<span>Global mindset and openness to change by upper echelon healthcare executives are positioned in this research proposal as prerequisites for competitive responses to a paradigmatic shift in the provision of healthcare worldwide. The proposal addresses a gap in the health care management literature evidenced by a deficit of empirical research pertaining to the relationships among global trade, health and health services and responds to a call for more, and more specific, cross-cultural studies that provide practical implications for </span><span>international management. Motivated by prior research indicating the pivotal role of top manager’s world views and attitudes on institutional responses to globalization, the paper outlines a prospective qualitative inquiry into the understandings of healthcare executives in four countries (the U.S. and three Asian markets) relative to cross-border trade as a threat or opportunity and their interpretations of institutional global capacities and global potential as reflected in strategy, mission and identity.Doctorate of Management Programs</span>
