Globalization According to German and Brazilian Students: A Comparative Study

Globalization is an extremely important phenomenon for understanding the current economic and cultural relations around the world, as well as the new forms of administration available and demanded of executives. Its very international nature, however, implies a diversity of interpretations, influenced by the “mental programming” of national cultures. Individuals subject to the values of their social groups carry with them ways of acting and thinking that are reflected in their strategic actions, a core question in the study of organizational behavior. The present study is based on a questionnaire given to university students at two leading business schools, one in Brazil and the other in Germany. Analysis of the results shows that despite the similar pattern of many responses, there are factors that set the two groups of students apart. The Brazilians tend to perceive a more direct influence of globalization on their daily lives, while a larger number Germans believe in the intrinsic equity of the globalizing process. They also feel that their country has conditions to face a globalized economy, a feeling not shared by the Brazilian students.