Abstract
In the current era of globalization, it is critical for university business/management programs to develop new and innovative approaches that provide experiential learning formats to foster intercultural awareness. The short-term international study tour has emerged as a popular approach to delivering such profound learning experiences. However, there is much variation in which study tours are developed and administered and little empirical evidence to guide educators with respect to the best methods to use. A review of the literature reveals many different formats, techniques, and underlying assumptions related to study tour administration. Using experiential learning theory as a framework, the authors provide a qualitative analysis of the study tours offered at two universities in the northeastern United States. International issues relating to both the content and the structure of such international experiences impact educational outcomes for business/management students. Future travel course plans at Bridgewater State University are also discussed.
TopIntroduction
Today's managers require skill sets that enable them to compete in a complex global economy. All too often, however, business school graduates are ill-equipped to deal with the cultural, economic, and linguistic aspects of doing business internationally. Sweeping changes in global markets call for new pedagogical approaches that will prepare managers to survive in this business landscape. Accreditation organizations, such as the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), have recognized this need, making the globalization of business school curricula a key priority. The past Chair of the Board of AACSB, Santiago Iñiguez de Onzoño, wrote an article pointing, “Business schools today face a historic opportunity to reinvent our mission and reposition our activities to influence the transformation of global society”:
“Recent upheavals such as Brexit, policies announced by the current American presidency, the rise of nationalism and populism, and issues brought on by massive immigration have thrown much into question. … It is very likely that all these changes will continue to create turbulence in the short term. … Yet, there are two good reasons to nurture hope for the long run. First, given the unstoppable development of digitalization across all sectors, including education, it is very likely that the world will evolve toward further integration, despite the odds. Second, millennials and younger generations—our current and future students—have a distinct cosmopolitan mindset with which they actively cultivate a feeling of global citizenship” (Iniguez, 2017).
Unfortunately, many of our business schools are not producing the types of managers who can meet the challenges required in this rapidly changing global landscape. While adept at traditional business topics, they often lack the fundamental skill sets required in a global environment. A recent report by the Global Center for Management Education emphasizes this point, stressing:
“…the need for business schools to think deeply and more frequently about the educational goals of their curricula, the way they teach, and the demands of organizations – not just in their home country, but all over the world. Global sourcing of services has changed the structure of business and the core skills required. It's unlikely that efficiency – on its own – will be able to offer a lasting competitive advantage as the diffusions of technologies and processes accelerate. The new focus of attention will be on innovation, collaboration, and customer service, where communication and interpersonal skills and creative insight matter more than technical prowess” (The Global Management Education Landscape, 2010).
In order to meet the need to produce more global business graduates with intercultural awareness, new and innovative approaches are necessary. The short-term international study tour has emerged as one such venue. In their book How College Affects Students: 21st Century Evidence that Higher Education Works, the authors summarize the benefits of undergraduate study abroad, noting that while study abroad has limited impact on students’ development in traditional academic areas, it has significant positive effects on their attitudes, values, and beliefs (Mayhew et al, 2016).
Although there is growing literature surrounding the efficacy of short-term study tours, much of it is anecdotal in nature. There is a shortage of empirical evidence and little development of theory underlying such an inquiry. In this chapter, we explore how one such theoretical model, Experiential Learning Theory (ELT), may be used to frame the discussion of learning in the context of short-term study tours. Specifically, we draw on the experiences of the authors, who have led numerous business-oriented study tours to such locations as China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, Thailand, India, Cuba, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Germany, and Portugal at two universities in the northeastern United States (The University of New Haven and Bridgewater State University).
Key Terms in this Chapter
International Exchange Program: A student from one country who attends university or school in another country.
Intercultural Exchange: The engagement of groups of students in interaction and collaboration with partners from other cultural contexts or geographical locations under the guidance of educators and experts.
Study Tour/Travel Course: A faculty-led course designed to deepen and enrich student learning outcomes by embedding course content in the context of other countries and cultures for a compact period of two or three weeks.
Globalization: The spread of the flow of financial products, goods, technologies, information, and jobs across national borders and cultural boundaries.
Virtual Travel Course: Recreating much of the study abroad experience online, such as learning about a new culture, immersing yourself in a new language and culture, and connecting with people around the globe.
Business/Management Curriculum: A comprehensive and academic program designed to develop the planning, organizing, financing, marketing, management functions needed to start a new business or manage an existing business.
Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB): Also known as AACSB International. It was founded as the American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business in 1916 to provide accreditation to schools of business and was later known as the American Association of Collegiate Schools of Business and as the International Association for Management Education.
Global Studies Program: An interdisciplinary program providing students the opportunity to develop their knowledge of the world and the major contemporary issues confronting humanity. Included are Asian Studies Program, Middle Eastern and North African Studies Program, African Studies Program, Caribbean/Latin American Studies Program, Canadian Studies Program, and European Studies Program.
Experiential Learning Theory (ELT): A method of educating through first-hand experience. Skills, knowledge, and experience are acquired outside of the traditional academic classroom setting, and may include internships, studies abroad, study tours, field trips, field research, and service-learning projects.
Virtual Exchange: Offering unique educational experiences at the intersection of the digital, social, and intercultural environments. It resituates learning by creating an inclusive transnational space where the participants move across and beyond cultural, curricular, and individual boundaries.