School of Business

One of Dr. Wenxia Guo’s research interests is cross-cultural influence on consumer behavior. The findings of her research are brought into her International Marketing class to teach important lessons to business students and future marketers. Cross-cultural lessons are important because globalization is growing with the development of technology and the increasing awareness of diversity. Due to this trend, the idea to "Go Global" is common sense for most companies, regardless of their size. But to truly go global, every international marketer faces an unavoidable obstacle: cultural difference.

To develop an international mindset, one must understand that patterns of perceiving and thinking are different across cultures. For example, people from collectivist cultures are more likely to think in a holistic way, whereas people from individualist cultures tend to think more analytically. Different thinking styles result in varied levels of creativity. Dr. Guo shares her findings in the classroom to ensure that students are aware of this difference in thinking and perceiving across societies. Once aware, students become more understanding and tolerant of the difference between co-workers from different cultural backgrounds. Such knowledge will benefit students in their future careers, and prepare them for working in global companies.

The strong understanding of material that Acadia BBA students gain in the classroom is a clear benefit in the competitive business world, and professorial research in the classroom is essential to ensuring students grasp beneficial concepts thoroughly. Professors such as Dr. Guo not only teach students knowledge, but they also teach students how to prepare for global encounters in their future careers. It is no wonder that the F.C. Manning School of Business Administration develops students into competitive individuals who are sought out by employers.