Read and Write about Article 500-750 words and two responses

Respond to both people in a paragraph.

Respond One:

Sticky power is essentially economic power.  I could easily see a state funded university such as Penn State going into a developing nation and offering tuition to persons in areas of economic destitution.  But to do that the populace would have to have access to personal computers and internet connectivity to take classes via World Campus.  In order for this to be a feasible undertaking, there would have to be an immediate need, for which the university could provide care.  Ensuring future prosperity is key for potential students of poorer countries.  The priorities would be different in attempting to gain customers/students in a country like Burkina Faso, then in a country like the United States.  The need for a university to have high enrollment numbers is the same as any business needing high numbers of clients to maintain sales.  The difference here is that businesses sell goods or services, whereas universities sell expertise and degrees, which are intangible and not immediately reciprocated for when paying for tuition.  The positive effects however, can last a lifetime. Sending university ambassadors to Burkina Faso and raising awareness from the ground up would take time, money, and effort, and may or may not even be effective if the politics of the region are unstable.  But the benefits of sending a physical person as an ambassador over to Burkina Faso would be to ingratiate ourselves into the social circles of the local community, and establish a brand name.  Gaining the recognition of potential students is invaluable if a university wishes to build prestige.

On page 3 of the article, I am reminded of how global economic interdependence can better serve to meet the needs of people the world over by acting as a deterrent against war.  The more countries increasingly become dependent of one another’s trade policies, the less likely an armed conflict would arise.  The drawback to this of course is that if one country flounders economically, others will too.  The need for military force would have to be highly severe for any need to demonstrate sharp power in the modern world. 

Page 400 discusses the importance of “timing of entry” and the first-mover advantages/ pioneering costs associated with entering a new market.  If we as a university were the first to establish long-term relationships with the people of Burkina Faso, then the benefits would be scooping up a large amount of market share and loyalty with a new alumni network in that region.  The disadvantages of pioneering costs here would be, let’s say, if the university transferred management personnel and computer infrastructure and licensed our learning management systems and curriculum, it could all prove ineffective or lost if the native government disallows foreign investment of any kind.  Having people on the ground would better serve our interests as a university though, if local government doesn’t cause political instability. 

I believe a decent tactic for a school wanting to gain influence and build knowledge in students of a third world country is to acquisition a school that’s already built and staffed.  Many people from all over the globe come to the United States because our academic institutions are the best in the world.  We can capitalize on this and use our state-of-the-art institutions, with the help of affluent donors, to bring prosperity to those poorer regions who need access to better education.  Imagine an acquisition by PSU of a run-down and underfunded neighborhood college.  We could bring education to the children of remote villages who need it to better their communities. 

On page 416 it speaks of ways in which acquisition fails, and I think there is always a cause for concern here especially as it relates to a clash of cultures.  For example, some cultures don’t value the education of women and young girls at all.  This goes against Penn State’s core values, because we believe discrimination based on sex or any other major distinguishing personal trait should not inhibit one from attaining a proper education.  We would have to maximize “attempts of realizing synergies” (416).  This means that differences in philosophy and an overabundance of bureaucracy would lead to failure, and we’d need to learn to embrace their culture and suit their needs, since PSU world campus is all about adapting to new formats of learning. 

Respond Two:

Sticky power, or the capacity to influence the world economy, is something I believe Penn State is capable of achieving. If PSU were to attempt to enter into Burkina Faso, I believe that they could have great success. One of the reasons I feel this way is the fact that they have an enormous alumni base. That being, with the proven ability to work for a cause such as THON, Penn State has shown interest in helping those in need. Not only that, but the vast alumni base would help generate funds needed to begin tackling such endeavors. Without question, in order to educate those in an area such as Burkina Faso, it would be paramount to put technology in place that would allow for their society to “catch up” with the rest of the world. On page 400 the concept of pioneering costs come into play. Without question, the multicultural support Penn State would be able to generate would be able to more than cover any costs associated with beginning such a venture. I would not be concerned with how I would go about “recruiting” students. That is due to the fact that I believe within a country that is not necessarily thriving, that there are generally many people that would work very hard for a way to advance their lives and the lives of those who will precede them. Not only will entering Burkina Faso create opportunity for prospective students, but over time will have a large influence on Burkina Faso’s economy. I have come to this conclusion by understanding that with a more educated populace, that generally Burkina Faso should begin develop new markets. This can be said due to the fact that the people of Burkina Faso will use their new-found knowledge to make improvements to their existing economy while also introducing new means to generate cash flow. On page 400, the book introduces the concept of timing of entry. Being that no other educational platform has established itself within Burkina Faso, it could be said that Penn State would exhibit great timing of entry. This would allow the Penn State community to acquire first-mover advantages. One page three of the article, it alludes to the fact that in days gone past, it has been beneficial for the United States to help poor countries build institutions. Without question, I believe Penn State attempting to enter the country and benefit the people of Burkina Faso would be a worthwhile venture.