VIEWS OF DIVERSE GROUPS OF INTERNATIONAL AND AMERICAN STUDENTS CONCERNING BUSINESS, CULTURAL, AND ETHICAL ISSUES

摘要

University programs have a growing number of students from all around the world, making it important to consider the perspectives of these students to maximize their learning experiences. As manufacturing and business activities and operations become increasingly global, the opportunity for interaction with these students gives all of our students, including traditional North American students, the opportunity to learn about other cultures and their impact on business and business ethics. It is far too easy to assume mistakenly that all students view class topics from the traditional Canadian and United States perspective, or even that all North American students share a common viewpoint. As manufacturing and distribution becomes increasingly global, incorporation of international perspectives will benefit all students, including those with the attitudes of the dominant North American culture. Because our Masters in Manufacturing Engineering Technology program includes students from around the world, and most students in the program feel comfortable with each other and the faculty, this gives us an excellent opportunity to use our courses to study and share some of the different attitudes and perspectives. Our results presented here (based on limited and anecdotal data) highlight how the business, cultural, and ethical perspectives of these students differ, and the impact on how these topics should be taught in order adequately to prepare our students for global business. Although the sample size was too small for statistical analysis, the exercise provided valuable insights and learning opportunities. We will continue to address these cultural issues in future classes.