Some people-executives of big global companies among them-don't seem to realize that means all business is local, too. Surveying their globe-spanning domains from lofty office roosts, they tend to believe they do business in ``the world'' as opposed to hundreds, if not thousands, of localities, each with its own peculiar concerns.

It adds up to a vast web of tripwires that an unsuspecting corporation headquartered on the other side of the world can stumble into. Step on one, and the concussion can rattle the windows all the way back to the home office.

Recently, three big corporations based elsewhere have learned the hard way that disregarding local concerns in our area can damage their businesses.

British oil giant BP PLC ignored Illinois in planning an expansion of its Whiting, Ind., refinery that would lead to more pollution in Lake Michigan. BP apparently didn't understand how Chicagoans treasure the lake. An uproar led by Illinois politicians forced London-based BP to back down last week, but not before the episode ripped a hole in its carefully crafted public image as the oil company that cares about the environment.

Also last week, Charlotte, N.C.-based Bank of America Corp. paid the price for stiff-arming local community groups worried about how its buyout of Chicago's LaSalle Bank will affect neighborhood lending. Woodstock Institute, a respected housing advocacy group in Chicago, released a study predicting the acquisition will claim 10,500 local jobs. The resulting headlines were just what B of A doesn't need as it tries to make customers of more Chicagoans.

Then there's Macy's Inc. The New York-based retail chain wouldn't give an inch to locals who hoped the Marshall Field's name might survive in some fashion after Macy's acquired Field's parent company. Lo and behold, Macy's recently disclosed that its business unit that includes the former Field's stores is struggling.

There's a lesson here for all companies-including those based in Chicago-with far-flung operations: Treat every town you do business in like your hometown.