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News Release

Last modified: Thursday, February 14, 2013

Indiana University is first in U.S. to offer GlobeSmart tool promoting international competency

Kelley School, International Affairs and IU Libraries partner on initiative

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Feb. 14, 2013

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Students at Indiana University in Bloomington have a new tool that provides them with quick and easy access to knowledge about how to conduct business effectively with people all over the world.

IU is the first university in the United States to offer enterprise-wide GlobeSmart, a Web-based product from Aperian Global, which offers consulting, training and Web tools for global talent development. GlobeSmart provides in-depth information and advice about business, culture and travel-related topics in more than 65 countries.

Support has come from the Kelley School of Business, IU Libraries and the IU Office of the Vice President for International Affairs.

"If IU is to effectively expand the range and depth of teaching and scholarship on international topics, we must use every resource we can to increase our understanding and expertise. Business and industry know this well and have used GlobeSmart to ensure effectiveness in their international activities," said David Zaret, IU vice president for international affairs. "IU faculty, students and administrators now have access to these same valuable sources of information."

"The acquisition of GlobeSmart for our collections is a perfect example of what can be accomplished with strategic partnerships," said Brenda Johnson, the Ruth Lilly Dean of the Indiana University Libraries. "By working together with the Kelley School and the Office of the Vice President of International Affairs, we were able to purchase a teaching tool that now benefits the entire student body."

In addition to providing pertinent cultural and demographic facts for use in class and in research projects, the GlobeSmart database will support students in other areas, such as preparation for international internships and transition into the workforce in a position abroad.

Along with offering factual information, the GlobeSmart Assessment Profile will enable students to compare their personal preferred work style with the average profile from any country in the database. The analysis tool provides specific ways to bridge gaps and leverage work-style differences and similarities with other cultures and colleagues.

GlobeSmart will be available for use by students campus-wide. Since 2008, two faculty members in the Kelley School of Business, Carl Briggs and Roberto Garcia, have been using it as a teaching tool in the Supply Chain & Global Management Academy and Kelley Direct's MBA program.

"With the increased emphasis on globalization within the Kelley School curriculum, GlobeSmart is an excellent tool that will enhance research and teaching for undergraduate and graduate students alike," said Ash Soni, associate dean for academic programs, professor of operations and decision technologies and the ArcelorMittal Faculty Fellow in the Kelley School of Business. "GlobeSmart will provide students with the information they need not only for their courses but also for global immersion trips, internships and preparation for the workplace."

A new course utilizing this resource, Global Foundations Core, will be mandatory for all Kelley undergraduates beginning this fall. In addition, multiple international and global courses offered at Kelley and across campus will benefit from the business and cultural information it provides.

About Aperian Global

Aperian Global provides consulting, training and Web tools for global talent development. Aperian Global's flagship product, GlobeSmart, is a tool that has had over 400,000 registered users in 125 organizations worldwide and provides ready access to detailed information on how to conduct business effectively with people from around the world. Founded in 1990, the company has partnered with clients in more than 85 countries and has worked with more than one-third of the Global Fortune 100, delivering over 2,000 workshops in 25 languages in the past year. The company has offices in Bangalore, Boston, Kolding, Paris, San Francisco, Shanghai, Singapore and Tokyo.

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