| Chapter 2: | The Challenge of Globalization |
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Similarly, according to Meiland (2003):
We’re living in a special time, with our minds on war and terrorism, and we’re losing sight of the reality of globalization. But we should pay attention, because national barriers are quickly coming down. If you look ahead five to ten years, the people with the top jobs in large corporations, even in the United States, will be those who have lived in several cultures and who can converse in at least two languages. Most CEO’s will have had true global exposure, and their companies will be all the stronger for it. (p. 45).
Education and educators can offer the most effective solution to the challenge of globalization. According to Willen (2004), a group of business schools including the Wharton School, Harvard University, Northwestern University, the University of Michigan, Notre Dame University, the University of Minnesota, Pennsylvania State University and the University of Virginia in Charlottesville along with a group of corporate leaders are creating an institute for corporate ethics. This group is aware of the need to strengthen ethics requirements in their business programs. Given the problems in corporate America, and in the world today, a strong union between business and ethics in order to restore public trust is urgently needed. If the group is successful, they will affect not only national business endeavors, but also those on a global scale.
In questioning whether there should be a universal ethical standard, Grugal (2004), pointed out that values such as dependability and honesty travel a long way with anyone. He further stated that one thing that has strengthened his advocacy for a single worldwide standard of ethics is the global nature of business today. A company’s reputation for integrity or the lack of it travels with that company wherever it does business.
Conclusions
Defining the word “globalization” is not an easy task. Often times, it is paradoxical, but surely, it is here to stay. It is both a fact and an