Proposal To Establish A Cooperative Competition For LCB Business Majors
From The Business Casualties:
Ryan Purcell, Victoria Perley, Jarrod McClung, Xiaohui Li, Jackson Barr
To:
UO Global Education Task Force
November 18, 2013
Proposal
Introduction
We’ve located a problem within the Lundquist College of Business (LCB) that the Lundquist College Global Education Task Force must address. We’ve concluded that LCB students aren’t prepared to work with others who have different cultural backgrounds or identify with LGBTQ (Lesbian Gay Bisexual Trans Queer). The problem is that LCB students aren’t prepared to work effectively and interact with others who have sexual or cultural differences. It’s our intention to give every LCB student the opportunity to better prepare themselves for a working atmosphere that encompasses all sorts of dissimilar individuals. We propose that the LCB Global Education Task Force implement an event that makes students of different sexual and cultural differences to cooperate with one another as a group.
1. Situation Analysis
1.1 The Problem
LCB students are not prepared to interact and work effectively with others of different cultures or sexual preferences. In psychologist Loren Demerath’s book, “Explaining Culture: The Social Pursuit of Subjective Order”, she explains the similar knowledge theory. The theory suggests that people who are similar to each other tend to interact more often, while people who are dissimilar tend to have less interaction. The theory also helps explain why students of different cultures or sexual preferences interact less. Essentially, LCB students aren’t prepared to work with others who are fundamentally different from themselves because of a lack of experience in the matter. Students need experience in working cooperatively and effectively with others who are fundamentally different, because it will allow them to become versatile workers who realize that cooperating different individuals will result in a more efficient work environment.
Working with International Students
Approximately 21% of LCB students are international students. This suggests that out of the 4,440 full-time LCB undergraduates, almost 1,000 aren’t from the United States. According to a recent study by the National Communication Association's Journal of International and Intercultural Communication, about 1 in 3 foreign undergraduate students say that they have little American friends. The source mentions cultural differences including language barriers and misunderstanding of social norms that affect the cultivation of domestic and foreign friendships. The source also suggests that these cultural differences are the basis for the lack of interaction between students of different cultures. Evidently, many students, including those in the LCB, may not have proper experience to work with students of different cultures.
We conducted a survey with 57 domestic LCB student respondents, asking them if they would choose to work with international students in group-projects. Of the 57 respondents, 59.65% said that they would not voluntarily work with international students. Based on this evidence, the majority of domestic students avoid working with students of different cultures. Whether or not this can also be attributed to the cultural barriers mentioned above, many LCB students lack experience working with others who are dissimilar from themselves.
Working with LGBTQ Individuals
A recent study conducted by The Williams Institute on Sexual Orientation Law and Public Policy shows that up to 43 percent of surveyed LGBTQ individuals have experienced harassment or discrimination at the workplace. Additionally, up to 17 percent of surveyed gays and transgenders reported that they were not hired or were fired from their jobs because of their sexuality and gender. It’s evident that many people in the workforce refuse to interact with LGBTQ individuals.
From the same survey given to LCB students with 68 respondents, 57.35% said they had never interacted with LGBTQ students in school or at work. From this data, we conclude that the majority of LCB students don’t have proper experience in working and cooperating with LGBTQ students.
1.2 Alternative Programs
The University of Oregon has a variety of programs that seek to remedy our issue at hand. The Office of International Affairs, the International Business and Economics Club (IBEC), and LGBTQ support groups all try to provide students with experiences and training that will help them prepare for a career immersed diverse people. However, these resources do not fully prepare LCB students with the experience to work with anyone they may encounter in school or in the workplace.
UO Office of International Affairs- ICSP
Part of the Office of International Affairs’ mission states that it “strives to make the UO a more global university by supporting international partnerships throughout many academic units.” One of the ways it seeks to encourage cross-cultural collaboration is through the International Cultural Service Program (ICSP). The ICSP provides students with 80 hours per year of multicultural experience within UO and the Eugene/Springfield community. However, it focuses on international students and excludes domestic students, as opposed to fostering relations and collaboration between the two groups.
Comparatively, the LCB vision statement states that it will be renowned for a variety of aspects, one of which includes having strong diversity within an increasingly global community. This aspect is quite similar to the mission of the Office of International Affairs. Yet, no business program exists that solely seeks to foster cross-cultural awareness and collaboration as seen in the ICSP. To achieve this portion of the LCB’s vision statement, the LCB implement must an event designed to promote interaction between students of different cultures and values.
IBEC
The International Business and Economics Club (IBEC) is the only LCB program that focuses on global aspects and international development. The club description also says that international projects are done within the club. After interviewing club President Johnny Povolny, he mentioned projects that researched micro-finance and healthcare issues. He also noted that IBEC has social gatherings for students to get to know each other, but the club mainly focuses on international business as opposed to augmenting cultural awareness. Based on our interview with Povolny, we conclude that the LCB doesn’t offer any program that directly focuses on hands-on interaction between students who identify as LGBTQ or different cultures.
LGBTQESSP Services Program
The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Education Support Services Program enhances the academics and personal growth of LGBTQ individuals at the University of Oregon. This program is dedicated to maintaining a campus that is free of homophobia, heterosexism, and gender bias. Many programs are run through the LGBTQESSP that promote this goal. The majority of these programs cater primarily to students who identify as LGBTQ.
One program that focuses on allies is the Queer Ally Coalition. The QAC members receive training about LGBTQ individuals and seek to reduce homophobia, heterosexism and gender bias on a personal and professional level. General and custom trainings are available to the University of Oregon community. The LCB vision statement includes respect for individuality, which no programs currently exist within the LCB that creates that environment absent of homophobia and heterosexism bias.
1.3 Solution Pathway
Based on the evidence above, we insist that the LCB students don’t have necessary experience and aren’t ready to work with those who have different cultural values or sexual preferences. While there are programs to overcome similar problems, the LCB doesn’t have a program that seeks to encourage business-minded students to work with fundamentally different people. With resources from the Global Education Task Force, we seek to create a program that fully immerses students into an environment with different cultures and values, while also preventing students from forming cliques. This event would put students in an uncomfortable situation, making them think on their feet. We need to attract many students of different backgrounds through a program that gives students a learning experience outside the classroom. Thus, we propose that the LCB Global Education Task Force implement a scavenger-hunt event where students of different cultural and sexual preferences interact to achieve a common goal.
2. Objectives
The proposed solution will help achieve a variety of objectives:
1. Provide students experience in working with fundamentally different people, especially those with cultural and sexual differences.
2. Promote a general awareness among students that it is possible to have positive working-relationships with international and/or LGBTQ students.
3. Become one step closer to the LCB’s vision: drawing strength from diversity within an increasingly global community and respecting students’ individuality.
4. Reduce premature conclusions about people’s culture and/or sexual preference that cause bias.
5. Immerse students in a diverse environment similar to one they might encounter in a career after the LCB.
6. Provide positive feedback so students can learn from the experiences in the event.
3. Proposed Solution
We propose that the GETF works with international groups and LGBTQ support groups to host an event that allows LCB students who have never met to work with one another. Tentatively known as the Cooperative Business Quest (CBQ), this event will be very similar to a scavenger hunt, giving students an experience to work together and combine knowledge to achieve an objective. The CBQ would be held once a term, and would only be open to admitted LCB students, which does not include Pre-Business majors. This exclusion of pre-majors would allow the event to specifically aim at LCB students who will soon be entering the workforce.
3.1 Event Content
LCB students of diverse cultures and sexual identities will be encouraged to participate in the scavenger hunt. 150-200 students will be allowed to compete and they will be divided into groups of 5 people who will not know each other. Students will be pre-assigned to groups by organizers by filling out a participation form.
More importantly, the groups will consist of students who are all of different backgrounds and cultures. This idea seeks to prevent cliques from forming between similar individuals. With hidden items placed around the UO campus, the students will have to learn to cooperate with individuals of different backgrounds that they’ve never met before.
3.2 Impact
The CBQ would allow students of different cultures and sexual preferences to work together to achieve a goal. By putting students into groups that are made up of dissimilar individuals, it will encourage students to work with these individuals in an environment that’s exciting and fun. By having students work together to achieve the goals in the scavenger-hunt, students will become aware that it’s possible to build positive relationships with others that might have different cultural backgrounds or sexual preferences. The CBQ will also give students in working with diverse people that can be applied in life after the LCB.
3.3 Location and Atmosphere
Students will meet in the atrium of the Lillis Business Complex. It’s a simple location that makes the CBQ accessible. A group of officials and judges will monitor and run the scavenger hunt portion of the event. In addition, pre-business students will be invited to observe the event to get them excited for participating once they’re admitted into the LCB.
3.4 Advertising and Recruiting
Like every other program run through the LCB, the Cooperative Business Quest will need to rely heavily on advertising and recruiting individuals. First we suggest that a website, Facebook page, and Twitter account must be created that will be accessible from the LCB site. Signs will hang throughout the LCB and the event will be posted on the Current Events email blast. Aside from advertising, we propose that the ICSP (International Cultural Service Program) and the UO LGBT program recruit students and partner with the CBQ in order to have an extremely diverse turnout for the event.
3.5 Incentives
An event shirt will be given to every student that participates in the scavenger hunt. Free food and snack will be provided in the Lillis atrium and the group that completes the hunt the fastest will receive an iPad mini for each member.
3.6 Evaluating Results
After the scavenger hunt has finished, students will reconvene in the Lillis atrium. From there, the LCB will receive specific feedback through:
1) An Evaluation Questionnaire on how well each team performed together and what each teammate learned about each other
2) Hands-on communication with LCB GETF members.
3) A quick oral presentation about what each team learned and what was accomplished when they worked together.
These will allow the LCB to improve the CBQ’s effectiveness.
4. Technical Plan
In order to offer the Cooperative Business Quest this coming term, the LCB Global Education Task Force must begin accomplishing specific tasks based on the following timeline:
Phase 1: During Fall
(Preparing for Winter Event)
Tasks Timeline
Schedule the LCB Nov. 19
Create Participation Form Nov. 20
Make CBQ Plan outline Nov. 21
Select Volunteer Professors Nov. 22
Hire Judges in Advance Nov. 25
Create CBQ Website Nov. 26
Begin Marketing (Posters) Dec. 1
Begin Recruiting Students Dec. 2
Purchase Prizes for Competition Dec. 5
Email Announcement for Winter Event Dec. 8
Phase 2: During Winter Term
Continue Marketing & Advertising Ongoing
Finalize Student Recruitment Jan. 9
Select and Contact Students for Winter CBQ Jan.10
Confirm with Judges & Volunteers Jan. 12
Arrange Food Service Jan. 15
Finalize Event Date Jan. 17
Run Practice CBQ for Quality Jan. 20
Host Winter CBQ Feb. 2
Review Results Feb. 3
Phase 3: During Spring Term
Address Changes for Improvement Apr. 1
Email Announcement for Spring Event Apr. 2
Continue Marketing/ Advertising Ongoing
Student Recruitment Apr. 5
Select Students (Not Selected in Winter) Apr. 7
Confirm with Judges & Volunteers Apr. 12
Arrange Food Service Apr. 14
Finalize Event Date Apr. 15
Implement Necessary Changes Apr. 18
Host Spring CBQ May 1
Management Plan
Jessica Best, Assistant Director LCB Career Services and Tayah Butler, academic advisor, will compile a list of newly admitted students to participate in the event. They will send out invitations to students and will specialize on the selection process. Best and Butler will also seek out the officials and volunteer teachers. An e-mail will be sent to all participants confirming their involvement in the event.
Michelle Henney, Interim Center Program Manager of the Finance and Securities Analysis Center will be in charge of the event logistics such as time, location, catering, arranging prizes and making sure the budget is upheld. Henney will also find sponsors for the prizes that will be appealing to students. Lastly, Henney will design and put a work order in for Nike the t-shirts.