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DAN Management alumna receives global recognition for research into attitudes toward globalization
November 04, 2019
Story by Rob Rombouts/Submitted photo
A DAN Management alumna is receiving global recognition for her research into attitudes toward globalization.
Georgia McCutcheon, a graduate from the DAN Management Consumer Behaviour program was the Regional Winner in the field of Business for North America, for the Global Undergraduate Awards.
McCutcheon’s paper, prepared as an undergraduate thesis in DAN Management, looked at the backlash against globalization, and what she felt were contradictory reactions to the multifaceted phenomenon.
Backlash, she said, tends to be focused on only certain aspects of globalization.
“Most people don’t take any offence to Apple computers being manufactured in China, or listening to music produced elsewhere,” said McCutcheon, “but they do have issues with topics like immigration.”
McCutcheon worked with Mark Cleveland, Associate Professor in DAN Management, to measure consumer attitudes, breaking down globalization into nine different factors. The research examined attitudes toward globalization and individual dispositions that may act as antecedents.
The paper looked at four attitudes toward cultural outgroups: self-identification with global consumer culture, cosmopolitism, xenocentrism (the preference for the products, styles, or ideas of someone else's culture rather than of one's own) and consumer enthocentrism. McCutcheon completed regression analysis to determine whether these attitudes were predictive of certain attitudes toward globalization, as well as used exploratory factor analysis to conceptualize the dimensions of globalization and to develop a measurement tool capable of assessing individual attitudes.
“The paper has a political-economic focus, but is highly relevant for business in general, to understand what is motivating certain consumer attitudes,” said McCutcheon.
She said DAN Management provided a great opportunity for broad exposure in different business disciplines, as well as a balance between practical and research focused education.
“There was good exposure to both elements, which were important for future education and working in industry,” said McCutcheon.
McCutcheon will return to Western to complete a Master’s degree in International Business. She plans to continue working with Cleveland on the paper, expanding the group of participants for a better understanding of attitudes towards globalization.
The Global Undergraduate Awards is an academic awards program recognizing undergraduate work. Submissions are evaluated anonymously by a group of international academics, with the top 10% of entries from each region in each category named as Highly Commended. The highest performing Highly Commended entrant from each region is named a Regional Winner of their category, while the best Highly Commended Entrant is named the Global Winner. In 2019, there were more than 3,400 submissions.
The winners are invited to attend an awards ceremony and summit in Dublin, Ireland, in November, where McCutcheon will be presenting the findings of her research.
