The importance of global business information: Perceptions of students in Hungary, Romania, South Africa and the United States

Human capital is one of the critical factors for measuring the potential ability of a country to deal with the implications of globalization. This indicator is usually measured in the form of sheer numbers of workers and their level of education. While this provides useful and important information, it does not include attitudinal variables that would indicate the readiness of the workforce to embrace the changes necessary to participate in a global economy. When research on perceptions or attitudes is carried out, it is often focused on the current workforce (Sunassee and Sewry 2003). It is suggested that the perceptions and attitudes of students, particularly relating to information use, information system use and information needs, would also be a good indicator of future ability to cope with globalization