The internationalization of Brazilian companies: developing managers as an essential business strategy factor Internacionaliza o de empresas brasileiras: desenvolvimento de gestores como fator essencial para a estratégia de negócios

The globalization phenomenon has given rise to a new and virtually limitless dimension for companies to gain access to new markets beyond their country borders. This has proven to be an opportunity for growth and expansion. Given the transformations that this phenomenon has driven in the international business environment, one is struck by the fact that the presence of Brazilian companies abroad is still low, as Brazilian business is continues to be shy of expanding via internationalization. One concludes that the leaders of Brazilian firms are better prepared to operate in the domestic market and with processes and businesses that focus on exports; few executives are required to run operations abroad. However, the reality of internationalization calls for a new type of manager, the “global executive,” who is expected to be cosmopolitan, a negotiator and a cross-culture communicator that is able to generate synergy and lead changes. Brazilian companies that want to grow beyond cultural and ethnic frontiers are facing the challenge of forming theses “citizens of the world,” capable not only of making room in the international market, but also of leading the processes of transformation and change within corporate environments. The aim of this article is to discuss how to develop people for the strategic management of internationalization processes, as well as to identify current gaps and to provide recommendations both for the development of the competences that a global mindset requires among our managers, and for the management of the international mobility of Brazilian executives. Key words: Company internationalization. Expatriation. People management. Leadership. O fen meno da globaliza o abriu uma nova dimens o praticamente sem limites para que as empresas possam acessar novos mercados, além das fronteiras de seus países, tendo nessa via a oportunidade de crescimento e expans o. Diante da transforma o que tal fen meno provocou no cenário dos negócios internacionais, notamos ainda uma baixa presen a das empresas brasileiras no exterior, pois somos ainda tímidos na expans o econ mica pelas vias da internacionaliza o. N o é difícil concluir ent o que a lideran a das nossas empresas está mais preparada para atuar no mercado interno e com processos e negócios voltados à exporta o; poucos executivos est o sendo exigidos a dirigir opera es no exterior. A realidade da internacionaliza o demanda ent o um novo perfil de gestor, o “executivo global”, cosmopolita, negociador, comunicador intercultural, capaz de criar sinergia e de liderar mudan as. As emp