Carolyn B. Mueller

Information and Communication Technology in the Classroom: An Empirical Study with an International Perspective

Abstract Researchers posit that the use of information and communication technology (ICT) will revolutionize traditional educational methods in university contexts and change the process of how educators do their job. However, research offers conflicting views regarding the benefits of ICT in the classroom. To better understand the various advantages and disadvantages of using ICT in university teaching, findings of a major cross-sectional empirical study of the perceptions and practices of international business faculty located in fourteen countries are reported. The study identifies obstacles that prevent faculty from successfully using ICT, the level of institutional support provided, faculty intentions to use ICT during the next year, and significant differences by country in the types and amount of ICT faculty use. The primary advantages of using ICT in the classroom appear to be its positive impact on visual as well as audio learners, increased understanding of concepts, added excitement to presentations, and increased student interest. A lack of adequate training and support staff and increased preparation time are identified as the three most significant barriers.

International Joint Venture Top Management Teams: Does Heterogeneity Make a Difference?

This article examines relationships among top-management-team composition, group processes, and the effects of those processes on cohesion for international joint venture teams in Thailand. For culturally diverse teams, demographic elements (member age, length of team tenure, level of education, functional expertise) and cultural characteristics (country of education, nationality, affiliation with a parent organization, primary language spoken) define heterogeneity. Overall, demographic heterogeneity had a significant influence on openness among team members and on cohesion when mediated by openness. Cultural heterogeneity had a significant influence on openness and cohesion among team members, with loyalty and openness having a significant influence on cohesion.

Top management teams of international joint ventures in Thailand: the effects of Heterogeneity on group processes and goal attainment

The relationship between top management team composition, group processes, and the effects of those processes on goal attainment were examined for International Joint Venture (IJV) teams in Thailand. For these culturally diverse teams, heterogeneity was defined by demographic (member age, length of team tenure, education level, functional expertise) and cultural characteristics (country of education, nationality, affiliation with a parent organisation, and primary language spoken.) Overall, demographic heterogeneity most heavily influenced levels of trust, decision quality and decision implementation among team members. Cultural heterogeneity influenced the frequency of communication.

A cross-cultural comparison of problem solving beliefs and behaviours: helping managers understand country differences

This research looked at employee beliefs and behaviours about different problem solving approaches and their effectiveness. A large-scale survey was conducted on employees of 26 organisations located in seven countries Australia, Fiji, France, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, South Korea, and the USA. While significant differences were found among different employee levels in how organisational problems are solved and the quality of those solutions, national culture, or country, appears to be the principal explanatory measure for these differences. The most important findings appear to be that organisations in individualistic nations are moving toward more collectivist approaches to problem solving, employees at all levels in their organisations are involved in problem solving, and problems appear to re-occur most often in US firms and least often in South Korean organisations.

Continuing Controversies and Ethical Issues in Global Marketing Management

The objective of this panel is to generate interest in controversial and ethical issues in Global Marketing Management. Each of the presenters will bring to the session his or her own experience and knowledge about these issues and will demonstrate that conclusions reached are dependent upon a person’s point of view.

Information and Communication Technology in the International Business Classroom: Comparing Faculty and Student Perspectives

ABSTRACT The use of information and communication technology (ICT) is revolutionizing traditional educational methods in university contexts and changing the process of how educators do their jobs. However, research offers conflicting views regarding the benefits of ICT in the classroom. To better understand the various advantages and disadvantages of using ICT, two major cross-sectional studies of the perceptions and practices of international samples of business faculty and students were conducted. The first study, published in this journal, identified perceived obstacles that prevent faculty from successfully using ICT. The second study was of student perceptions. This paper reports the results of that second study and identifies significant differences and similarities between faculty and student ideas of effective ICT use.