• globalisation and the growth of "info-business"
• the nature of work, management education and business schools
• ideas of knowledge and its construction
• the impact on distance and lifelong learning (itself an "info-business)
• ICTs and multi-media applications and their educational potential

We all agree that the range and potential human use of computing is vast and growing. In addition, the rapid growth and advancement of switched telecommunication networks and the "mother" of global connectivity, the Internet, have advanced rapidly in access, speed and capacity (Barker 1995). Globalisation for institutions, products and services is one of the consequences of the Information Age (Steele 1996). The power of electronic networking has led to the potential to work across terrestrial boundaries, across cultures and on a global scale (Sattelberger 1997). ICTs are replacing interests based on locale with professional and personal interests. Concepts of space and time and of how and with whom people can work, collaborate and create communities are changing (Agres, Edberg and Igbaria 1999). Two key aspects are changes in the construction of relationships based on a "community of interests" rather than place and through "serendipity" (informal and chance encounters) (Mueller 1997; Syrett and Lammiman 1997).

One major outcome of ICT's on the development of what Taylor calls "info-business" (Taylor 1995). ICTs are impacting directly on businesses and organisations’ ability to deliver goods and services to people wherever they are and in their openness, accessibility and cost effectiveness (Plompen 1997). Ways of doing business are changing significantly with global trading, rapid technology transfer and the importance of visual media for promotion and marketing (Benjamin 1994; Ives and Jarvenpaa 1996). Info-businesses use more freely available, location independent, interactive, informal information exchanges with customers and clients (Whitcomb 1996). Challenging issues arising from these changes include intellectual property rights, taxation and privacy laws. However, whilst interacting with more global businesses and networks, people will also be able to work more individually, to search and find the information they want and need and to interact with whom they want from where they wish (Dede 1996).

Education is becoming part of the new "info-business" industry. Ranges of new modes of learning are emerging together with the need for rapid updating of skills and knowledge. Predictions include global learning communication networks and institutions and the ability of students to buy components of their courses from whoever and wherever they wish. Learning resources will become more portable, visual and interactive and participative (Heppel 1996).

The potential of the Internet and the growth of global competition amongst educational providers are creating `powerful new stimuli for "virtual" courses and some universities are collaborating to make the investment possible and the business more successful . There are also a few examples of attempts to build virtual universities from scratch, e.g. Athena (http//:athena.edu). The potential has also caught the attention of for profit institutions such as the University of Phoenix (http://www.uophx.edu). In September 1998, British University Vice- chancellors were warned of "very serious challenges" from global and corporate competitors . In developing countries, the Internet is seen as enabling access to new marketing opportunities and to Western qualifications where these are valued (Medhat 1998).

In the future, the work force must become more adaptive, technical and problem solving and able to use intelligent networks and powerful computing capacity. The current generation of adults faces a situation, throughout its working life, where it has to train and retrain to respond to constantly changing working environments (Lewis 1996). One key aspect of preparation for work is management education and training. There is vigorous debate about what managers should be taught, and how they should learn (Spender 1994). Changes in management development and education flow from changes in the business environment and ethos (Bain 1996). Hence the global business changes described above will have far reaching impacts on the content and the processes of management learning.

The history of the introduction and integration of new technologies into distance learning shows that wide scale benefits are not inevitable and that responses of individuals and groups are likely to be very variable (Schiemann and Jones 1996). Some account is being taken by organisations of the need to educate managers for working in more global and networked business environments. However, most notably, Thomson et al’s recent study reports conservatism about training methods amongst their case studies with few respondents appreciating the potential for new technologies (Thompson et al. 1997). Although there is evidence that business schools are recognising the need to use Information Technology, as yet only around a third are developing teaching through ICTs and multimedia (Frand and Britt 1997).

An epiphenomenon in the 1990s has been the movement towards "corporate universities" providing a challenge to university business schools (AACSB 1997). The intentions of corporate universities are to provide continuous employee development and enhanced job performance related to problem solving for a specific company’s mission or industrial context, often as part of change programmes. Many corporate universities are investing extremely heavily in sophisticated technologies and suggest that they can provide learning that is not only relevant but also "on-line/on-time" (Mitchel 1997)

Where learning impacts on practice, such as in the education of managers or professionals, a constructivist view often underlies teaching approaches, and learning with peers and practitioners is important (Jonassen et al. 1995). This form of knowledge is often informal, tacit and continuously developing. Knowledge and practice gradually become internalised and ultimately result in the learner supporting and helping his or her own peers (Vygotsky 1978). Therefore, the role of the university within this model is the "process of exchange of this knowledge, acting as reflective participants in communities of peers" (Lewis and Vizcarro 1997) p. 1. The learning environment includes teachers, tutors and students and where ICTs are involved, the software and the design of the programmes. Increasingly, thinkers and practitioners in the field of the exploitation of ICTs in teaching are leaning towards constructivism (Eisenstadt 1995; Laurillard 1995).

Computer mediated conferencing (CMC) has many features appropriate to constructivist approaches to teaching and learning and is a key application in universities arising from the growth of ICTs. Previously barriers imposed by space and time limited the available arenas for groups to come together and develop communities. CMC’s interactive capability has a profound implication not only for individuals but the future of working in groups (Steele 1996). There are endless possibilities for combining and regroupings and hence there is a potential for great diversity. In my view it offers global management education its "killer application". This change in how communities develop requires a re-examination of the ways in which an effective teaching and learning on-line community is established. CMC can be viewed as a new context not just as a tool. This context not only mediates the communication but shapes it (Donovan 1995). The lack of the traditional hierarchies and CMC’s capability to support synthesis of ideas especially supports the constructive approach to knowledge generation (Phillips 1995). Lewis and Rominszowski conclude that

This led me to the question of "how" and in "what way" can we use CMC "seriously" in our demanding and large-scale management education programmes?

Much of what has been achieved so far in business schools has focussed on courseware. Many critics are pointing out that the complexity and integrated nature of the academic task has rarely been addressed and many projects have not yet moved towards process or integration.

Attendees at this conference will be aware of the high value placed in the European Union of ICTs, especially within lifelong learning debates and provision . In European business schools, however, academic traditions and traditional methodologies die-hard. Whilst the curricula is debated, the shift to employing challenging new methods which ensure relevance of good management practice and learning is still to occur in most institutions (Mueller 1997).

Some management education providers in the UK are now advertising the use of ICTs in their programmes although little evaluation of the student learning experience of the effectiveness of new methodologies is publicly available. Many UK providers are using the Web for presentational, promotional and information purposes but there is little evidence of the value that this is adding to learning processes. The larger scale distance learning providers, such as the OUBS and Henley, have focussed first on the importance of online networking through CMC (Birchall and Smith 1996; Nixon and Salmon 1996).

Whilst the problems in the US parallel those of the EU, many American business schools are well placed to take advantage of the globalisation and technologizing of management education (Stein 1998). America is moving very fast and there are some ambitious and large-scale providers and collaborations. Wall Street is recognising the importance of the education and training market (Marchese 1998). For example, Western Governors’ University numbers many large software and hardware providers amongst its business partners as well as international publishers.

Australian universities are fast developing both online provision and links with counterpart organisations throughout the world (Medhat 1998).

In theory, at least, management will become global, ICTs smash boundaries and distance learning become inherently transnational. What we know, is that however strong the external drivers, the adoption of productive, successful and academically credible ICT applications and environments will not happen by chance in universities operating safely on the shores of tradition (Ives and Jarvenpaa 1996). Burton Clark’s recent research, of which this university, Joensuu, was one case study, demonstrates that collegiality is biased in favour of the status quo (Clark 1998). Those of us who wish to continue to be successful as management educators must now turn our full attention to our own institutional processes.