Intercultural Leadership

Journal of International Business and Cultural Studies

Educating global leaders: Exploring intercultural competence in leadership education
Irving, Justin A.
Bethel University
Abstract
The globalization of the world has brought about massive shifts over the past two decades. With the increase of international travel, the quantum leaps in global communication brought about by the World Wide Web and the increasingly interdependent global economy, the way leaders and organizations approach business has dramatically changed. While intercultural competence was once viewed as something only necessary for those engaged in direct international relations, today organizations face a need to equip the majority of their leaders and staff in effective intercultural competence. This paper focuses on providing an overview of intercultural competence, engaging its critical importance for leaders, and providing examples and recommendations for how educational institutions may approach the development of intercultural competence in emerging leaders.
Keywords: Leadership Education, Globalization, Intercultural Competence, Global Leaders

Educating Global Leaders, Page 1

Journal of International Business and Cultural Studies
Introduction
More than ever before in history, the effects of globalization are being experienced around the world. The interconnectedness and interdependency of cultures is felt within and between the organizations, cultures, and societies of the world. One of the strongest evidences of globalization in this day is the interdependency of global economies. Even as the author wrote this article in the fall of 2008, an RSS News Feed from MSNBC announced on his computer’s desktop, “World Stocks Fall on Economic Fear.” This news feed went on to note that “European stock markets opened sharply lower Wednesday following losses in Asia amid spreading pessimism over corporate earnings around the world.” As one such report among many, it is

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