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Journal of Education for Business

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Internationalizing the Business Program—A

Perspective of a Small School

Anand Shetty & Fredrica Rudell

To cite this article: Anand Shetty & Fredrica Rudell (2002) Internationalizing the Business Program—A Perspective of a Small School, Journal of Education for Business, 78:2, 103-110, DOI: 10.1080/08832320209599706

To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/08832320209599706

Published online: 31 Mar 2010.

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Internationalizing

the Business Program-

A

Perspective of a Small School

ANAND SHElTY

FREDRICA RUDELL

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Iona College

New Rochelle, New

York

usiness is being rapidly globalized

B

because extending business abroad has become both desirable and feasible in today’s world. To succeed in this endeavor, businesses need more than well-made products and well-designed services. Among other things, their suc- cess depends on market selection and understanding the business environment in these markets. Successful globalization requires skills in managing functional areas such as marketing and finance as well as awareness of international differences in the way business is managed and how people interact. It also calls for skills to deal with three distinct types of risks: currency risk, market risk, and political risk. We have seen these risks tested during the recent financial crises in Asia and elsewhere.

Businesses depend on business schools to meet their need for managers with global business skills. Past surveys of employers indicate that they continue to expect academic institutions to provide basic training and their graduates to have expertise in international business issues in spite of the fact that most academic institutions have always believed in on-the-job training for busi-

ness students (Ball

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& McCulloch, 1993; Nehrt, 1977; Reynolds & Rice, 1988;

Ricks & Czinkota, 1979). Therefore, the role of business schools in supplying majors with international expertise and

ABSTRACT.

The internationaliza- tion of the business curriculum is a

strategic change that business schools must embrace if they are to prepare students for careers in a global busi- ness environment. Various approaches to internationalization exist, but they depend on the availability of resources, administrative commit- ment, and the level of internationaliza- tion that the school wants to achieve. In this article, the authors review vari- ous aspects of internationalizing a business program and describe the experience of a small private college. the ability to deal with the complexity of the changing business environment has become ever more important.

The internationalization of business education is an obligation that business schools cannot afford to ignore. It is a strategic change for the future well- being of business schools, and it also has implications for the competitive advantage of the United States in the 21st century. Since 1974, the Associa- tion to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) International has required its member business schools to increase international business content and address global issues in their curricula. Over the years, numerous authors have emphasized in academic journals the importance of internationalizing business education at all levels and for all students (see Aranda, Golen, &

Brennenstuhl, 1991; Boatler, 1992;

Efendioglu, 1989; Fleming, Shooshtari,

& Wallwork, 1993).

In spite of the recognition of the need to internationalize, surveys and studies indicate that the progress of internationalization in U.S. business schools has

been slow both in terms of curricula available to students and in comparison with European business schools (Kedia, 1993; Kwok & Arpan, 1994; Nehrt, 1987; Porter & McKibbin, 1988). White and Griffith (1998) stated that the majority of the schools that have internationalized their programs have done so to only a small extent, and the course content lacks the practical orientation needed to produce high quality global managers. On the basis of the responses to a more recent survey of multinational employers (both U.S. and non-U.S.), Webb, Mayer, Pioche, and Allen (1999) concluded that business schools do not currently graduate an adequate number of students who are capable of handling entry-level and mid-level international business responsibilities.

A 2001 AACSB survey of member colleges and universities showed differences in diffusion and method of internationalization between large and small schools. Of the 379 usable responses to the survey, 198 could be classified as coming from small schools (fewer than 50 full-time faculty members), and 18 1

from large schools (50 or more full-time

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NovembedDecember 2002 103

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faculty members). Table 1 contains data showing the percentage of small and large schools that have put a major (or minor) emphasis on the internationalization of their undergraduate and graduate programs.

As expected, large colleges and universities are much more likely than small schools to offer students the choice of a major or minor in international business. They are twice as likely to offer an undergraduate major in international business, and four times more likely to offer a graduate major. Clearly, there is a gap that needs to be filled if small schools are to catch up to their larger counterparts in providing international business preparation to their students.

The purpose of our research was to review various aspects of internationalizing a business program and to relate these aspects to the experience of a small school with limited resources. In the past, literature on this subject has mostly focused on how internationalization issues have been addressed by large business schools that often have access to substantial resources. We believe a review of the internationalization experience of a small school will add to the existing literature. In this article, we review the essentials of a comprehensive internationalization plan, including the issues that need to be addressed for each component, and we detail the experience of Iona College in its implementation of an internationalization program. Finally, we provide suggestions for other small schools moving toward the internation-

alization of their business program.

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Internationalization of Business Curriculum

Beamish (1993, p. 153) defined internationalization as “the evolving aware-

ness and acknowledgement by the man- ager/organization/country of the impact of non-domestic forces on its economic future and the translation of the latter into new attitudes and behavior regarding the establishment and conduct of transactions with those in, and from other countries.” In the context of business schools, this means a necessary evolution of awareness and an acknowledgement by the faculty, and ultimately by students, of that impact, followed by the building of an education program that trains people to manage business in the changing environment. Internation- alization is not an end in itself, but a means to an end. The purpose of internationalizing business education is to increase the competence of the managers trained by business schools for doing business globally. This goal has been widely recognized, and there is no debate about whether or not to internationalize. The real issue, however, has been what is the best strategy for internationalizing business education.

A number of researchers have exam- ined the whys and hows of internationalizing business education (see Aggarwal,

1989; Anderson

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& Priovolos, 1996;

&an, Folks, & Kwok, 1993; Contrac- tor, 1997; Daniels, 1993; Johnson &

Mader, 1992; Kedia & Cornwall, 1994; Rugman, 1992/1993). It is the question of how that has preoccupied the thinking at the majority of business schools in the United States, evident from the variety of approaches that have been tried. Kwok and Arpan (1994) pointed out that no sin- gle approach has proven optimal for all schools, and internationalization efforts continue to fall short of fulfilling the need for business personnel who can understand and deal with the global context of doing business.

Given the complexity of the issue,

TABLE 1. Internationalization Emphasis by Size of School

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Small schools Large schools

Program Major Minor Major Minor Undergraduate 16.2% 13.1% 32.0% 19.3%

Graduate 5.1% 6.1% 2 1 .O%

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24.9%

Note. Percentages based on data provided by AACSB.

each school has to decide its own strategy, depending on the availability of

resources and other inputs needed for its implementation. The internationalization of business education in the past has occurred at four levels. One group of schools has settled for infusing international dimensions into their business program at the minimal level. A second group has required specialized courses in international business either in the core or in the functional area, with or without infusion. A third group has invested a large amount of resources in the internationalization program and created an elaborate structure to offer degrees in international business at the undergraduate or graduate level or both. A fourth group, small in number, has established comprehensive internationalization programs with overseas linkages and joint degree offerings.

Past internationalization efforts and the literature on the subject suggest that a typical plan for the internationalization of business education should include

1. a mission statement and identifica- tion of internationalization goals;

2. an organizational structure for internationalizing the business education;

3. the internationalization of faculty and administration;

4. the internationalization of curricu-

lum; and

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5. the internationalization of students.

Mission and Objectives

The mission statement must identify and state goals for internationalization. Arpan (1993) identified three primary goals: awareness, understanding, and competency. The first refers to the development of faculty and student awareness of how the economies of the world are interconnected and of the business opportunities such interconnectedness offers. The second goes beyond awareness to understanding international business issues. The third goal is the most ambitious one. It involves building necessary skills and competencies to manage international business. The achievement of these goals differs in terms of the amount of resources required and the degree of commitment by the school administration.

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The goals, therefore, can range from increasing student awareness and understanding of differences in international cultures and the way these differences affect business practices, at the mini- mum, to providing training and developing expertise for handling international operations. Faculty involvement in international research should also be pursued if the goal is more ambitious than awareness and understanding. According to Kwok and Arpan (1994), the response of most schools in their sample indicated that they sought little more than to create in their students a general awareness of the global business environment. The percentage of schools seeking to achieve understanding and expertise in international business was generally lower in

the United States than in Europe.

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Organizational Structure

The internationalization of a business program requires an administrative struc-

ture. Someone must be placed in charge

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of implementing, monitoring, and evalu-

ating the program. The school’s goal, the size of the program, and the availability of resources influence the organizational structure. The structure issue is also related to the controversy about the status of international business as a separate discipline. The structure could take the form of a director of international programs, an international program committee, an international institute/center, or a full-fledged international department. Initially, a committee structure in which business faculty formed a think tank seemed to work well for most institutions (Arpan, 1993).

Kwok and Arpan (1994) reported that the majority of respondents to their survey did not believe that international business was a separate academic discipline. Most business schools preferred to provide recognition to international specialists within a functional academic field, and almost half the respondents would charge a specif- ic person or group with the responsibil-

ity for internationalization.

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Faculty and Administration

The faculty and administration must develop an appreciation of the need for

and the direction of movement toward internationalization and must build a greater depth of knowledge of the changing business environment, its consequences, and potential remedies. To do this, they must overcome a number of obstacles such as inertia, behav- ioral resistance, the lack of capacity, and the lack of support and incentives

(Beamish, 1993).

No one doubts the importance of faculty involvement in the internationalization of business education. Unless the faculty are retrained or retooled it will not happen, because most business school faculty are not in a position to impart international knowledge and vision if they do not possess it. Faculty are frequently torn between the need to focus on the functional field in which they tend to be evaluated for tenure and promotion and the need to focus on international dimensions of their functional field to which they may be expected to devote more of their attention under the increasing internationalization program. This dilemma must be addressed. Cavusgil(1993) outlines the following strategies for involving the faculty:

identifying key people in each functional area to get involved in international business education and research;

providing the faculty with international experience through travel, training programs, and faculty exchange programs;

receiving the dean’s support at all levels;

recognizing achievement in the international area in tenure and promotion consideration; and

enlisting local business support for research and other collaborative work.

Kwok and Arpan (1994) report that insufficient faculty interest ranked as the second most important obstacle to internationalization in the United States. European schools were more likely to pay special attention to internationalization activities as a formal component in faculty performance evaluations and in promotion and tenure decisions. When asked about avenues for internationalizing business faculty, multinational employers

responding to a survey by Webb et al. (1 999) ranked “first-hand experience” over “matching research efforts to the needs of international business” and “faculty and international executives should exchange place temporarily.”

Internationalization

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of Curriculum

The Center for International Business Education and Research (CIBER) agenda has emphasized the need to include two foci in the teaching and training of students: (a) the functional areas of

business in a global context and (b) the environment (culture, customs, and languages) in which international business is transacted. A balanced training mix of this sort will allow students to acquire analytical skills as well as cultural sensitivity. Real-world projects, especially involving another country, and international case studies would further enhance students’ preparedness.

The method a school adopts to achieve curriculum internationalization would depend on the school’s goal. Arpan (1993) discusses four major methods-infusion, international courses, concentration (majors), and specialized degree programs-that schools may consider for curriculum internationalization. Greater resources and commitments are required to move from the infusion method to the specialized degree program. According to Kwok and Arpan (1994), most schools responding to their survey had adopted one of the following approaches: (a) infusing international dimensions in existing courses, (b) making all business majors take one general international business course, (c) requiring that all students take one international specialization course in their major field, and (d) requiring students to take one inter- nationally oriented course outside the business school.

The results of the survey by Webb et al. (1999) indicate that multinational employers consider a diverse education- al background (language skills, foreign culture, foreign history, international aspects of various functional areas of business, etc.) such as the one provided by an interdisciplinary program important for functioning effectively in international business.

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Internationalization of

Students

The combination of academic programs and exposure to foreign cultures enhances student awareness and sensitivity to crosscultural differences and their managerial implications. Culture has an impact on how people think, work, solve problems, respond to authority, value work, and set norms. A large number of foreign students on

campus exposes

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U.S. students to foreign people and culture. A potentially

important component of internationalizing students could be a well-orga- nized program for studying abroad. The provision of opportunities for overseas internship or study is a very effective way of broadening and deep- ening students’ understanding of the nature and significance of international business.

The establishment of partnerships with overseas business schools is anoth- er powerful tool to increase the global orientation of business education. Over- seas linkages can take several forms, from student exchange programs to common business education and degree programs. Which form a school should adopt depends on its need, size, mission, and aspiration. A second issue associated with overseas linkages is location, which may be guided by such considerations as the importance of the country to local business. A third issue is the cost. Kwok and Arpan (1994) reported that a substantial number of business schools belonged to one or more consortia for the conduct of international business education and that at least one third of respondent institutions

offered internships to their students.

Internationalization at lona College

Iona College, located in New Rochelle, New York, is a college in the tradition of the Christian Brothers and American Catholic Higher Education offering undergraduate and graduate degrees in liberal arts and business. The AACSB-accredited Hagan School of Business currently serves about 1,000 undergraduate and 325 MBA students drawn mostly from the sur- rounding region.

Mission and Objectives

In 1987, a core group of faculty of the Hagan School of Business formed a committee to spearhead and promote internationalization efforts. Most of these faculty members were themselves from other countries, and they recognized the need to prepare students for careers in an increasingly global marketplace. In the early years, they focused on developing awareness of and appreciation for the need for internationalization of business curriculum and to enlist broader faculty support. Their efforts eventually led to the introduction of an interdisciplinary undergraduate international business (IB) major in 1989 to allow selected students to achieve competency in international business. The degree program quickly became very popular, primarily among international students. The continued efforts of this group also led to the inclusion of an international business concentration in the school’s MBA program in 1993.

The internationalization efforts took on new urgency when Iona entered candidacy for AACSB accreditation in 1994 under the new standards, because globalization was one of the perspectives expected to enhance the business curriculum. In support of a new college mission statement adopted in May, 1995, the Hagan School of Business sought to produce “graduates and future leaders who understand business and its social responsibilities, work productive- ly in a high technology and culturally diverse society, demonstrate awareness

of the global character of business, and

subscribe to high ethical standards” (emphasis ours).

As expressed in the brochure for IB majors, the objectives of the IB program have been to provide a rigorous, prag- matic course of study in international business; to develop knowledgeable, highly skilled, and well-rounded indi- viduals who will become leaders in the emerging global business environment; and to promote better understanding of the interdependencies that exist in today’s global marketplace.

The program was designed as an interdisciplinary major taught by faculty from different departments. The

school was able to commandeer additional resources for training and intensi- fying its efforts in this direction.

Organizational Structure

The International Business Commit- tee, formed in 1987 with voluntary members from different disciplines and one of them acting as the director, took responsibility for overseeing and coordinating internationalization efforts, including the IB major. In 1997, as part of restructuring of the Business School, the committee’s membership and processes were formalized. The Interna- tional Business Program Coordination Committee was created to replace the old committee, and it currently consists of two members from each of four departments. The International Business Club advisor is an ex officio member of the committee, and all faculty engaged in teaching and researching in international subjects are invited to sit in on meetings.

As a result of the 1997 restructuring, the undergraduate IB major is formally housed in the marketing department, which became the Department of Mar- keting and International Business. In theory, responsibility for the interdisciplinary IB major continues to rotate among departments, with one of the department members acting as the coordinator, as it had since 1987. However, largely for reasons of convenience, since 1998 the coordinator has been a member of the marketing faculty. This person has the primary (but not exclu- sive) responsibility for advising IB majors and coordinating IB course scheduling (to avoid conflicts); he or she also represents the IB major at college open houses and information ses- sions and chairs committee meetings.

The committee, which meets at least once per semester, serves as an advisory board. It oversees and makes recom- mendations regarding major requirements; monitors student enrollment, advisement, and performance; promotes creation of IB courses and recommends modifications of existing ones; encour- ages international faculty development and training; and serves as a forum for the exchange of information related to international teaching and research.

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Faculty and Administration

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The experience of Iona in getting faculty involved in the internationalization efforts is no different from that facing other schools. Iona was subject to the same forces of inertia and fears of cannibalization by the introduction of a competing IB major that other schools have faced. Until the time Hagan entered AACSB candidacy, internationalization efforts remained confined to the core group. Following Iona’s candidacy, all faculty were encouraged to seek additional international training and to participate in foreign travel opportunities and exchange programs. With the full support of the dean and administration, 10 faculty members

have been sent to training programs, and

2 went abroad to teach with Fulbright

fellowships. Hagan faculty research seminars have been used for sharing their experiences, which has further helped to spread awareness of these initiatives and opportunities to the rest of the faculty.

The training also resulted in the development of additional courses to address the international dimensions of each discipline, from international advertising to international business law, and to promote international-based research and publishing initiatives. The infusion of international perspectives through the entire curriculum expected by AACSB required that all faculty find ways to address the international aspects of their own disciplines through lectures, cases, readings, and assignments. Aside from those receiving formal training, for the most part this was accomplished by indi- vidual self-education. Faculty members relied on materials supplied by publish- ers, who were already integrating global perspectives into all textbooks and Inter- net resources.

Curriculum

The Hagan School adopted a broad approach for internationalizing its curriculum. At the level of infusion, in the years preceding and during the 5-year period of its AACSB candidacy, steps were taken to include relevant international business themes, concepts, and examples in all graduate and undergrad-

uate courses. Though available to all undergraduates, a general introductory international business course (BEC325) is required only for IB (and business administration) majors. An international course in each discipline is now part of the requirement for students majoring in finance, management, and marketing.

The requirement for the interdisciplinary undergraduate IB major has evolved over the years, initially requiring one area-study course from the International Studies Department of the School of Arts and Science and an international business policy course. At present, majors must take the introductory IB course as well as the core international courses in marketing, management, and finance, and three additional upper-level IB electives from a list of departmental offerings, which has now grown to include topics such as international human resource management and international accounting. Any of these can also be taken by non-IB majors to satisfy their own major or business elective requirements. Semester-long internships can be taken for IB elective credit in the finance, management, or marketing departments if the positions are suf- ficiently international in nature ( e g , working in an export department of a firm). IB majors are encouraged to develop fluency in one or two foreign languages and to participate in a study abroad program, but neither is a requirement for graduation.

Infusion of international perspectives is the main method of building international awareness and understanding in the Hagan graduate program. Although a major concentration in international business was introduced in 1993, this was replaced by a certificate program in 1998 as part of a revamping of the MBA program. At the present time, MBA students may only choose concentrations (four courses above the core course) in the traditional business disciplines of finance, human resource management, information and decision technology management (IDTM), management, or marketing. A student seeking international business competency may take four international courses in any discipline and earn a separate international business certificate, either in cornbina- tion with the MBA or as a five-course

post-master’s certificate. This has become a popular option for students, and approximately 20% of the most recent graduating class of MBAs have earned the IB certificate. It also elimi- nates the potential for cannibalization of traditional majors by a separate IB major that sometimes presents a dilemma for faculty and administrators.

Students

For creating an interest in an international business program, the Hagan School of Business relies on a relatively small population of foreign students and its active and popular Study Abroad program, now ongoing for more than a decade. In earlier years, students would stay abroad for a semester, studying part of the time in Ireland and the rest in Brussels, Belgium. Currently, students may choose to spend a semester in Ire- land or Australia, 5 weeks in Italy, or a

1 -week intensive program on both sides

of the Mexican border, while earning course credit toward their BBA degrees. Or they may link up with a study abroad program sponsored by another university. Members of the Iona faculty also organize short noncredit foreign trips that the students can join. An additional method used for exposing students to the international aspects of business outside the traditional classroom environment is through activities and guest speakers sponsored by the International Business Club. And proximity to New York City, with 40% of its population foreign born, offers many opportunities to learn about other cultures and customs.

Summer session courses that include a travel component are popular with MBA students, and at least one is offered each year. Students have com- bined study and first-hand experience of international business in the Czech Republic, Scandinavia, Japan, and Italy. In the early 1990s, Iona was one of the first U.S. business schools to have a joint program in Russia, with the Plekhanov Institute in Moscow as its partner. Hagan faculty were sent to Moscow to teach for 2 weeks at a time, and Russian students spent one semester at Iona completing their MBA degrees. Financial problems at Plekhanov and other resource constraints eventually ended that partner-

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ship, and Hagan has been exploring other opportunities to establish joint programs and faculty and student exchange with foreign institutions. At the time of this writing, an agreement for a joint program with Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas in Lima, Peru is being completed. A summary of the internationalization program is present-

ed in Table

2.

Discussion and Implications for

Other Schools

Although the external validity of this illustration may be limited because of the unique circumstances that exist for each school, we feel that there are valu- able lessons to be learned from our experience at Iona.

The internationalization of the business program at Hagan is no small achievement, given the environment and constraints we had to deal with. For a business school in a small private college, with a limited pool of resources, catering primarily to students drawn from neighboring areas, and with an insignificant presence of

foreign students on campus, the task of initiating an internationalization program was not easy. The core group of faculty, who acted as change agents in the past, continue to spearhead Hagan’s internationalization program. Today, almost all Hagan faculty appear to accept, reluctantly or otherwise, that internationalization of the business program is an important part of AACSB guidelines for continuous improvement and that a strategic change must be embraced.

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For a small school with limited resources and without much experience in internationalization, a first step would be to identify a group of faculty who are interested and willing to commit their time and efforts in this direction. They may need some incentive either in the form of additional compensation or recognition of their efforts at the time of promotion or tenure consideration. One way of getting the faculty motivated and involved at the outset is to send some faculty to attend development programs for international business offered by universities with CIBER centers. It is not excessively expensive, and it generally

TABLE 2. Internationalization Program Summary

Internationalization HagadIona

plan components Issues/methods implementation Mission and

objectives Organizational structure Faculty and

administration

Internationalization of curriculum Internationalization

of students

Global awareness, understanding, or expertise Program director,

committee, institute, or

department

Faculty involvement, training, incentives, administrative support Infusion, international courses, major/ concentration, or

specialized degree programs

Awareness

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and sensitivity

to crosscultural differences, foreign students, study abroad

programs, partnerships

with overseas schools

Awareness, understanding for

all; competency/expertise for IB majors

Interdisciplinary major housed

in marketing and IB department; IB coordinator; interdisciplinary “think-tank‘’ committee Faculty development through formal training, travel,

self-education; international course development, research Infusion; general IB course;

IB courses in finance, management, and marketing majors;

interdisciplinary IB major for

undergrads; IB certificate for

MBAs; PMC

Semester, summer-term, or

1-week intensive study abroad;

MBA courses with travel

component; IB Club; foreign partnerships

has a positive impact on the faculty. Periodic meetings of the committee in charge of internationalization and pre- sentations by invited speakers can also help to enhance the cause of internationalization. Organizing an international day celebration with ethnic food and dis- plays brings faculty and students togeth- er and increases their interest.

It is also very important that the administration, dean, and provost (or chief academic officer) be interested and committed to the cause of planning for the internationalization of the business program. Over the years, much support for internationalization at Iona has been received from the dean and the administration, and, of course, AACSB candidacy helped to accelerate the process and increase resource alloca- tion. If the school is not currently an AACSB accredited school, the internationalization of its business program will help its future accreditation efforts, as AACSB standards for accreditation require undergraduate and graduate curricula to include international perspectives that form the context for business (AACSB International, 2001).

On the curriculum side of internationalization, there are many approaches to choose from. A school’s choice should be guided by such factors as its mission, its resources, and its student population. The easiest and least expensive option is the integration of international dimensions into the existing fields of business studies. The fact that an increased number of textbooks and cases in all disciplines now include international dimensions is of great help for a faculty with little or no formal training in this area.

If enough resources are available both in terms of faculty and administration, offering degree programs may be considered. Though offering a major degree program in international business at the undergraduate level is not as common for small colleges as it is for large ones, continued student interest has made it viable for Hagan. The Hagan interdisciplinary IB major continues to draw some of the brightest students and to garner high levels of satis- faction, as demonstrated by outside benchmarking studies (AACSBWBI, 2000). At the graduate level, the IB cer-

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tificate program and PMC (postmaster’s certificate) in international business have been popular, and we expect them to remain so. Setting up a separate MBA in IB appears to be beyond our resources and capabilities at this junc- ture, and there is also a question as to whether it would have any advantage over the current system, which offers students an MBA in a discipline with an IB certificate at no extra charge.

If staffing with qualified faculty is a problem, a school can often get help from experienced executives in the business community. If a school is located near a metropolitan center, it is easy to recruit adjunct faculty with rich international experience. There are at least one or two faculty members in each Hagan department with international expertise, but adjuncts are sometimes used to ensure coverage of international course offerings.

Having a body of international students is always helpful. Foreign students usually tend to major in international business and provide good exposure to other cultures for the local students. They and the international faculty surely provide those informal interpersonal con- tacts needed to heighten awareness of other cultures and deepen interest in the global nature of business among faculty and students alike. Because of its location in the New York metropolitan area, Iona can expect its foreign student population to grow in the future.

A variety of study-abroad options (semester, summer term, winter session) are available for students at Iona. Schools that lack their own international study program now have the ability to link their students with international study programs of other colleges. Active promotion and encouragement helps to increase student participation in the programs offered by their own or

other schools.

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Summary

The globalization of business demands that business schools internationalize their curricula. Schools that have internationalized their programs have attempted to raise levels of awareness, understanding, or competency, depending on institutional commitment

and available resources. The Hagan School of Business wanted to internationalize its program although we were well aware of our limitations. Interna- tionalization was initiated by a core group of faculty, and, consistent with the college and school mission, its primary focus has been on awareness and understanding. After trying different organizational structures over the years, the international business program is now housed in the Marketing and Interna- tional Business Department. It is over- seen by a coordinator and an interdisciplinary “think tank” type committee.

Faculty development, predominantly through formal training and travel, has been one of the strong points of globalization efforts at Iona, thanks to the support of the college and business school administration. The result has been an increase in international course development and research. Internationalization of the curriculum has been achieved at two levels: an infusion in all courses to facilitate awareness and understanding; and the establishment of an international business major and MBA certificate for specialization and intensive study by a selected group of students. Although we have experimented with a joint program in the past, at the present time opportunities for undergraduate study abroad and MBA courses with travel components are the chief means of internationalizing the students.

Although there is always room for improvement, and there are challenges to be met, the experience with internationalization at Iona has been one of persistence and perseverance, thanks to the efforts of a dedicated group of faculty. Iona has achieved its objectives in a manner that is satisfying to students and faculty alike.

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