Abstract
Global mindset is a set of competencies that improves the ability of individuals to operate and compete globally and was related to multiple positive individual and organizational outcomes. Increasingly, business education is expected to develop global mindset among business students. The chapter introduces global virtual teams of X-Culture project as a possible substitute to the development of global mindset through international travel such as study abroad and reciprocal exchange programs. The experiences of students in global virtual teams and their impact on global mindset development are discussed. The chapter described additional assignments that can be used in conjunction with global virtual teams to emphasize skills and competencies associated with the global mindset. In conclusion, teaching strategies and tools that enhance development of global mindset in online classrooms are discussed.
TopGlobal Mindset
The dynamic and complex contemporary business world is defined by globalization. In such an environment, a global mindset was identified as a main competitive advantage of managers and organizations they are leading. Managers with a global mindset are uniquely positioned to deal with multinational corporations that are characterized by flexible structures, multicultural workforce, and complex and varied organizational environments in different countries. Managers in global companies are increasingly exposed to pressures of global integration and local responsiveness, are required to manage relationships with a variety of stakeholders around the world, while at the same time integrating geographically distant operations and culturally diverse workforce (Levy, Taylor, Boyacigiller, and Beechler, 2007). Prior literature suggests that an individual with a global mindset is culturally adaptable and has an acute sense of the global business environment. In other words, the two overarching concepts that characterize the global mindset are the capacity to process and analyze global business information and the capacity to develop relationships with stakeholders around the world (Bouquet, 2005). Therefore, the existing research agrees on two broad facets of global mindset: cultural intelligence and global business orientation (Story et al., 2014).
Key Terms in this Chapter
Learning Styles: Preferred ways of absorbing, processing and retaining information in learning situations.
Global Business Orientation: Capacity to process and analyze global business information, awareness and knowledge of global markets and practices.
Global Mindset: Cognitive ability characterized by an openness to articulation of multiple cultural and strategic realities and ability to integrate across this multiplicity.
Cultural Intelligence: Ability of an individual to function and manage effectively across cultures, capacity to develop relationships with people around the world.
Study Abroad Programs: Educational activities outside of the home country which allow students to live and study in a foreign country.
Reflection: Developing an understanding through serious thought or consideration of an activity.
Global Virtual Teams: Virtual collaboration projects where a group of people work on interdependent tasks across space, time and organizational boundaries using communication technology.
Experiential Learning: An active learning process that is based on earning by doing.