On April 3-6, 2008, German and Indian leaders met in Mumbai, a metropolis of 20 million, to discuss various aspects of the future of the global world of work. How can governments create the conditions for competitive economies and at the same time make sure that as many people as possible share in the economic success?

Jutta Allmendinger from the Social Science Research Center Berlin and B. Santhanam from the Confederation of Indian Industry's Taskforce on Skills, Employability and Affirmative Action explained how Germany and India, respectively, deal with this challenge. Which role do corporate cultures and values play for companies? Many globally active companies see an international labor force as a competitive advantage. According to S. Mahalingam, Chief Financial Officer of Tata Consultancy Services, an IT services and consulting company in Mumbai, markets to this day function according to local habits and rules. However, values such as religious or ethnic tolerance cannot be negotiated locally, but have to apply throughout the company. In addition to the state and corporate levels, the final conference focus was on individual attitudes and behaviors: What is the personal responsibility of the well-educated, mobile and flexible elite of globalization? A member of the Young Indians, an association of young Indian achievers and professionals within the Confederation of Indian Industry, co-organizer of the Forum, put it succinctly: "For the economic elites of our countries, it has to become the mainstream to get actively involved in their political, professional and personal environments and to work for a fair and just social and economic order. This is the only way to maintain and strengthen the social cohesion of and within societies."

The Conference was devided into four Sessions:
Session 1 - A Global Elite on the Move:

The most talented and best educated people are becoming increasingly mobile, and many are choosing to pursue their careers wherever they believe their high career expectations can be fulfilled. The United States in particular continues to attract many of them. What are the trends in Germany and India? Which incentives can be offered to bring the highly-skilled professionals to Germany and India? What defines this global elite and what are its values? Does it have a national identity?

Session 2 - The Emergence of a Global Corporate Culture:

Contrary to the perception that globalization leads to a homogenized world market, economic activities primarily take place locally and companies continue to function according to different rules and customs. What are the norms and values that define the corporate cultures in Germany and India? What are the effects of increasing internationalization, particularly on more traditional, family-run businesses? How do companies deal with alien values, e.g. religious
idiosyncrasies or different attitudes towards work and leisure?

Session 3 - A New Labor Force for a Competitive Society:

A well-trained, mobile labor force is universally seen to be the key resource of the future which can determine the prosperity of a nation: While the Western industrial countries have to compensate for the loss of traditional industrial jobs, in the emerging economies it is primarily a matter of reducing their dependency on low-wage sectors. However, the changes involved go far beyond the labor market.

The German Perspective:

In spite of still high unemployment, there is a shortage of skilled labour. This tendency is likely to continue, given the fact that the population will decline in the medium term. How can politics and society respond to these developments? Does Germany have to become more open to foreign labour? Do we need to increase female employment and prolong working life?

Session 4 - Concluding Working Session:

This session focused on connections between individuals, companies or initiatives and some of the global challenges and issues that had emerged during the forum.