International business majors understand the globalization effect
There’s no single definition for the word “Globalization.” For me, it is the free interaction among people of different ethnicities. For others, it might be “The close integration of countries and people of the world driven by the rapid improvement in communications technology and transportation.” There are so many answers and one could start to see the world as being “flat,” where the playing field is becoming level as the world becomes a global marketplace. For people who don’t believe the world is flat, the International Festival at Florida Tech is a vibrant message to them. Mr. Timothy Muth, a global and international business professor at Florida Tech, said “It’s a great idea to have the International Festival on campus, and I wish all students would attend to learn about other people’s culture.” A great learning experience can be had by international business majors as well.
When I attended the International Festival, I was thrilled to see how different cultures were represented by their traditional clothing. There’s a student who took several courses with me last semester, and seeing how she dressed for class, I thought she was American. When I went to the festival, I found out she was an international student just like me! So many people acclimate themselves to the American culture, to the point where you are surprised to find out that they are an international student.
There’s another aspect of the festival that really hit me. So, the world is flat, and I know it; I see that. However, bringing it to the business world can be scary for those that do not have any experience dealing with other cultures. How does someone go about being successful in such a flat world? To me, this is a crucial question. I asked Mr. Muth and he answered “Be open to differences. Don’t judge before you understand. Talk to a foreign student. Try something new Take a trip to another country.”
If we break the whole thing down, here’s what we get: The International Festival opens up the communications between different cultures that one might not have ever been exposed to. While having fun, you are also acquiring the tools for a successful career by being able to interact with others, try their food, and hear their language and song. If you think it’s not important or don’t want to interact with people of other ethnicities, then Mr. Muth would tell you that “Globalization is not going away, so everyone needs to understand how they can survive and thrive in a globalized world.”
Any of Mr. Muth’s international business majors have anything to add about globalization?
