Ask the majority of businesses and they will tell you the same thing: they want to be more "global." Business leaders routinely complain about the lack of people with "global intelligence" – a key constraint holding back growth.
IESE Professor, Pankaj Ghemawat, Anselmo Rubiralta Chair of Strategy and Globalization, has created the Globalization of Business Enterprise (GLOBE) MOOC – a free enrollment course - to look at how business can address these gaps, focusing on practical strategies that tackle the real consequences of globalization.
The first edition of the GLOBE MOOC attracted more than 22.000 participants from 50 countries, and was singled out for praise by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. Building on this success, the MOOC will launch again on February 2 on Coursera, and will run for eight weeks.
Debunking Myths about Globalization
Adapted from a module of IESE’s full-time MBA, the MOOC separates the real issues from what Prof. Ghemawat describes as the "globaloney" - myths surrounding globalization – and provides a clear definition of what globalization is and what it means to businesses, regions and countries. Over the course of several sessions, participants come to a greater understanding of the differences between countries – differences that underpin "levels" of globalization - and what implications these have for business. These differences are summarized in terms of a framework for thinking about "distance," which has been developed by Prof. Ghemawat and is today widely deployed by leading business schools around the world.
Strategies for Globalization
The GLOBE MOOC sets out clear strategies that businesses should adopt to become authentic global players. And a final section will synthesize the implications of globalization for strategizing – with a focus on personal development and enhanced career trajectory.
Opeyemi Praise, from Nigeria, describes the GLOBE MOOC as an "eye-opener. I discovered the world isn't as globalized as we thought it is. This shows that there still are a lot of opportunities untapped."
Course Structure
The program is divided into eight sessions that combine online video lectures of approximately 10 to 20 minutes each with embedded quizzes, discussions forums for case studies and a final peer-assessed assignment.
The case method is an integral part of the learning experience, and there are debating forums for participants to drive peer-to-peer discussion of the concepts learned and share perspectives across diverse sectors, industries and backgrounds. Participants will also undertake a deeper analysis of a specific country of interest.
To participate in the IESE GLOBE MOOC, please register here.