Transcript R. William Lapp Jr.

The WPI IQP and its Value in
Understanding Culture in the
Global Marketplace
R. William Lapp Jr
Technical Escalation Manager
Cisco Systems Inc.
Impact on the Community
Educational Web Page Accessibility
for Blind and Low Vision Users
– The Problem
• ABS Web content inaccessible to
the visually impaired
http://www.wpi.edu/+global
http://www.wpi.edu/+global
http://www.wpi.edu/+global
Impact on the Community
Educational Web Page Accessibility
for Blind and Low Vision Users
– The Problem
• ABS Web content inaccessible to
the visually impaired
– The Solution
• Techniques & Guidelines for improved accessibility
– Impact
• Australian Government accepted guidelines for creating
web based educational content
• Student participants from Royal Victorian School for the
Blind felt engaged, empowered, and able to effect change
http://www.wpi.edu/+global
Impact on the Student
• IQP was far more than study abroad
– Downtown Melbourne, Australia
– Worked side by side with the workforce
– Within the culture and not on a sheltered campus
• Key lessons learned
– Understand minute differences in behavior,
expectations, slang, negotiation, etc.
• Tall Poppy Syndrome
– Understand how global organizations
differ yet still succeed
• Relaxed environments can still excel
http://www.wpi.edu/+global
The World is Becoming Smaller
http://www.wpi.edu/+global
A Day in the Life
Cisco Internal
• Engineering
– United States
– India
– China
• Support
–
–
–
–
USA
Australia
Belgium
Japan
http://www.wpi.edu/+global
• Current
Customer
Interactions
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
United States
Mexico
Japan
United
Kingdom
Australia
Philippines
Malaysia
India
China
Canada
http://www.wpi.edu/+global
http://www.wpi.edu/+global