Transitional management in an evolving European context

The author considers "1992" a form of "transnationalization" of business in Europe since it is essentially a border-crossing process. Focusing more on a European model of management rather than national ones may give us a version competitive with the rather dominant American and Japanese ones. The creation of a transnational European model of management should be rooted in the values and behaviour of a European way of life. In Europe, there are both convergent and divergent forces and tendencies at work. The "soft" value components of management, such as leadership and human resource practices, are culture-specific and tend to emphasize differences between European countries' management practices. Jules van Dijck suggests some measures to encourage the development of a European model of management, including lifelong learning, increasing individualization, and attitudes and culture as well as cognitive knowledge. A recent survey of young European managers confirms this approach.