Edfelt, Ralph B.
Date Updated
12-2014
Department
Organization & Management
Academic Rank
Professor
Year Retired from SJSU
2004 (FERP 2005-2008)
Educational Background
University of Washington, 1959-63, B.A., Geography
National University of Mexico, 1961
University of California, Los Angeles, 1968-70, M.A., Latin American Studies
University of California, Los Angeles, 1970-75, Ph.D., Management
Teaching Experience
San Jose State University 1976-2008
Administrative and Professional Experience
1962-1964 U.S. Peace Corps (urban youth development project in a Venezuelan slum)
1964-1966 U.S. Army [mandatory military service during the Viet Nam war; assignment: Panama (Canal Zone)]
Selected Publications
Articles in Long Range Planning, Comparative Education Review, California Management Review, The Information Society and other academic and professional publications
Book: Edfelt, Ralph B. (2009), Global Comparative Management, Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage
Files
Personal Commentary
I grew up in Washington (state) raised by Swedish immigrant parents. My life experience includes several years of work, study and travel in Latin America, e.g., study in Mexico (Spanish language and Mexican history), two years of service in the U.S. Peace Corps (Valencia and Punto Fijo, Venezuela) and VietNam-era military service in Panama (Canal Zone) linked to the U.S. Army InterAmerican Geodetic Survey, Natural Resources Division. Research for my Master’s thesis was done in Venezuela and doctoral research in Brazil. I am fluent in Spanish and Portuguese.
I was hired in Fall 1976 for the inaugural undergraduate concentration in international business (College of Business). Subsequent teaching assignments included Introduction to International Business, International & Comparative Management, Introduction to Management, and Strategic Management. I served for several years as faculty advisor to the campus chapter of global student organization AIESEC.
It was personally very rewarding to be engaged with an economically and culturally diverse student population and supportive campus community in the heart of Silicon Valley.
Beyond my academic pursuits, I have been active for many years (continuing) in social, team and tournament tennis (U.S. Tennis Association, Northern California section).