Teaching theGlobal Dimensions ofTechnology Management: A FrameworkforCourseDevelopment

Technology Managementeducation emerged through thelasttwodecades inordertoenabletechnology- drivenfirmslinkstrategic managementgoalsto their technological capabilities andrequirements. Technology inthe broadest sensehasbecomea driver forindividual firmsand entire industries, aswellasbeingthekeycomponent forthe increasingly complex global economy. Itistherefore agiven that technology managementprogramsneedtoprovide athorough understanding ofhowtechnology impacts theglobal economy, andvice versa, howtomanageglobalized technology. Thispaperprovides aframework forthedevelopment of coursesthataddressthisrequirement. In particular, the frameworkfocuses on study-abroad courses, whichallow integrative, cross-cultural learning whilebeingexposed on-site totheeffects ofglobalization. Twomethodologies arecombined tobuild theframework. Aspartofavision-driven approach toprogramdevelopment, programandbasiccourselearning objectives aredefined. Second,a systemsperspective isusedto identify the relationships betweenbusiness, society, andgovernments, for whichtechnology management education isplaying theroleas mediator. Courselearning objectives aremappedto the identified relationships. Basedon theserefined learning objectives, thedetailed visits andactivities forastudy-abroad trip aredeveloped. Thisprocess isexemplified withthecaseofa study-abroad trip toChina, whichisamandatory courseinan existing technology management program. Thepaperconcludes withrecommendations toeducators onhowtheframework can beapplied inordertocustomize suchcoursesforvisits to different countries orregions.