Introduction
The globalizing world requires students to identify appropriate courses and training to acquire additional competencies. Individuals with a strong background in international business (IB) tend to have higher chances of succeeding as future managers. The article “What Motivates U.S. Business Students to Take International Business Courses?” sought to examine the views and thoughts of different students regarding the role and appropriateness of IB courses. The author wanted to apply the planned behavior theory to explain how different individuals were willing to pursue such courses and focus on specific outcomes. Hypothesis 1 was that students who took IB courses had a positive attitude to them in comparison with those who did not (Pineda, 2009). Hypothesis 2 was that learners who took IB courses perceived that their referent sources valued IB education more than those who did not.
Methodology
A detailed survey targeting 141 senior-level students was completed. The sample includes 78 male and 63 female learners (Pineda, 2009). In this sample, 74 of the students had completed at least one IB course (Pineda, 2009). The researcher targeted students enrolled in a state university in the state of Tennessee. This methodology relied on the use of several statements from the planned behavior theory.
Analysis
The completed survey revealed there was a significant difference between learners who completed an IB course and those who did not. The sampled individuals argued that such courses had the potential to improve their skills and knowledge. Those who had completed those sessions presented a “more positive attitude” (Pineda, 2009, p. 180). The study also revealed that the emphasis and importance different referent sources and experts placed on such courses dictated the willingness of students to pursue them or not.
The findings also supported the importance of examining the trends recorded in different job markets to identify the existing gaps and offer skill sets that could promote performance. Reduced self-efficacy in some of the IB courses could discourage more students from completing such courses (Pineda, 2009). These insights and observations should provide additional incentives for designing such courses and ensuring that they meet the demands of the greatest majority.
Discussion
The findings of this study offer powerful insights that could be applied in different settings. For instance, learners who complete IB courses will have a positive attitude and be willing to expand their competencies. Schools should consider these ideas and identify some of the best ways to ensure that more learners have access to such IB topics (Pineda, 2009). They can also reintroduce additional courses that can improve the targeted students’ competencies in international business. Learning institutions can also introduce new procedures and advertisements that can encourage more people to pursue these courses (Pineda, 2009). Such individuals will become competent and eventually achieve their maximum potential.
Conclusion
Educational and business organizations should accept the fact that learners require additional competencies in the field of IB. Those who embrace such concepts will find it easier to become successful managers in this globalizing world. More students are also expressing their interest in IB courses. These insights explain why institutions and leaders should consider these emerging trends and identify new strategies to offer IB courses to more learners. Educationists should design such options in such a way that they can empower more students, reduce existing gaps, and align the presented competencies to the demands recorded in the global economy.
Reference
Pineda, P. C. (2009). What motivates U.S. business students to take international business courses? Journal of Education for Business, 84(3), 177-181. Web.