After the panel presentations, position statements, and general discussions concluded, those roughly 40 persons in attendance separated into roundtable discussions. Jack Thompson maintained that the appropriate geographic body of knowledge should be included seamlessly within existing business education curriculums. He wants to employ students who are trained in traditional business subjects, and at the same time he wants them to know how geography affects business decisions. I agree with Jack Thompson's opinion of incorporating geographic teachings into traditional business curriculums. Attaining that goal within the university institutional context is another matter.
Institutional barriers exist.
Resource barriers exist. And even limits exist to the present body of knowledge. Businesses may ask a professor, or a consultant, or they employ someone with the appropriate training. Research universities have the dual purpose of creating a body of knowledge and then disseminating that knowledge. It takes more than time to create a body of knowledge, such as an understanding of how geography can be used to improve management decisions.