The Global Citizen Sector

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Citizen sector is defined by Bill Drayton, CEO of Ashoka and Valeria Budinich, founder and chief entrepreneur of Ashoka’s Full Economic Citizenship Initiative, as:

... the term we use to define the millions of groups established and run by mission-minded individuals across the globe who are attempting to address critical social needs—has long been regarded as understaffed and inefficient. But that has changed. We work with some 3,000 social entrepreneurs worldwide, and over the past 30 years we’ve seen the citizen sector catch up with business as it has increased its productivity, size, and reach. Its organizations are attracting talented and creative leaders, and their work is changing the game in critical industries and areas such as energy and health care.

Read more about this at "A New Alliance for Global Change," but you cannot access the entire article without first subscribing or purchasing a single copy PDF over at Harvard Business Review. And once there, you might also pick up a copy of, "Can Entrepreneurs Save the World?"

Related piece here (blog post by Ashoka).

Here's What Works in Entrepreneurship Across the Globe

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This is a phenomenal article by Daniel J. Isenberg in the June 2010 Harvard Business Review. One of the best I've read in a long time on entrepreneurship. Well researched, good case study references, excellent country specific examples and terrific insight into the nine prescriptions for creating an entrepreneurship ecosystem.

Isenberg is no stranger to entrepreneurship with international wings. He also authored, "The Global Entrepreneur," December 2008 for HBR.

Please take the time to read, "Start An Entrepreneurial Revolution," in its entirety. The best part is near the end where Isenberg challenges us by posing the question:

Do you have a strong entrepreneurship ecosystem?

Do you?
Note: added 5/24/10 at 9:35 p.m. CDT, an audio IdeaCast:

How To Create An Entrepreneurial Economy (Daniel Isenberg, professor of management practice at Babson College and author of the HBR article "The Big Idea: How to Start an Entrepreneurial Revolution." Copyright 2010 Harvard Business School Publishing)

Drucker Delivered Direct To Your Door

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I am a big, big fan of Peter Drucker and I just noticed in marking the 100th anniversary of Peter Drucker's birthday that Harvard Business Review has some thought provoking essays written by Harvard folks as well as a feature on Drucker's classic contributions.

No matter how you look at it, Drucker was a tremendous force and influencer in the business world, especially on management thinking. If you can, take the time to review some of this information. It might make the difference between operating from good to great with your global small business.

Drucker Today

By Rosabeth Moss Kanter

While Peter Drucker was alive, he sounded early warnings about sky-high executive pay, an ossified auto industry, and emerging — market threats to U.S. economic dominance. It's not too late to benefit from his advice.

By Alan M. Kantrow

Peter Drucker's writings offer distilled, articulate analyses of modern business management. But, more important, they are a case study in how to think. Five leaders describe Drucker's influence on them in essays that accompany Kantrow's 1980 article.

By Tammy Erickson

We're not quite there yet, but, as usual, Peter's clear vision paints a picture of a world that is looking increasingly likely.

Classic Drucker Articles

Managing Oneself
Drucker challenges readers to take responsibility for managing their futures, both in and out of the office.

What Makes an Effective Executive
Eight simple practices — and one rule — every executive needs to follow to be effective.

What Executives Should Remember
A compilation of the savviest management advice Drucker offered HBR readers over the years.

The Theory of the Business
What happens when the assumptions on which an organization has been built no longer fit reality?

What Business Can Learn from Nonprofits
The best nonprofit organizations are pioneers in motivating knowledge workers and raising their productivity.

All of it can be found here.

And visit The Drucker Institute.

Separately, it appears the Google tag issue has been resolved on our blog.

Is Globalization The Most Secure?

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The most secure as compared to what?

Of all the trends we followed before the crisis, globalization seemed the most secure. Today, however, big and important question marks hang over some aspects of global economic integration.

See what the verdict is here.

To Go Global, Or Not To Go Global?

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That is the question and reluctantly I answer with, "You should not go global when you do a lousy job selling a product or service locally."

The truth hurts but the folks at Harvard Business Review have just come out (December 2008) with a far more eloquent way of guiding us on When You Shouldn't Go Global. Unfortunately, to learn more, you will have to either buy the article online for U.S. $6.50 or go to your local bookstore to pick up a copy.

Here's one interesting point made in the abstract:

Global efforts can be rendered counterproductive through unanticipated collateral damage.

Bottom line: You don't want to move full speed ahead toward failure. The article could very well help you avoid missteps. Check it out.