Developing Cultural Competence

The growing popularity of short-term study abroad and faculty-led immersion offer scholars and educators a new opportunity to study the impact of cross-cultural experiential learning practices on fostering cross-cultural competency among business students. Rising foreign direct investment, international trade, the growing significance of emerging markets, and other socio-political elements of globalization are reshaping 21st century business practices. Pedagogies of business education, including sales and marketing education, must adapt to these changes and provide an emphasis on cross-cultural understanding and its impact on business decision making, along with fostering skills for cultural sensitivity. This article will review two relevant theoretical frameworks, transformative learning theory, and experiential learning theory, which describe the processes by which students develop intercultural competence, particularly with respect to faculty-led, short-term study immersion programs. It will outline a series of best practices for designing, measuring, and implementing such programs in higher education and conclude with brief recommendations for future research.

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Fostering a Global Mind

Multicultural Instructional Design ◽

10.4018/978-1-5225-9279-2.ch070 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1469-1489

Author(s):

Erika Cornelius Smith

Keyword(s):

Cultural Sensitivity ◽

Intercultural Competence ◽

Business Students ◽

Review Literature ◽

Cross Cultural ◽

Future Research ◽

Short Term ◽

Term Study ◽

Business Decision ◽

Short Term Study

Globalization is reshaping twenty-first century business practices, and pedagogies of business education must adapt to provide an emphasis on cross-cultural understanding and its impact on business decision making, along with fostering skills for cultural sensitivity. The growing popularity of short-term study abroad and faculty-led immersion offer scholars and educators a new opportunity to study the impact of cross-cultural experiential learning practices on fostering cross-cultural competency among business students. This chapter will review literature describing the theoretical processes or models by which students develop intercultural competence, particularly with respect to faculty-led, short-term study immersion programs, and outline a series of best practices for designing, measuring, and implementing such programs in higher education. Finally, the chapter will conclude with brief recommendations for future research.

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Fostering a Global Mind

Handbook of Research on Cross-Cultural Business Education - Advances in Logistics, Operations, and Management Science ◽

10.4018/978-1-5225-3776-2.ch004 ◽

2018 ◽

pp. 68-88

Author(s):

Erika Cornelius Smith

Keyword(s):

Cultural Sensitivity ◽

Intercultural Competence ◽

Business Students ◽

Review Literature ◽

Cross Cultural ◽

Future Research ◽

Short Term ◽

Term Study ◽

Business Decision ◽

Short Term Study

Globalization is reshaping twenty-first century business practices, and pedagogies of business education must adapt to provide an emphasis on cross-cultural understanding and its impact on business decision making, along with fostering skills for cultural sensitivity. The growing popularity of short-term study abroad and faculty-led immersion offer scholars and educators a new opportunity to study the impact of cross-cultural experiential learning practices on fostering cross-cultural competency among business students. This chapter will review literature describing the theoretical processes or models by which students develop intercultural competence, particularly with respect to faculty-led, short-term study immersion programs, and outline a series of best practices for designing, measuring, and implementing such programs in higher education. Finally, the chapter will conclude with brief recommendations for future research.

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Experiential Learning by Business Students on Short Term Study Tours

International Journal of Information Systems in the Service Sector ◽

10.4018/ijisss.287584 ◽

2022 ◽

Vol 14 (1) ◽

pp. 0-0

Keyword(s):

Experiential Learning ◽

Business Students ◽

Short Term ◽

Term Study ◽

Study Tour ◽

Short Term Study ◽

High Level ◽

The Impact ◽

Very High

This study incorporates a qualitative, case study based approach to analyze the impact of a short domestic study tour on business students of a Mumbai based college. The methods for data collection were structured questionnaires, feedback forms, interviews, focus groups, and work diaries. Short and economical study tours within the country have succeeded tremendously in their objective and have provided a very high level of learning experiences. There is strong evidence of experiential learning which seem to produce a significant, almost magical, impact on students.

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Understanding How Program Factors Influence Intercultural Learning in Study Abroad: The Benefits of Mixed-Method Analysis

Frontiers: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Study Abroad ◽

10.36366/frontiers.v31i1.441 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 31 (1) ◽

pp. 22-45

Author(s):

Andrea Paras ◽

Michael Carignan ◽

Ashley Brenner ◽

Jane Hardy ◽

Jodi Malmgren ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Service Learning ◽

Study Abroad ◽

Intercultural Competence ◽

Intercultural Learning ◽

Short Term ◽

Study Abroad Programs ◽

Term Study ◽

Present Evidence ◽

Short Term Study ◽

The Impact

With the proliferation of short term study abroad programs at institutions of higher education, there is a need for more rigorous assessment of how these pr ograms contribute to intercultural learning. This article presents a multi institutional comparative study of students’ intercultural learning in six short term study abroad programs in Canada and the U nited S tates , employing both quantitative and qualitat ive methods. The study combines pre and post IDI survey scores with a qualitative analysis of student writing to present evidence about the impact of specific program features on students’ intercultural learning, as well as an analysis of how the students themselves make sense of their experiences abroad. We argue that the extent of pre departure intercultural training has a positive relationship with intercultural learning outcomes. Additionally, we present evidence that service learning opportunities and intra group dynamics contribute to students’ intercultural competence. We conclude that mixed methods analysis provides the most effective way of identifying how different program factors contribute to intercultural growth, when that growth occurs in a pr ogram cycle, and how program leaders can provide effective intercultural interventions to best facilitate student learning abroad.

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Study Abroad Objectives and Satisfaction of International Students in Japan

Journal of International Students ◽

10.32674/jis.v8i4.238 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 8 (4) ◽

Author(s):

Matthias Hennings ◽

Shin Tanabe

Keyword(s):

International Students ◽

Study Abroad ◽

Student Satisfaction ◽

Language Skills ◽

Cross Cultural ◽

Short Term ◽

Study Abroad Programs ◽

Term Study ◽

Short Term Study ◽

Cultural Skills

Many Japanese universities have created short-term study abroad programs with the aim of offering a satisfying study abroad experience to international students. Based on a survey of 131 international students, this paper analyzes these students’ objectives and their relation to student satisfaction. As the results show, many students regard their experience of living in Japan as more important than their academic pursuits. Furthermore, for students with prior knowledge of Japanese, improving language skills tends to result in higher satisfaction, while for students who do not speak the local language, achieving cross-cultural skills is a major factor for having a satisfying experience.

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Talking with ‘Others’: Experiences and perspective transformation in a short-term study abroad program

Frontiers: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Study Abroad ◽

10.36366/frontiers.v33i2.484 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 33 (2) ◽

pp. 35-60

Author(s):

Emmanuelle S. Chiocca

Keyword(s):

Study Abroad ◽

Transformative Learning ◽

Intercultural Competence ◽

Classroom Culture ◽

Student Experiences ◽

Short Term ◽

Study Abroad Programs ◽

Term Study ◽

Multiple Data ◽

Short Term Study

With the growth of short-term study abroad programs comes the need to develop impactful curricula and to provide supportive environments for deep learning abroad that is more than “upgraded” tourism but rather focused on educational outcomes. This qualitative case study investigates the experiences of five study abroad participants in Israel. Drawing from multiple data sources within an interpretive framework, the purpose of this study is to understand student experiences abroad. Data was analyzed inductively and thematically. Findings suggest that the holistic experience was anchored by (1) directed and diverse conversations, (2) hermeneutical reflections, (3) emotional disequilibrium, (4) intercultural competence development, and (5) student engagement in a classroom culture, which acted together as a gestalt. Results highlight the importance of dialogue, both with locals and within the classroom community, for transformative learning. These findings encourage international educators to provide instructional frames that encourage students to engage with local communities in critical ways.

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Short-Term Study Abroad in Psychology: Effects of a Cultural Scavenger Hunt on the Development of Intercultural Competence

Teaching of Psychology ◽

10.1177/0098628320959922 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 48 (1) ◽

pp. 32-40

Author(s):

Ryan M. Zayac ◽

Sydney Miller ◽

Wolfgang Lenhard ◽

Amber Paulk ◽

Kirby Chrysler

Keyword(s):

Study Abroad ◽

Intercultural Competence ◽

Short Form ◽

The United States ◽

Short Term ◽

Term Study ◽

Initial Development ◽

Emotional Resilience ◽

Intercultural Competencies ◽

Short Term Study

Steadily increasing ethnic and cultural diversity in the United States has led employers to see intercultural competence as a valuable and necessary trait for those entering the workforce, including students studying psychology. One high-impact practice that may increase students’ multicultural awareness is study abroad. The current research examined the effectiveness of a cultural scavenger hunt offered during two short-term study abroad programs to increase participants’ intercultural competencies. Cultural competence was assessed in Study 1 ( N = 10) using the Miville-Guzman Universality-Diversity Scale–Short Form. Results indicated a statistically significant increase across all subscales. In Study 2 ( N = 16), the Cross-Cultural Adaptability Inventory was utilized. Results from Study 2 demonstrated statistically significant improvements in the Emotional Resilience subscale. These findings suggest that a cultural scavenger hunt may assist participants in actively engaging in the local culture and facilitate the initial development of intercultural competencies.

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Managing a short international study trip: the case of China

International Journal of Educational Management ◽

10.1108/ijem-06-2019-0204 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 34 (2) ◽

pp. 386-396

Author(s):

Fengli Mu ◽

James Hatch

Keyword(s):

Experiential Learning ◽

Design Methodology ◽

Business Students ◽

International Study ◽

Short Term ◽

Term Study ◽

Content Type ◽

Short Term Study ◽

Key Aspects ◽

Structured Approach

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to discuss the major planning and implementation practices that should be followed in a short term international study trip (IST). The focus throughout is on how to utilize experiential learning to establish cultural competence. Design/methodology/approach The paper shows how to plan and manage an international MBA study trip to China using a specific case to illustrate the methods employed. Findings The use of a highly structured approach to an experiential learning exercise combined with a focus on key elements of cultural competencies creates a positive environment and leads to significant focused learning. Originality/value This paper fills three key gaps in the literature. First it uniquely focuses on the implementation of a conceptual framework that incorporates the types of cultural competency related learning that are to take place. Second, it illustrates how to design and implement an IST highlighting two key aspects of experiential learning: providing challenging experiences and encouraging reflection. Third, it focuses on a trip to China which, although one of the most popular destinations for business students, is lightly reviewed in the literature. This study fills a significant gap in the literature dealing with the management of short term study trips.

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