On the Horizon

Emerald Article: The Impact of Globalization Tom P. Abeles

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To cite this document: Tom P. Abeles, (2001),"The Impact of Globalization", On the Horizon, Vol. 9 Iss: 2 pp. 2 - 4 Permanent link to this document: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/10748120110803671 Downloaded on: 13-08-2012 Citations: This document has been cited by 1 other documents To copy this document: permissions@emeraldinsight.com This document has been downloaded 10518 times since 2005. *

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Robin Stryker, (1998),"Globalization and the welfare state", International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, Vol. 18 Iss: 2 pp. 1 - 49 http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/01443339810788344 Robert S. Spich, (1995),"Globalization folklore problems of myth and ideology in thediscourse on globalization", Journal of Organizational Change Management, Vol. 8 Iss: 4 pp. 6 - 29 http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/09534819510090196 Richard Kustin, 1993"A Philosophy for Globalization", Marketing Intelligence & Planning, Vol. 11 Iss: 2 pp. 4 - 8 http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/02634509310027873

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On the Horizon The Strategic Planning Resource

for Education Professionals
March/April 2001 Volume 9, Number 2 EDITORIAL BOARD Tom Abeles, Editor
Sagacity,Inc.

FROM THE EDITOR

The Impact of Globalization

Tom P. Abeles
Editor, On the Horizon
tabeles@tmn.com This editorial continues our look at some of the forces that are acting on the university, both internally and externally. Many of these are, in part, self-induced and now move inexorably forward. Like screen agers, we need to nd our way through the academic dungeons and dragons, a world whose rules and playing fields change as we take our tentative steps forward without a safety net. In th is issu e we look at t he impact of g loba lizat ion. In th e next issue we w ill explore the impact of lifelong learning. fundamentals. Rarely are the meta-issues addressed, including the purpose of the university, including who shall profess and to whom, and why. In an increasingly global economy, where an individual can access knowledge anywhere and at any time with the click of a mouse, can the University, as an institution, remain unchanged? Can the institution proceed by just changing its product line, adding and removing courses and programs? The question becomes fundamental when one understands that universities in one country are seeking students, globally, by opening up campuses abroad, by recruiting students to the home campus, and through the development of campuses in cyberspace. This includes public institutions that were created, originally, to serve the needs of the local or regional community and whose programs included requirements in the areas of civics and culture. Additionally, this rush to seek students outside of domestic spatial and cultural domains, has opened the universities

James L. Morrison, Editor emeritus

U C hapel H N -C ill Thomas Athey, Cal Poly U niversity Peter Bishop, U niversity of H ouston-Clear Lak e Arnold Brown, W einer,Edrich &B rown,Inc. Joseph F. Coates, Coates and Jarratt,Inc. James Dator, U niversity of H aii aw Gregg Edwards, Academ for Advanced and y Strategic Studies Jonathan Fife, VirginiaT ech Mike Fitzgerald, Consultant James Forest, Franklin Pierce C ollege Bernard Glassman, N ational Cancer Institute Lawrence Gould, Fort H State U ays niversity Dennis Govoni, Sun M icrosystem s Daniel Neal Graham, N Carolina State orth U niversity Alan Guskin, Antioch U niversity William E. Halal, T G he eorgeW ashington U niversity Wallace Hannum, U C hapel H N -C ill Richard Heydinger, The Public Strategies G roup,Inc. George Kaludis, K aludis Consulting G roup Asterios G. Kefalas, U niversity of G eorgia George Keller, C onsultant James W. King, U niversity of N ebraska-Lincoln Michael D. Kull, Lighthouse Consulting G roup Dale W. Lick, Florida State U niversity Brian Nedwek, Society for College and U niversity Planning Donald M. Norris, Strategic Initiatives,Inc. Terry OBanion, League for Innovation in the Com unity College m Marvin W. Peterson, U niversity of M ichigan James Garner Ptaszynski, M icrosoft Corporation Lewis A. Rhodes, SABU ,Inc. Robert A. Scott, Adelphi U niversity Arthur B. Shostak, D U rexel niversity Richard Alan Slaughter, Sw inburne U niversity David Pearce Snyder, Snyder Fam Enterprises ily William G. Spady, C hange Leaders Nancy Sulla, ID C E orporation Designed and produced by Chameleon, Cambridge O the H n orizon (ISSN 1074-8121) is published bimonthly by Camford Publishing Ltd. Print or online subscription prices for six issues per year are $59.00/39.00 for individuals and $95.00/ 55.00 for institutions. Print + online subscriptions are $99.00/59.00 for individuals and $149.00/ 89.00 for institutions. Prices subject to change. To order, phone, fax or write Camford Publishing Ltd, Sidney House, Sussex Street, Cambridge CB1 1PA, UK (Tel: +44 1223 509161; fax: +44 1223 509162; email: sales@camford.demon.co.uk) or visit our website: http://www.camfordpublishing.com To submit manuscripts, call, write or email: Dr. Tom Abeles, Editor, c/o Sagacity, Inc., 3704 11th Ave South, Minneapolis, MN 55407, USA (Tel: +1 612 823 3154; fax: +1 612 825 6865; email: tabeles@tmn.com). Copyright 2001 Camford Publishing Ltd All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any other means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise without the written permission of the copyright holder.

ducational institutions, high schools, two-year institutions, universities and gradua te sch ools, travel the world competing for stu de nt s. This everincreasing search led to the dismissal of an American professor because, after more than a decade of teaching in a foreign university, she did not have enough experience to teach about a foreign culture. In a global society where institutions from differing cultures are accessible on campuses of clicks and/or bricks, what is the moral obligation of faculty and the institutions providing and certifying knowledge proficiency. Is The Academy operating under laissez faire, or perhaps caveat emptor? Is there an obligation on the part of the faculty or the institutions or both, in multicultural situations? Computer-carrying professionals travel the world and cannot understand why everyone does not want to b e part of the global economy. The U.S. government obtains a patent on the genes of a native living in Central America, historians in a Middl e Eastern cou nt ry v iolently dispute contemporary history, and a court in the Netherlands tries Libyan nationals, under Scottish law, for the bombing of an American plane. Do academics and The Academy have a moral position in a wired world? While these issues require serious thought and intellectual debate, they are largely issues of content. They focus on what is professed, the philosophical issues of truth and similar

Em ployers in the public and private sectors know what skills are needed
to competition, not only from each other, but also from entrepreneurs who see an opportunity to offer knowledge, for a pro t. Perhaps the wiring of the world, making knowledge ubiquitous, has not changed the university but rather forced the institutions to take a serious look at what they are, today, and what they may become by not closely examining what is on the radar screen. For example, employers in the public and private sectors know what skills are needed and where critical information lies. Additionally, much of the basic knowledge that is often taug ht and tested for in schools can be available to anyone at the click of a mouse using portable, wireless, devices.

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Thus, globally, much information, particularly in the applications arena, becomes accessible; and the concept of cou rses or teaching in these areas changes dramatically. It becomes almost institution neutral because of both its accessibility and the just-in-time ability to tailor the materials to the needs of the moment. While information technology eases the accessibility, it, more importantly, points out that this core information is now a commodit y. As with commodities, the value diminishes and product differentiation becomes less important than the access to the materials, as and when needed. This is seen, in the United States, where students take basic courses at low-priced community colleges and then transfer them to major institutions to obtain a degree. Some of these courses are seen, primarily, as requirements to be obtained while others are relevant but obtainable at a lower cost. Similarly, industry has turned to its corporate universities rather than to traditional ins titu tions b ecause t hey ca n focus knowledge directly to their needs rather than having employees take a generic course that has to b e customized in the end.

In a global economy, what is the roll of the, or a university? The president of the Universit y of Califo rnia has a sked that the instit ution find alternatives to standardized entrance examinations and develop criteria that are consistent with competency based K12 programs. Northwestern University professor Roger Schanks parable, Scrooge meets Dick and Jane, advocates a return to the fundamentals advocated by John Dewey; again, a return to contextbased, competency-focused, learning models.

Institutions are becom ing m ore like corporations com plete w ith products and services
These positions argue for an institution that has clearly de ned a niche. It recognizes that an undifferentiated institution, in a global economy, becomes a purveyor of commodities. Whereas, a context-based, competencyfocused program has de ned a position, which, if chosen appropriately, provides a matrix that attracts by the value it provides to the students and their potential employers. This starts to raise some serious issues for the faculty. Today, a faculty member obtains prestige and credence via the publications evaluated by colleagues, globally. Thus the academic has become, in many ways, indifferent to the academic institution. Differentiation is occurring in graduate programs as institutions realize that they must specialize and are unable to support one of everything. Faculty and institutions will have to reach new accommodations. It will now start to lter down to the undergraduate curriculum as knowledge is provided within a contextural focus. This focus mig ht be in disciplina ry specia lties (e.g. bioengineering) or, perhaps, within a regional or international perspective (e.g. ecology or political science). For certain institutions, it might require the reaf rmation between the institution and the State or ties to certain areas of interest of the private sector. What is becoming clearer in a wired environment is that the institut ions a re b ecoming more like

Industry has turned to its corporate universities rather than to traditional institutions because they can focus know ledge directly to their needs
The issue becomes even more interesting when one scans the catalogues of virtual courses being offered by institutions and realizes how many 101 courses are available in all disciplines, particularly those that are not laboratory or space dependent in their delivery. Many disciplines even establish standards so that graduates from different institutions meet uniform requirements and capabilities. In a diverse, wired world, creating intellectual commodities without examination of the purpose of the university may be but one of a number of self-detonating petards. At the other end of the spectrum, one nds that certain institutions, or ones in particular countries, carry greater cachet than others. Regardless of the content provided, it is the degree that becomes important. One graduate of a medallion university stated that the most important part of his degree was an address book of faculty, alumni and in uential students who provided the needed elements to launch his company. Similarly, a Wall Street banker stated that graduates from certain institutions were guaranteed employment in the investment banking community. These are exceptions in a growing sea of intellectual alternatives.

OTH-online
Volumes 8 and 9 of On the Horizon are available online to subscribers who have paid for access. Go to http://www.catchword.com/titles/10748121.htm to register. Past volumes are freely available at http:// www.camfordpublishing.com/oth

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corporations complete with products and services. Unlike early models, the faculty are not responsible to the students, but rather to the institution. Students become consumers whom the institution must satisfy and all the rules a nd processes of the business environment come into perspective. Such a vision may go against the intellectual grain of the a cademics. The possibilities of su ppressing scholarship as well as all the other concomitant perils abound, including revisionist histories, all carried out to harmonize the global differences. On the other hand, academics, globally, seek sinecures, tenure with bene ts similar to others in the private or public sectors. Thus, institutions, globalized, intentionally, or de facto, are transformed, structurally. We are back to the original issue. If institutions do not take the issue of globalization up to the meta level to re-examine their mission, it will be determined by default. For example, there are a number of small liberal arts institutions in the United States that see themselves as being campus-based programs, using information technologies more to meet campus needs than to reach out to the global community. The question that one can ask is whether, by building an intellectual moat arou nd the campu s, these institutions can, like a lost tribe, protect and maintain their cultural integrity. Pandoras box has been opened. Information technologies are only the vehicle for more rapidly releasing the wonders stored therein. Where does the university fit in this spectrum from commodity provider to niche ma rket de veloper? What is a university in a global environment? l

Peer-to-Peer Networking and Lifelong Learning

continued from page 1

Discussion Forum
On the Horizon is sponsoring a discussion forum on The Academy in Times of Change. Readers of On the Horizon who would like to join this debate are invited log onto the Pari Center web site at http://www/paricenter.com/forums/ The forum will focus on the nature of knowledge, scholarship and education in a changing world and the role and impact of the Internet. The intention is to stimulate a broad discussion on knowledge evolution, of which education is a key segment. Hopefully the discussion forum will lay the foundation for a full meeting in the future.

based course of instruction. (Florida High School, a State institution serving over ve thousand students statewide on the Internet, uses P2P software.) Over the next ve years, as peer-to-peer networks become a standard tariffed offering from all information utilities, le-sharing systems will quickly become common features of high school and postsecondary instruction, not only permitting widespread adoption of highly productive team learning and peer tea ching arrangements, b ut a lso engendering a collaborative culture among students in preparation fo r what most management experts believe will necessarily be a more collegial workplace. Such a timely convergence of technical capability and social utility is relatively rare. But for educationespecially higher educationthe advent of peer-to-peer networking at this time must be regarded as truly serendipitous. Technological and economic realities for the next fteen to twenty years dictate that a growing share of higher educations enrollment will be older, working and part-time. Arthur Levine, president of the Teachers College at Columbia University, surveyed a crosssection of this new breed of student to determine what kind of college they would prefer. In a New York Times essay last year, Dr. Levine reported, They told me it should be like the relationship with a utility company, supermarket or bank; their emphasis was on convenience, service, quality and affordability. Levine speculated that the new breed of older working students will gravitate to online instruction, from home or the workplace. In pursuit of these new students, Americas postsecondary institutions have leapt into cyberspace with remarkable zeal during the past three years. The Chronicle of Education estimates that 60 per cent of U.S. colleges and universities now offer online-learning programs, with more coming online every day. It now seems likely that, as with e-tailing, the most successful distance learning operations will be click-and-brick combinations, rather than Net-only operations. Increasingly, however, colleges and universities will nd themselves competing against non-ivy covered bricks in cyberspace, including Dow Jones, Harcourt, and Ernst and Young, among others, plus aggressive hybrids like Phoenix and Sylvan. The odd man out in the emerging picture of 21st century higher education would appear to be the residential campus in general, and the small residential campus in particular. From now on, the implicit laborintensiveness of the campus experienceespecially in a tight labor marketwill inexorably drive the cost

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