The Global Awareness Curriculum in International Business Programs: A Critical Perspective

Designing educational sequences that enhance the cognitive, behavioral, and critical skills of a diverse learning community seeking global competencies, requires mindfulness of different international educational models, a tailored curriculum designed to build different types of awareness learning, and clarity in targeted outputs keeping in mind a range of potential occupations and life situations in which such skills will be used. This article outlines conceptual frameworks for global awareness sequences in international management programs, building on existing cross-cultural research, training literature, and comparative analysis of different higher education models. It updates global competence learning frameworks to include recent advances in cultural intelligence, critical reflexivity, and post-colonial perspectives on management education. It calls attention to changing student demographics as a catalyst for moderate curriculum reform, especially a rehabilitation of core global awareness knowledge components eclipsed by cross-cultural courses and humanities requirements. A curriculum for business students with a sequential and/or simultaneous implementation of three pedagogical dispositions (knowledge, behavior, and critical acculturation) is discussed.     

International Business Education

'Ibis paper addresses the question of whether lasting benefits can be gained from IB training in LDCs using foreign IB instructors, paniEularly from the point of view of the client group. While there are clearlv ~ersonal benefits for IB facultv going abmad to teach, the pay-off f6;the recipients may not be so dek. C&estions are raised about the fit between the pedagogical methods and personal style of the foreign instructor in relation to the needs, goals and expectatim of the client group. The need for continuity is emphasized. This avoids contradictions in training content, gaps in howledge and skills, and loss of progress. Continuity is essential if any sustainable benefit is to be achieved. Finally, the role of IE3 training in promoting improved national trade performance in global markets is addressed.     

International Business Education in an International City

Internationalizing the business administration curriculum has been an ongoing concern for educators. The experience in the United States appears to have encountered certain hurdles and international business education has not yet gone into full swing. On the other hand, for those countries which depend heavily on international business, the subject is generally regarded as important. Four different groups of students in Hong Kong were surveyed. The results show slight differences in their particular area of interest. The area and course rankings, in general, are similar to the findings of studies in North America. Hong Kong students are more interested in risk assessment topics. Based on the findings, various teaching strategies can be formulated. Students' attention can be drawn to relevant global developments and teaching materials can be updated accordingly. Emphasis within each course can also be adjusted each term in view of students' needs. Thus, in order to successfully internationalize a business program, both students,and instructors should be well-versed in global politics, in changes in economic situations and in major events happening in the world.     

International Business Education in China

The purpose of this:paper is to provide a general descri tion of the international business education in the People's Repub!e of China. Specificall , three key .elements, vir. the system; the curriculum; and the facu r ty are discussed. Information contained in this paper contributes as foundation upon which further research can be built to enhance the understanding and subsequently the irnprovement of the international business education in such a country where international business is inevitably emerging.     

Developing an Interdisciplinary Major in International Business

ABSTRACT

Since the change of the accreditation standards by the American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) requiring internationalization of the business school curriculum about twenty years ago, different models of internationalization have been developed and tried by different types of business schools across the nation. However, no single model has emerged as an ideal model suitable for all kinds of institutions, large or small, urban or rural. At small and rural universities, internationalization efforts pose some extra challenges because of the general lack of global exposure and practices among its faculty and students, lack of adequate resources, financial crunch and locally centered vision of its leadership. This paper describes how a small and rural university has successfully implemented its own model to internationalize its business programs in spite of all the financial and non-fiscal challenges. Such a model could be emulated by similar small and rural institutions across the country.     

Developing International Business Managers Through International Study Visits to China

Globalization is a key factor in the success of business organizations today, impacting many aspects of management performance. Understanding the global business environment has therefore become a key objective in the teaching of international business on Executive MBA programs. Drawing on the theory of experiential learning, this study examines the relationship between program structure and learning activities of an international study visit (ISV) to China and the learning experience for Executive MBA students. The findings indicate that learning experience may be most effective where the structure of an ISV incorporates certain activities that promote experiential and deep-level learning. Educational implications are discussed.     

The Problems and Opportunities in Developing International Business Programs

This paper discusses the results of a survey conducted among AACSB member schools. The survey dealt with two major topical areas. These were (a) what types of International Business programs currently exist in AACSB Schools, and (b) problems associated with these programs. The paper also suggests countries that offer opportunities to Colleges of Business to pursue countty-specific programs.     

The Environmental Imperative in International Business Education

The development of an environmental consciousness is critical to the development of international business curricula. Issues such as air pollution, water pollution, and the disposal of solid and hazardous waste are facing multinational companies around the globe. Moreover, corporations now face an enhanced set of predicaments ranging from ozone depletion and the greenhouse effect to the protection of animal rights both in the laboratory and in their natural habitat This paper addresses questions relating to the teaching of environmental material, content of the presentation, who should the presenter be, and how to overcome obstacles that such an innovative curriculum would fall.     

Software Applications for International Business Education

No abstract available for this article.     

Developing an International and Technology-Driven Business School Program

Abstract

Academics and practitioners alike have voiced their concerns about how to continuously improve the quality of education in the business school. Two central issues that have received recent attention are (1) how to address a rapidly changing and increasingly global economy, and (2) how to infuse technology into the business school curriculum. Both of these issues are changing at break-neck speed, whereas the academic environment, by its very nature and structure, is struggling to meet these demands ata much slower pace. We attempt to offer solutions to these major issues by developing an action plan for international business and technology. One key factor in developing global and technological programs in business schools is the input of its stakeholders-the international and technological business community. In this study, we report the results of an investigation of the international business and technological community's perceptions of the skills they require of recent business school graduates. A total of 126 business organizations provide insights for business schools to develop action plans to address international and technological needs. A discussion and implications of our findings provides an initial avenue for schools to follow in their strategic planning for the future.     

The Social Responsibilities of International Business Firms in Developing Areas

Three principles must be taken into account in assessing the social responsibilities of international business firms in developing areas. The first is an awareness of the historical and institutional dynamics of local communities. This influences the type and range of responsibilities the firm can be expected to assume; it also reveals the limitations of any universal codes of conduct. The second is the necessity of non-intimidating communication with local constituencies. This requires the firm to temper its power and influence by recognizing and responding to local concerns in the pursuit of its own objectives. The third is the degree to which the firm’s operations safeguard and indeed improve the social and economic assets of local communities. At issue is the question of adequate compensation for the inevitable disruptions that an international business brings to a local community. Beneficial returns must be shared and sustained over the long term in an equitable manner. The nine studies in this special edition illustrate in different ways the importance of these three principles. Joseph Smucker is Professor Emeritus, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Concordia University, Montreal. His research publications are in the areas of industrialization, labor markets, labor market policies, and models of economic development. Frederick Bird holds a Research Chair in Comparative Ethics at Concordia University, Montreal. He is the author of The Muted Conscience: Moral Silence and the Practice of Ethics in Business (1996), and has co-edited three volumes of essays on international business ethics: International Businesses and the Challenges of Poverty in the Developing World (2004), International Business and the Dilemmas of Development (2005), and Just Business Practices in a Diverse and Developing World 2006).     

The Power of e-Learning in International Business Education

Abstract

The advent of the knowledge society is imposing changes in the education process. One important development in the knowledge society is e-learningwhere teachers and students meet in virtuallearning spaces. A case study of the experience with e-learning, compared with the traditional lecture-based learningapproach to pedagogy at the Copenhagen Business School, suggests that this problem-oriented and dialogue-based approach may hold substantial potential in international business education. This innovative approach is described in detail.     

Impact of International Business Education on Ethnocentricity

Abstract

As evidenced by recent surveys of American managers, there is a serious shortage of qualified candidates on the US job market. This shortage is most evident in two specialization areas: high-technology knowledge workers and internationally competent managers. Indeed, American companies rate lack of qualified high-technology personnel as their number one reason for slower than desired business expansion. The other less glamorized, yet serious shortcoming of the American educational system is its inadequate training of cross-culturally competent workers for this truly global post-industrial era. In response to this human resources crisis, realizing that “the future economic welfare of the US will depend substantially on increasing international skills in the business community,” the United States Department of Education began an active campaign of promoting international education and research in several major American universities in the late 1980s. Since 1988, nearly 40 universities have been awarded tens of millions of dollars to engage in such activities as developing formal international business curricula, offering foreign language courses, promoting internationally-oriented research, provoking international education and research dialogues among the faculty, exchange programs between American and foreign universities for students and the faculty and similar activities. This research is a first attempt in evaluating the impact of one such program on the internationalization level of American students. It will be shown that the international education program at one major American university has successfully produced a cadre of more global and less ethnocentric workforce for American corporations.     

Implementing Experiential Action Learning in International Management Education: The Global Business Strategic (GLOBUSTRAT) Consulting Program

This paper discusses the theoretical foundations and implementation challenges and outcomes of a unique “hands‐on” global consulting program that is integrated into an international EMBA program for mid‐career and senior American and European managers. It details the challenges for the integration of experiential action learning, double‐loop learning, service learning, and tacit learning into global management education and discusses the value of such integration for the EMBA‐participant's learning experience. The lessons learned from the implementation of the use of integrated global consulting based on an experiential action learning model on EMBA education are discussed. The andragogical model of education used should be a useful guide for designing and implementing experiential action learning based MBA/EMBA programs.     

Useful Web Sites for International Business Communication Education

Abstract

The World Wide Web presents many opportunities for improving the instructional quality of international business communication related classes by providing access to a large variety of information sources. These sources can be used as supplements to traditional texts, as the basis for specific program assignments, or even as the main focus of a course. An especially useful aspect of these sites is that they can improve information recency and depth when compared with sole reliance on traditional texts. Unfortunately, the sheer quantity of available Web pages can make it difficult to find appropriate sites for a given international business communication topic. To assist educators in locating such relevant sites, we offer summaries and addresses for pages in some of the major areas of international business communication. These selections were chosen both for their relevance to international business communication training and evaluation by Cornell's suggested quality criteria. The article concludes with a discussion of potential applications, problems, and implications for web based international business communication instruction.