ABSTRACT
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The Introduction of Geographic Information Systems through Arcview GIS in a Business School Curriculum
Track:  Universities and Higher Education
Author:   Wesley W Thomas

Business Schools have been teaching different variations of geographic information systems for decades. Courses in marketing, management, real estate, operations research and others have introduced various spatial concepts not formally recognized as geography in the curriculum. We are all familiar with the premise that eighty percent or more of corporate data collected is geographic or spatial in form. The problem arises when students are asked to think spatially and make use of this data. The role of distance both network and Euclidean are often foreign to students and yet of critical importance in the areas of marketing and operations. This paper discusses process whereby a Business Geographics course was introduced into an undergraduate curriculum as a required course for marketing majors. It also discusses the important role that Arcview has played in the teaching of critical spatial concepts to business majors.

Wesley W Thomas
West Chester University
The Center for Geographic Information Systems and Spatial Analysis
West Chester, PA19383
USA

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