An Obama advisor recommends companies to compete decentralized

The international relations expert Parag Khanna, an adviser to U.S. President Barack Obama has today recommended to the companies that opt for decentralization to gain positions in emerging markets.

Khanna, director of the Global Governance Initiative, World Economic Forum, took part today in San Sebastian in the first day of FARO International Congress 2009, organized by the Chamber of Guipuzcoa.

Before an audience full of entrepreneurs Gipuzkoa, Khanna has exposed the thesis contained in his book "The Second World", which defines the balance between the superpowers of the globalized world and emerging countries across the globe.

Has detailed the features of many international markets into which European companies can direct their eyes in its commitment to internationalization.

Khanna has argued for changing the mindset and leave the outline of companies that have headquarters overseas plants because, in his view, in the globalized world companies must prefer a completely decentralized scheme in which they have "20 nodes but no central headquarters.

Thus, companies must "understand the local market" and "train local managers" in order to compete effectively in emerging markets.

According to this expert paradigm described in his book currently there are three world superpowers, three cores that extend its influence throughout the world: USA, which owns 20% of global GDP, the European Union, with 23%, and China, that even has 11% of global GDP, is growing and has presence in all areas of the planet.

Over Japan, the Obama adviser has commented that traditionally has been considered a superpower, but currently "not anymore" because "it has been far behind," among other reasons because he suffers "a major demographic problem."

Following these three superpowers, Khanna puts a large group of countries comprising the "second world", which divided into five regions: Eastern Europe, Central Asia, Latin America, Middle East and Southeast Asia.

As noted, the industrialization of emerging countries may be perceived as a threat to SMEs of the superpowers, it should ask "how much they want to go global" to compete.