"I established the Center for International Business...to give Montclair State high visibility among international entities."

-Dr. Jay

Chinnappa Naidu Jayachandran, better known on campus as Dr. Jay, is convinced that the global economy can thrive only when the bottom line is dollars and sense.

In 1996 he wanted to offer a venue for participants to gain in-depth knowledge of strategies to run business in an era of globalization, so he sponsored the International Conference on Global Business and Economic Development in Beijing, China, which attracted 70 universities from 16 countries. Last month in Bangkok, Thailand, his seventh annual conference drew more than 400 universities from 45 countries. Three hundred researchers presented 180 working papers to leading economists, researchers and academics at the four-day forum.

Dr. Jay said these international conferences do more than address marketing and economic issues; they address the social aspect of globalization. With plans already underway for the eighth conference in Guadalajara, Mexico at the Universidad del Vale de Atemajac, Jan. 7-10, 2004, Dr. Jay talked about the international conferences and his research.

Q. How does the annual conference tie in with the University's global education agenda?
A. The Global Education Center and other entities on campus look for institutional collaborations all over the world, and these conferences project Montclair State as a key player in international education. I proposed the conference as a way to build a network of universities to participate and research international business issues on a broad level. I also indicated that these international conferences on global business and economic development would add to the publications and research aspect of teaching business.

Promoting this conference in every part of the world is a challenge. Every business school in the United States receives e-mail correspondence or a brochure, and we network with the Academy of International Business and other organizations. Because Montclair State is projected as the sponsor of this event in collaboration with the host institution in the foreign country, the University is noted as the major player.

Q. What makes Montclair State so powerful in being able to attract such a large number of international participants?
A. I established the Center for International Business, which promotes these conferences, to give Montclair State high visibility among international entities. When the School of Business received accreditation from the AACSB [the International Association for Management Education, the premiere national accrediting agency for business schools], I gained the leverage I needed to work with other universities at the same level. Without that accreditation, it would have been difficult to establish the University as credible in terms of business research and publications.

Q. Why is there skepticism toward the benefits of globalization?
A. Private companies from all over the world are raising questions about the benefits of globalization. Their concerns are that multi-national companies exploit national resources, like rainforests, water and agricultural land; and that multi-nationals don't have long-term interest in promoting development and entrepreneurship in developing countries. They're interested mostly in profits and gain, not their impact on local and divisional development. Another major concern is that poverty levels in Third-World countries are not decreasing as a result of globalization.

Multinationals snuff out micro enterprises and family-owned enterprises. There are more than 300 countries in the world, and not everyone is equally endowed with education, training, democracy and institutional management. So people discussing globalization are being criticized for not helping the weaker sections, those people handicapped because they don't have the means and resources to improve their economic situations.

Q. How do you respond to those fears?
A. Each International Conference on Global Business and Economic Development addresses social issues. We have focused on income distribution, regional development and issues facing developing countries, and we have involved the United Nations Development Program and World Trade Organization. These conferences bring together scholars, business people and policymakers from the developing world to share their concerns and questions about the Third World. We've created a forum to understand each other's concerns and how we can find a common platform to help each other.

Q. Tell us about your plans for next year's conference in Mexico.
A. It will focus on developmental issues facing NAFTA [North American Free Trade Agreement], expansion of free trade of the Americas and the larger expansion of the European union in the context of globalization. We expect greater participation of South American countries, significant participation from business and academics from the United States, and we may recruit a trade delegation from New Jersey. I'm working with the New Jersey Economic Development Authority and the New Jersey World Trade Council.

Q. What kind of research are you conducting apart from these conferences?
A. I'm interested in strategic collaborations and alliances, and investment in foreign industries. I want to find out how small start-up companies in India have been able to network with multi-nationals and become global players in a short time, within the past 15 years. I plan to do case studies of those companies to find the best methods and strategies in becoming a global player.

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