Modern Languages and International Trade
Dayton Daily News, 7A
February 5, 2001
Great Decisions/Robert F. Scherer
"Global Economy is More Than Just Dollars and Cents"
Sitting in my ninth-grade beginning Spanish class, I listened to Mr. Borras repeat over and over again: "Let's practice the basic dialogue sentences, let's practice the basic dialogue sentences…"
Later, warm and toasty at home, I wondered why I was writing, over and over again, those basic sentences. Learning another language seemed like a useless task, and countries where Spanish was spoken seemed a million miles away.
Years later, while living in South America - and having to talk with colleagues, buy groceries, and shop for a car-repair store - I finally understood the relevance of Mr. Borras' lessons.
The dialogue sentences, I realized, are the most basic level of international trade.
Each day, Miami Valley products and services leave "home" for all parts of the globe. In 1999 (the latest available data), 6,500 Ohio firms exported $26.6 billion in manufacturing-related goods. The state ranked sixth in the nation in global trade.
Where did all of this go? For the Miami Valley, the top three trading countries were Canada, Mexico and France. Area companies shipped (in order of total sales) industrial machinery and computers, transportation equipment, and food and paper products.
At first glance, this snapshot portrays a bright picture. However, the picture becomes fuzzy when we consider that during the seven-year period from 1993-1999, exports from the Dayton-Springfield metropolitan area decreased 11.3 percent. According to a report prepared by the Office of Trade and Economic Analysis, International Trade Administration of the U.S. Department of Commerce, this drop in our total exports placed us at 231 out of 253 similar communities during that period.
What happened? Does it have something to do with introductory Spanish? Or our business skills? Or our ability to understand their countries and cultures?
In his book, The Lexus and the Olive Tree, Thomas Friedman proposes that for globalization (the integration of human, technological, financial, and information across countries) to be productive, it must be in balance with "the forces of culture, geography, tradition and community."
Yet, while globalization races along at lightning speed, these important balancing forces are often neglected. What can be done?
Part of the answer lies in strengthening studies in international business. Practical trade experiences for students should require second-language proficiency and cultural understanding in addition to the traditional areas of finance, marketing, and operations management.
In this context, business education means training to be effective in managing human, financial, and physical resources. Students ought to learn three sets of skills: to be able to understand and communicate effectively with others; to understand their own cultural norms and the effects on interpersonal transactions in other cultures; and to understand technical aspects of how to conduct business abroad.
In order to strengthen local international trade, we need to cultivate campus alliances across disciplines (business, languages, regional studies) with the business community.
Also required are meaningful partnerships in which businesses share the most recent technological innovations with campuses.
In today's economy, international trade serves as the driver. To meet the new challenge, businesses and institutions of higher education must work collaboratively to develop programs that are both flexible and relevant. The net result will be professionals who do more than survive, but thrive in the complex global economy.
* Robert F. Scherer is professor of management and associate dean in the Raj Soin College of Business at Wright State University. A resident of Yellow Springs, he is principal editor of the new book, A Field Guide to Internationalizing Business Education, published by the University of Texas at Austin, Center for International Business Education and Research. He served as Fulbright Senior Scholar in Chile 1998-1999.