BORDERLESS EDUCATIONAL PRACTICES IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF COMMERCE

Commerce transcends the boundaries of nations. With so many people involved, a common approach and articulation is necessary to advance the interests of commerce for everyone involved. This paper addresses online MBA (Master of Business Administration) degrees and the nature of its presence alongside the more traditional face-to-face MBA program. While the MBA was not originally a global phenomenon, the development of so many online programs has made it one. Through this analysis, the MBA is first situated historically with subsequent challenges that have encouraged and/or forced it to go undergo changes in its structure over the last several decades. The approach to this analysis utilizes the lens of neo-realistic principles for organizational effectiveness at the international level. The conclusion(s) argue that both types of formal education form a symbiotic relationship as higher education’s end goal is to better inform the workings of the business environment in ways that are consistent and stable across national borders and across the globe. The framework of operation in commerce requires training that is situated within the culture from which that training occurs, but also requires that, in order for more seamless business relationship to develop; this form of education is not strictly located within that same cultural framework. The creation and propagation of commerce requires that both forms of education be employed in complimentary ways. The final result is not the program(s) itself, but the business practices they are designed to enhance.