International Case Studies for Promoting Intercultural Competence and Social Responsibility in University Students

Archimedes David Guerra*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to conferenceConference abstract

Abstract

More and more, institutions of higher learning have been tasked to prepare graduates for an increasingly global and inclusive working environment through an internationalized curriculum. Indeed, “internationalization of higher education” and “globalization” have increasingly been cited together in curriculum design and policy discussions. Research on the internationalization of higher education has been dominated by two primary approaches: a process-focused approach referred to as internationalizing the curriculum, and an outcome based approach which centers on measuring and enhancing the intercultural competence of learners. This study investigates how a specific approach to internationalizing the curriculum—the use of international case studies in teaching marketing and entrepreneurship courses—may contribute to the intercultural competence and social responsibility of learners.

Case studies in marketing and entrepreneurship from countries such as the Philippines, Thailand, and India were used in three sections of undergraduate university students in Hong Kong. At the end of the term, 60 students participated in the study by completing a questionnaire which measured the influence of the use of international case studies on social responsibility and three intercultural competence constructs, namely: “knowing”, or complexity of thinking; “knowledge” of intercultural issues; and “affect”, which pertains to respect and acceptance of cultural differences. Participants in the study scored significantly higher than the scale neutral point across all four measures. In addition, using regression analysis, knowing, knowledge, and affect were found to be significant predictors of social responsibility.

This study contributes to the literature of the internationalization of teaching and learning and the practice of international curriculum design. The results highlight the potential of international course materials such as case studies as an alternative tool for promoting intercultural competence among university students. In addition, the link between awareness and acceptance of “other” cultures and social responsibility, which the study suggests, further strengthen the importance of the internationalization of teaching and learning in nurturing global-minded future leaders.
Original languageEnglish
Publication statusPublished - 1 Dec 2021
Event16th eLearning Forum Asia, eLFA 2021 - Virtual, Jakarta, Indonesia
Duration: 30 Nov 20211 Dec 2021
https://www.elfasia.org/2021/
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mPWlye0rGECktdgbRJTgnuu9AtEYHL3X/view (Abstract book)
https://www.elfasia.org/2021/?page_id=2716 (Link to conference programme)

Forum

Forum16th eLearning Forum Asia, eLFA 2021
Abbreviated titleeLFA 2021
Country/TerritoryIndonesia
CityJakarta
Period30/11/211/12/21
Internet address

User-Defined Keywords

  • intercultural competence
  • internationalization of teaching and learning
  • social responsibility

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