Planning and Assessing a Short-Term Study Abroad Program for Undergraduate Students of Marketing and Business (original) (raw)
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Enhancing Business Students International Capabilities Through Global Education Programs
Journal of Business & Economics Research (JBER), 2011
Today, the development of a global vision is the cornerstone that guarantees personal, economic and social development, improves competitiveness, and strengthens democracy. Future business professionals will need to understand international business patterns and cultures in order to successfully work in corporations in either the United States or abroad. One way to achieve these goals is through the use of study abroad programs. Study abroad programs develop cross-cultural awareness as well as the interpersonal and professional skills necessary to operate in a changing business environment.A common perception of North Americans is that they are in general ethnocentric and resist efforts to internationalize. While this may or may not be true for all those who reside in the United States, it is undeniable that future college graduates require a better education in international business and cross-cultural differences. The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business Internat...
Building global competencies through experiential coursework in international travel and tourism
Journal of International …, 2011
Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to examine strengths and limitations of current experiential approaches for enhancing international business education, and propose a new, particularly cost-effective approach grounded in the travel and tourism industry and specific context of international cruises. Design/methodology/approach -This study combines an analysis of current literature with an examination of actual case experience. Findings -A particularly successful short-term experiential learning approach was used at a private university in southern California that is focused on the specific international business context of the international cruise industry within travel and tourism. The authors believe that this approach has significant merit to be included as a viable option for helping students develop important international business competencies required to compete in an increasingly global marketplace. With its specific focus on the international cruise industry and experiential travel agency operational design, this approach provides not only the opportunity to learn about general culture and business environments in the areas of travel, but also allows the practical application of many international and domestic business concepts and skills within a specific global industry context. Research limitations/implications -The present study is limited to a very few experiences and within the international cruise industry. Future applied research in international business education should provide more rigorous analyses for verifying intended student learning outcomes, as well as examine applications within other contexts within the growing field of international travel and tourism. Practical implications -The approach described here provides practical information for developing similar experiential coursework for enhancing international business education, and is particularly useful for smaller educational institutions that may lack the ability to offer and participate fully in more extensive options such as study abroad and international internships. Originality/value -The approach described in the paper provides a highly relevant context for international business experiential education that is economical for students and schools alike.
Study Abroad—Perspectives and Experiences from Business Schools
International Business Review, 2004
Belief that the individual growth that results from studying abroad benefits the students as individuals, and those that subsequently employ them, has justified the growth of study abroad programmes in the 20th century. This is not new; it was held in ancient civilizations and in the medieval European church, spawning our modern university tradition. For young Americans, the focus of this volume, it was a proposition accepted among the 19th century upper classes, as James (1881) illustrated in fiction. It is now reflected in study abroad programmes that are made available for business and other students in many US universities. A desire to learn from and to share best practice in international business education has fostered the creation of 'CIBERs' (Centres for International Business Education and Research) in Universities throughout the United States, and 'roundtable' discussions. The third of these roundtables was a three-day event, hosted by the Michigan State University in September 2001, and attended by more than 60 faculty and administrators from business and other disciplines, that discussed 'study abroad programs in business schools'. From this event, a Network of Study Abroad Administrators in Business Schools has been established. Another outcome of this event was the volume 'Study Abroad-Perspectives and Experiences from Business Schools', which presents 14 testaments from different universities concerning aspects of their study abroad programmes, in which experience is shared. The titles of the chapters display a diversity of concerns. There are three chapters each on student recruitment and preparation, and on administration and organization issues. There are two chapters each on programme assessment, language issues, and inter-organizational relationships. The concluding contribution, the only one from outside the United States, compares practice and experience in the United States and Germany. These chapters are personal reflections from practice. All describe and give intellectual reflection on experience at particular institutions or of particular programmes and some also give survey data. The volume should be seen and valued in that light, not as a research volume from a matured domain of international research. Overall, the book addresses the main issues that managers of study abroad programmes face, and the diversity of purpose, focus, and practice that exist in them. Anyone charged
Journal of Teaching in International Business, 2023
Employers are continually looking for graduates who show an understanding of people with diverse cultures, languages, and religions. The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine how participation in study abroad enhanced the interculturality of undergraduate business students. Participants included two cohorts of U.S. students participating in a short-term biennial study abroad program in China. The data were student' scores on The Intercultural Effectiveness Scale (IES), a 52-item Likert scale spanning nine dimensions: continuous learning, selfawareness, exploration, interpersonal engagement, world orientation, relationship development, hardiness, positive regard, and emotional resilience. The IES was completed pre and post trip. Additional data were collected from the students' openended journals that they wrote while participating in the study abroad program. Quantitative findings revealed that mean scores increased significantly between Time 1 (pre trip) and Time 2 (post trip) for most dimensions of the IES. Qualitative findings showed that three main themes impact student experiences: Travel, Memories, and Culture. Additional qualitative findings revealed that the Enjoyment and Challenges that students experience as part of a formal study abroad curriculum enhanced attainment of learning outcomes.
Enhancing students’ global competence through international business study missions
Journal of International Education in Business, 2021
Purpose This paper aims to share how an Asian university enhanced students’ global competence through international business study missions (BSMs). More specifically, it focuses on how the design of these BSMs enabled “deep” learning beyond industry tourism and how 21st-century competencies such as “global competence” can be acquired through participation in short-term, faculty-led study missions. Design/methodology/approach Using the case study approach, it critically analyzes the learning goals and objectives, design decisions, implementation details and learning outcomes underlying three BSMs led by three instructors from the same university to the USA (New York), Germany (Berlin and Stuttgart) and South Korea (Seoul). Findings The study shows that students gained global competencies related to specific fields of study such as the creative industries, urban sustainability and entrepreneurship. It shows how design choices such as destination, range of organizations, length of indi...
2014
The 2011 QS Global Employer Survey of over 10,000 recruiters worldwide indicates that employers actively seek and give preference to college graduates who had studied abroad. Six out of ten employers said they give "extra credit" for a student's international experience and more than 80 percent said they actively seek graduates who had studied abroad. The value employers place on a student's study abroad experience grows significantly as program length increases. Though this study suggests there is a connection in employers' minds between overseas study and the development of certain interpersonal skills, students who participate in short-term programs need to make an extra effort to describe their experience in such a manner that convinces prospective employers their time abroad developed the intercultural competence employers expect. Today's students must be prepared to interact with people and cultural situations that may differ significantly from their ...
Going It Alone: Developing An Independent Study Abroad Program
Journal of College Teaching & Learning (TLC), 2011
With a greater focus on internationalization, today’s business students are encouraged to participate in study abroad programs. For smaller, regional business programs seeking a quality study abroad program, faculty and administrators may view “piggybacking” onto existing programs of larger universities as their only viable option. However, piggyback participation in external programs may require that a university forsake its own standards and objectives, and accept the objectives of other study abroad programs. Building on the experiences of one university’s study abroad program for MBAs, the idea that piggybacking onto other schools is the only means of creating a high quality international experience for students is rejected.