Meeting the Needs of Global Companies Through Improved International Business Curriculum

The global workplace requires specific knowledge, skills, and abilities on the part of workers. There is a growing body of research indicating a gap between the global industry demand for skills and the higher education system's ability to supply that demand. Leveraging the work from Yu, Guan, Yang, and Chiao (2005) and Prestwich and Ho-Kim (2007), this study investigated this gap. The sample included global leaders of Fortune 500 companies. Exploratory in nature, the primary purpose of this study was to understand the needs of global business organizations that form the hiring market for international business graduates. The findings highlight the gap between the topics being taught by educators and the skills actually needed by the target international businesses. This information is relevant to the challenges facing global businesses as well as higher education institutions and provides insights into improvements for the good of both industries and especially the students aiming for careers in global organizations.