How Online Learning can Foster Global Perspectives and Leadership

The world is changing and the interconnected nature of cultures and information is moving forward at a rapid pace. The need for global perspectives and education that meets those global needs is particularly important if difficult problems will be solved. Research by Gibson, et. al. (2008) delves into fostering higher levels of global perspective within the gifted population to ensure that there is a stream of leadership abilities available for the future. 

Globalization is seen as related to the interconnectivity of trade, technology, and the environment (Adams & Carfagna, 2006). The elements within the system begin to create higher levels of influence on each other and new ways are thinking are needed to handle the constant stream of information. The end effects of globalization include interdependence, interconnectedness, and culture diversity (Anheier, et. al, 2001). 

Global learning provides new opportunities for human advancement and skill development. Business distribution networks and government decisions no longer exist in a vacuum but have far reaching implications. Through the use of distance education it is possible that students can collaborate across cultural boarders to learn shared perspectives and additional cultural awareness. This knowledge can be used in business, governance, or general humanity.

Such cross-cultural education offers opportunities to maximize critical thinking, intercultural communication competence, collaboration, teamwork, reflective practices, dispositions and values (Roeper, 1988). These skills are sorely needed in society as the stakeholder pool widens. Without the ability to understand information at a greater level, society is doomed to repeat the same mistakes over and over. 

The gifted population has the capacity to move out of the pattern of events. They often worry about such issues as the environment, trade, hunger, peace, disease and terrorism (Gibson, et. al, 2008). They have the ability to understand these issues in greater levels and feel compassionate about the consequences on others. They are motivated by understanding and have the predispositions to engage in global learning due to their sensitivity and tolerance of others (Van Tassel-Baska, 1998).  They are highly sensitive to moral issues and the rights of others in global social issues (Clark, 2008). 

The process of global learning is the creation of global awareness related to various issues that impact the population. Global learners have the capacity to understand the interconnectedness and interdependence of the world. They must have effective reflection, intrapersonal intelligence, and metacognitive abilities. In other words, they must have the ability to reflect on choices and culture and understand their overall implications. 

The authors suggest that global learning is fostered through either face-to-face cultural interactions or through online collaborative projects. Students engage in online projects with others from varying backgrounds and dispositions. Using gifted students from different countries helps to ensure that the learning is not derailed by the limited perspective of more ethnocentric members. As this population is more open to understanding, empathizing, and helping they are a natural group to foster global learning and citizenship. 

This paper helps highlight the need to think beyond local and national culture. As the world becomes more complex and business more global in their operations, understanding the nuances of these changes will become important for leadership. The gifted population often races ahead of the general population and this makes them prime subjects for understanding the changes that are likely to occur in the future as general awareness increases. Whether one is situated on campus or in the buzz of cyber world, having students interact with those of varying cultures makes graduates more prepared to work in the global marketplace.

Adams, J. & Carfagna, A. (2006). Comitif; of a^e in a fiíoha Üzed world: The next generation. Bloumsfield. CT: Kutnarian Press.

Anheier,  et. al. (2001 ). Introducing global civil society. In H. K. Anheier. M. Glasius. »S: M. Kaldor (Eds.). Global civil society (pp. 3-22). New York: Oxford University Press.

Clark, B. (2008). Growing up gifted: Developing the potential of children at home and at .•school (7t.h ed.). Upper Saddle River. NJ: Pear.son Education.

Gibson, et. al.  (2004). Gaining multiple perspectives in gifted education through global learning reflection. Australian Journal of Gifted Education. 12, 34-40.

Gibson, et. al. (2008). Developing global awareness and responsible world citizenship with global learning. Roeper Review, 30 (1). 

Roeper. A. (1988). Should educators of the gifted and talented be more eoncemed with world issues? Roeper Review, ¡I, 12-13.

Van Tassel-Baska, J. (1998). Appropriate curriculum for the talented learner. In J. Van Tassel-Baska (Ed.), Excellence in educating gifted and talented ¡earners (pp. 339-361 ). Denver, CO: Love.

Call for Papers: Cultural Identity Amidst Global Modernization-The Role of Distance Education

Education systems all over the world have had to contend with globalization and international competitiveness, all while trying to preserve their own cultural identity. The Conference aims at analyzing the different solutions developed for integrating the use of new technologies and models into the higher education system, based on the specific characteristics and cultural context of each country. 

Conference Topics:

• Distance education: A strategy for development
• Distance education in the global and local workplace
• Quality assurance as a key to accessing the international educational system
• Technological and pedagogic innovation and its social implications
• Vices and virtues of the application of OERs and MOOCs in formal education

Conference Information

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Call for Papers: Foreign Direct Investment in the Aftermath of the Current Global Economic Crisis

Submission Deadline: May 2014

The level of globalisation in the contemporary business environment is indicated by the transmission and impact of the recent global financial, economic and sovereign debt crisis. International trade and foreign direct investment (FDI) are still the most important driving factors of globalization, and the latter has become more important than the former in the aftermath of the crisis.

 UNCTAD statistics indicate that in 2008 – when the crisis was a global phenomenon – world FDI stock was approximately 26 percent of world gross domestic product (GDP), at the same time as the value of merchandise and services trade was approximately 33 percent of world GDP. The most recent data available from UNCTAD statistics indicates that world FDI stock was approximately 30 percent of world GDP in 2011, while the value of merchandise and services trade was approximately 23 percent of world GDP.

 The aim of the special issue is to reveal the determinants, strategy and impact of internationalisation through FDI in the aftermath of the current global crisis. 

You may see a list of current topics and submission information HERE

A Case Study on Regenerating a Local Economy

Dr. Rosabeth Moss Kanter builds off of her previous research of five American cities of Boston, Cleveland, Miami, Seattle, and Spartanburg-Greenville to find patterns to success economic rejuvenation. It is important for struggling cities to develop concepts, competence and connections. It is also necessary to encourage those who think in the region to work with those who make products and those who sell the products. As an example of success, she focuses in on Spartanburg-Greenville and how it became a world class area of manufacturing that attracted foreign investments from 215 companies in 18 countries. Without visionary leadership, friendly business environment, commitment to training, and collaboration between business and government the success story would have never generated.

Her paper argues that success will come from matching the local needs to that of the global economy. Unfortunately, there is a level of divergence between locals who are aware of local issues and the business leaders who are more aware of global issues. Trying to get the social and business interests on the same page for improved competitiveness is difficult.

A particular problem is local political interests that desire to move into an isolationist stance. Unfortunately, this stance leads to economic withdrawal and estrangement that impacts the lives of those who local politicians profess to protect. At times local political interests will use the fears of workers to create rifts between them and the outside world that manifests itself in worker resentment, a downgraded economy, and “us vs them” mentality.

In the industrial world the location of a company was important because it means they had control over distribution and local labor. However, the global economy requires these companies to think on a new paradigm which includes the ability to harness innovation and knowledge to continually update their products. In such cases innovation can meet manufacturing to compete in the global economy.

A market is made up of three different types of people:

Thinkers: These are the intellectual innovators that create new ways of competing on the market. This may be in the form of new products and services. Such people are adept at creativity and developing new and unusual solutions to problems.  

Makers: Makers are people who are strong at execution. They can use manufacturing abilities to create high value-laden products. Such makers can be pre-existing businesses that are retooled for new products and services.

Traders: These are individuals that can make global connections to other countries and people. They are the ones who foster new business investment, distribution of products, and connect the local area to the global economy.

Spartanburg-Greenville, South Carolina, is a success story even though it is an unlikely place for such global success. They were able to renew entrepreneurship, innovation, teaming, improving awareness of world needs, and connecting local companies to global networks. Despite its textile, automotive, metalworking background it, at present, has one of the lowest unemployment rates, high per capita engineers in the area, and rising wages throughout the region while many other areas are declining.

From her research a successful “come back” requires:

• 1 -Visionary leaders who have a clear economic strategy and recruit international companies.
• 2-A hospitable business climate and positive work ethic that attracts innovative companies to make long-term investments.
• 3-Strong training and upgrading of local worker skills.
• 4-Collaborations between business and business as well as business and government.

Local regions that have suffered from the weight of change often do so because of the perspectives of those within the area and a need for a broader self-perceptive view. To change this perspective requires an expanding of understanding from local to global. The catalysts to this change often include a vision brought forward by leadership, positive business environments, business interaction and partnerships with local government, and the upgrading of employee skills/abilities.  Without putting the right factors in place that change the competitive nature of the area it is likely that such declines will continue if the tendency to be protective outlives the need to grow and develop. Those who do the thinking, are partners with those who do the making and those who sell the products. They are all on the same team.

Kanter, R. (2003). Thriving locally in the global economy. Harvard Business Review, 81 (8)

Defining the Elusive Concepts of Globalization

Globalization is a trend that has been fully embraced by some and treated as an unwelcome guest by others. The concept of globalization entails the need for change and further development in order to meet its widespread market pressures. Understanding globalization creates a stronger framework for understanding how it impacts international business and underlying perceptions of human capital. Through the development of a greater understanding there is the possibility of better management of global alignment.

Globalization was first mentioned in 1983 when Theodore Levitt explained how technology would drive the world into a single conversational platform that would result in global markets and brands (Govil & Rashmi, 2013). Markets begin to consolidate and new forms of business develop in order to compete in and traverse those markets. Those businesses that do not factor in the changing market and its globalizing effects may be end losers in the international game. 

There are many different ways in which to view the concept of globalization. Globalization can be seen as moving a national state into a global state (Stojanov, 2012). During such transition local workers align skills to the needs of the international community and are capable of working within firms that have international products and services. Companies seek out such local candidates when considering choices of expansion and international investment. 

Globalization is a concept of free trade that fits within a Capitalistic structure (van Meerhaeghe, 2012). Such free trade comes with the movement of products, money, labor, and businesses from one part of the globe to the next. Countries are no longer defined simply by their country of origin but become defined by a more transient global business environment.  More competitive structures create more business interest and investment.

As these products, business, labor, and investment shift from one place to the next there will be locations that naturally lose out on the benefits globalization has to offer. For example, income equality can result in places like South-East Europe or the Commonwealth of Independent States (Elmawazini, 2013). This is due to the loss of investment, poor governmental structures, tax structure, human capital, infrastructure and other factors that make such places more difficult to conduct business and therefore less lucrative for investment. 

As a by-product of greater global awareness human rights and worker rights also become more globalized. For example, globalization of law, legal accountability, human rights, conflict resolution, and doctrines of equal standings become more common (Brysk & Jimenez, 2012). Economics and value systems exist together and as economics become porous across borders the concepts of ethics and human rights also become defined by those new economic assumptions. 

At present, there is no single way to measure globalization. Some indexes measure investment, some economic output, some educational attainment, and others human capital earning power. Each of these indexes has advantages and disadvantages but is limited in scope and effectiveness. Using multiple indexes of important key indicators is more accurate than relying exclusively on a few single benchmarks.

Globalization has both positive and negative effects on economic strength. Those countries that are more capable of aligning their systems to the new global structure are more likely to succeed in the long run. As this transition occurs there will be challenges of basic assumptions, adjustments of wealth, needs for new skills, and times of political upheaval.  What we believe today may not be what we believe a few decades down the road. Times are changing and with this come new opportunities for success or failure.

Brysk, A. & Jimenez, A. (2012). The globalization of law: implications for the fulfillment of human rights. Journal of Human Rights, 11 (1).  

Elmawazini, K., et. al. (2013). Trade globalization, financial globalization and inequality within south-east Europe and CIS countries. Journal of Developing Areas, 47 (2). 

Govil, S. & Rashmi, J. (2013). Globalization of Markets. Advances in Management, 6 (6).

Stojanov, D. (2012). Dialectic of globalization and economic science. International journal of innovations in Business, 1 (4). 

van Meerhaeghe, M. (2012). Globalization: concept, outcome, future-a continental view. European Journal of Law and Economics, 33 (2).