In 1994, graduate assistant Tunga Kiyak with the help of others at the Center for International Business Education and Research at Michigan State University launched International Business Resources on the WWW (IBR), the predecessor of globalEDGE. Its purpose was to “[…] assist individuals that were looking for international business information by organizing some of that information into a more meaningful and accessible form” (Kiyak, 1997). In 2001, IBR became part of a new revised website called globalEDGE (a combination of the words global and knowledge). The site recently underwent a redesign where the hoped-for changes included improved mobile and social media features and a revised homepage that would “[…] provide access to content in more direct and efficient means” (https://globaledge.msu.edu/site/history).
globalEDGE does seem intuitive. The homepage header includes a site search box and links to accounts on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Directly under the header, pop-down selections organize content under five categories – Global Insights, Reference Desk, Tools and Data, Get Connected and Academy. Further down are sample globalEDGE Blog entries, a Get globalEDGE Insights Research By section, the globalEDGE Newsletter, and a section titled What Can globalEDGE Do For You? The homepage ends with a footer containing links to The Site, The Team, The Policies and Connect With Us.
Country Insights located under Global Insights on the homepage are a likely top destination. Other types of Insights include Trade Bloc, Classification (e.g. Emerging, Frontier and Mature), Industry and State (e.g. Florida). Country Insights cover 202 entities. Some locations, such as Hong Kong and Bermuda are territories, not official countries. Selecting Russia displays an Introduction page that included a one-paragraph summary, two relevant globalEDGE blog posts (e.g. “Russia Combats Cancer With Nuclear Medicine Advancements”), four Quick Links to overview resources (e.g. Russian Country Commercial Guide from Export.gov), an outline map of Russia and a selection of basic facts (e.g. current population). A Table of Contents borders the left. Selections include Corporations, Culture, Economy, Government, Indices, Memo, Resources and six other choices.
Indices, is an example of what globalEDGE does well – identify and compile reliable global business information from a range of sources. Russia’s Indices listed 19 measures (e.g. Corruption Perceptions Index) from 15 different agencies. That saves time. globalEDGE also provides value-added content. For example, Memos listed under Table of Contents are single-page-pdf overviews attributed to globalEDGE and Export.gov. Russia’s Memo had an Introduction, Key Websites, Key Economic Facts, Rankings, Risk Assessment and USA Embassy contact information. Memos are also available for Classification, Industry, State and Trade Bloc Insights. Lack of publication dates on Memos is frustrating. For example, the Memo for the Retail Industry lists Industry Composition, Industry Leaders, Profitability and Demand Drivers and Trends, but provides no publication date.
Adjacent to Global Insights on the globalEDGE toolbar is the Reference Desk. Here, users will find the Global Resources Directory. Four categories organize information – Research, Trade, Current Topics in IB (i.e. International Business) and Reference. Under each category is a list of five or six subcategories. Clicking on a subcategory returns an annotated list of links. For instance, selecting the subcategory Regional Trade Agreements under Current Topics in IB displayed 16 resources. Some subcategories might benefit from further weeding. For example, selecting Trade Tutorials under Trade provided 43 links. Too many?
Another selection on the globalEDGE homepage is Tools and Data. Included is the Market Potential Index, Database of International Business Statistics, Diagnostic Tools, Test Your Knowledge, Comparator Tool and Interactive Rankings. The Market Potential Index, developed at Michigan State University, ranks 97 countries in eight areas (e.g. market size, growth, and risk). Database of International Business Statistics covers 5,000 variables and 200 countries from the mid-90s to the present, but access is limited to non-commercial use and users with edu or gov email domains. Diagnostic Tools include CORE, a collection of 70 questions that lets registered users evaluate their readiness for international trade. Here, registration is free for everyone.
Academy on the homepage provides educational resources. Items include Course Content (e.g. Online Course Modules and Course Syllabi), Announcements (e.g. Conferences and Call for Papers), Community Colleges (e.g. Programs and Community College Conferences), the International Internship Directory and a Why Study Int’l Business? area.
Despite its size, users should find globalEDGE easy to use. It is well designed and selective. Most sources are clearly labelled, dated and linked, facilitating access to source documents. Coverage of countries is good. Industry Insights provide less coverage, limiting information to 20 global industries. Users will notice a US focus in spots (e.g. export tutorials based on USA rules and regulations), but much of the information will be useful for those based in or outside the USA (e.g. Country Insights). Printing works well for Chrome, not so well for Firefox and Microsoft Edge. Experienced users might choose to bypass globalEDGE and go directly to their favourite international business resource such as the World Bank Group’s Doing Business website (www.doingbusiness.org). Although globalEDGE does include some value-added content such as Memos, information gathered from free internet sources make up much of globalEDGE content. Rather than compete, commercial resources such as Euromonitor’s Passport database and publications like CountryWatch Country Reviews and MarketLine Industry Profiles go beyond what’s available on globalEDGE and will continue to be useful for those with access. globalEDGE is highly recommended for libraries serving international business practitioners and researchers.
