Abstract
Purpose Anti-globalization and protectionism movements have transformed strategic internationalization, international business (IB) student engagement and enrollment growth into very complex endeavors. Whereas the literature is rather scarce on solutions, this paper aims to offer some best practices at a highly ranked IB program that can be very useful to business school leaders.
Design/methodology/approach Descriptive case study of the Fox IB program (Temple University, USA) is based on an inductive approach and the Quality Function Deployment framework to design and internationalize the curriculum. Findings Listening to the voice of the customers through student and employer testimonials, the author found the elements that make an IB program and curriculum successful. Even senior students who are “between opportunities” feel that the new IB curriculum have prepared them well for their career.
Research limitations/implications While the case study methodology is well-suited to understand strategies and processes, this research has natural limitations in terms of generalizability.
Practical implications Academic Directors and business school leaders can use these best practices to innovate, engage their stakeholders and grow enrollments. By increasing job placement opportunities and enrollments, they create a virtuous cycle of success and can obtain additional resources for their program. Social implications The value of management education to society is almost incalculable. IB is an integrative management discipline that is instrumental to the success of the global economy and society.
Originality/value The best practices of the highly ranked Fox IB program and the 21 student and employer testimonials in this case study have never been shared before.
Introduction
Globalization has become the enemy. This provocative statement is demonstrated by antiglobalization movements that have manifested themselves through the surprise 2015 Brexit vote and the 2016 US presidential election. Rooted in international trade, globalization goes back 25,000 years (Contractor, 2012) and should be well-understood and accepted. However, experts around the world have been wrong about this assumption and completely caught by surprise. How can business school leaders increase job placement and enrollments of international business students amidst anti-globalization movements?
Conclusion
Uncertainty is becoming the New Normal. Recent anti-globalization and protectionism movements around the world have not only surprised experts, but also increased the anxiety levels of business school leaders who focus on internationalization and IB education. This paper describes the best practices at a highly-ranked IB program that lead to increased IB enrollments through the lens of an embedded qualitative researcher. We contribute to the field of international education by recommending a new strategic approach to internationalization that leverages curriculum innovation using Quality Function Deployment and stakeholder engagement to help close a gap in the literature.
