Enhancing international dimensions in apparel and merchandising curricula in the USA : A practitioner's perspective

Purpose – For many years, the textile and apparel industry has been on the forefront of globalization. To prepare students in the global business environment, this study seeks input from the US business communities and provides suggestions for enhancing the international dimensions of the apparel and merchandising curriculum in the USA. Design/methodology/approach – Two sets of data were collected and compared: the general data were collected from various business sectors via telephone interviews, and the product‐specific data were gathered from US apparel manufacturers using a modified Dillman's mail survey method. Findings – Results indicated that the most important benefit of doing business internationally was expanded market, while the obstacle identified most often was cultural differences. The study also found that understanding (i.e. cultural/business practice differences, etc.) is more critical than application or competency (i.e. specific skills) for college international education and that taking general and product‐specific approaches is most efficient to enhance international dimensions in textile and apparel curricula. Practical implications – Practical implications discussed were: first, international education in the textile and clothing field should be developed with a strong focus on small businesses; second, the international dimensions of apparel design, production, and merchandising curricula should be developed using a region‐specific, rather than a “one‐fits‐all” approach; third, students in the textile and clothing field should be fully prepared in “understanding”, rather than in “application” or “competency”; and fourth, educational modules that help the students better understand international markets should be incorporated into curricula. Originality/value – We hope this report raises attention with regard to why and how international dimensions can be incorporated into instruction. Based on this report, we expect more practical and innovative international education dialogues to begin.