Global Integration The major two driving factors for organisation to go global are the economic and technological factors. Global integration encompasses the integration of foreign business efforts into the domestic business, and the integration of the global businesses with each other and the existing domestic business. The company’s Global integration comprise of both the ‘Business Strategy Integration’ and the ‘Operational Integration’ between the domestic and its foreign subsidiaries. Business Strategy Integration The following areas of the business strategies must be integrated: Business Model: How you realise profits and incur costs must be integrated and coordinated, respecting universal and local elements. Business Objectives and Goals: The metrics for revenue achievement, realisation of profits and market penetration must be accepted and believed achievable.
Emirates Airlines Global Business Goals and Objectives are: To position Emirates Airlines as a global airline and the carrier of choice to the Gulf and the Middle East and points beyond. To promote Dubai as one of the most modern, progressive, safe and technologically advanced commercial centres in the Middle East Showcase the airline’s outstanding and award-winning service levels, in-flight experiences, profitability, fleet, safety record and global reputation Focus on the airline’s highly professional and seasoned senior management to create a leadership position in the aviation industry
(M Silver Associates Inc. PR, Marketing & Communications , Undated)
Operational Integration The company’s operational processes, procedures and reporting functions must accommodate all the international business and must be coordinated, i.e. the domestic requirements with the foreign requirements and vice versa, and the resulting activities and impact of information must be integrated. International Business will increase the areas where processes, procedures and reporting functions are essential. This will add additional layers to the company’s compliance activities such as: Product/services development International marketing programs Sales and distribution channels Manufacturing requirements Management and organisation Accounting and reporting Due diligence and compliance
(Local Tech Wire, 2008) Global Operational Integration: Global Operational Integration also requires an international skilled workforce and a major challenge is to overcome language barriers. At the end of March 2008, Emirates employed about 35,300 people and hired more than 7,000 staff, including 2,000 cabin crew and 400 new flight deck crew representing 145 nationalities which is a show case of strong globalisation (GulfNews.com, 2008). A driving force in globalisation is Technology: Innovation and technology have always been an important quality for Emirates. As an example, the airline was the first to offer seatback entertainment to all passengers, regardless of class. Emirates Airlines’ investment in advanced technology is part of a global strategy for ensuring long-term growth. As an example Emirates are using Danware’s NetOp advanced technology remote control solution which helps the global organisation reduce the time and cost of providing world-class IT support (NetOp, Undated). The Virtual Office – The Internet: Due to Emirates Airlines’ increasing international presence, Emirates needed to develop more than 30 multilingual sites including Arabic & Japanese to help operations. Emirates needed its regional offices worldwide to be capable of updating their own content while simultaneously maintaining a level of centralised control over the content and publishing process. Tridion Content Management Solution was implemented globally by Emirates Airlines to manage the content for its global Internet presence. This has enabled Emirates Airlines to reach a wider audience, and replicate common information across all its domains in different languages (SDL Tridion, 2005). In-Flight mobile & Internet Access: Technology makes globalisation a reality and Emirates strive to introduce innovative technological solutions bringing superior value to its client’s worldwide. Emirates is the first airline in the world to commercially launch an in-flight mobile telephone service. The innovative airline will be investing some US$27 million to fit its fleet with the AeroMobile system which ensures that passenger mobile phones operate at their absolute minimum power, thereby allowing their safe use on the aircraft (Travel Daily News, 2008). Emirates and AeroMobile also plan to add Internet access in all its flights. The service will support the use of BlackBerry and Palm Treo devices, in addition to mobile data-enabled PDAs and notebooks (CIO – Business Technology Leadership, 2006). | 
