Tension between economic nationalism and globalism not going away anytime soon

Yesterday, I tweeted that it was nice to work in a global business because that meant that I could email my international colleagues “guilt-free” and be productive while leaving my U.S. team alone.

Now, I realize I’m in the minority of people who finds relief in being able to do work on the Thanksgiving holiday, but I genuinely enjoy what I do, so if I can spend a few hours each day working, that’s actually good for me.

Of course, I did take a break to enjoy a nice turkey dinner at my brother’s house in Seattle where my wife and kids have joined me for the week.

But that got me to thinking more broadly about the global business culture many of us now work in.

I see it quite acutely since CARMA is headquartered in Dubai, with major offices around the world, but many businesses now have a global component.

It’s increasingly likely that you’re using vendors from other countries, have clients in other countries, or otherwise depend on the global economy to be successful.

Even if your job doesn’t depend upon it, chances are your investments for retirement, college funds, or the like rise and fall based on international concerns.

From my perspective, this globalization of business is good — it’s interesting but it also allows a broader market to be tapped.

Yet we live in a time when we have seen a large number of people in countries like the United States and United Kingdom rise up against the internationalists, instead embracing economic nationalism.

These tensions will no doubt continue to play out over the coming years.

Those of us who view ourselves as globalists must be sensitive to their concerns, just as those who promote their home country first need to understand the economic dynamics that such policies can create.

There are no easy answers since these changes have been long in the making and the forces for and against are unlikely to yield anytime soon.

But they will definitely impact our collective future.