interview] (Not required to be referenced)