What are the dispositions of people who work successfully in an international milieu? This guiding question serves to unify the themes of the book, and each chapter hearkens to it. Sub-questions include "how can these dispositions be taught and assessed, both to youth and to adults?" This book helps prepare readers for even greater success in international milieus or expatriate assignments. In discussing positive dispositions such as open-mindedness, adaptability, and flexibility, the authors are implicitly addressing self-improvement, though not in the style of a self-help book. The book is forward-minded about preparing today's students, young professionals, and fellow citizens for a world that does not yet exist but that we know will be increasingly international.
Dr Steven Carber teaches full time for Endicott College's MEd in International Education programs in Madrid, Leysin, Prague and Montevideo. He is also the editor of Internationalizing Schools, published by John Catt Educational.
Chapter One-Internationally Successful People-Overview of how over 150 internationally successful people were interviewed to find their top-cited dispositions that contribute to success in an international environment. Includes demographic overview and literature review of similar studies.) Chapter Two-The Dispositional View-Overview of what dispositions are, and discussions of whether these can indeed be nurtured, taught, and assessed vs. being only inborn. Chapter Three-Open Mindedness-Discussion of how this term might be operationalized, literature review, plus ideas on how this, specifically, might be nurtured and assessed among students and adult employees. Also includes supporting anecdotes from everyday international life. Chapter Four-Adaptability- Discussion of how this term might be operationalized, literature review, plus ideas on how this, specifically, might be nurtured and assessed among students and adult employees. Also includes supporting anecdotes from everyday international life. Chapter Five- Flexibility- Discussion of how this term might be operationalized, literature review, plus ideas on how this, specifically, might be nurtured and assessed among students and adult employees. Also includes supporting anecdotes from everyday international life. Chapter Six-Conclusion-Discussion and synthesis of direct quotes from respondents, reviewing the above three dispositions, plus discussion of significant "outliers" mentioned only once or twice. Concluding thoughts on the notion of "tolerance for ambiguity" as characteristic of life abroad.
