WrittenPublished by: The Journal of Human Resource and Adult Learning
MBA News Digest Comment: None.
Extracted Content: Abstract – The present research reports on incremental improvements made on four two-week study abroad international business programs conducted for MBA students at a medium-sized university in the southeastern United States. A review of the literature on study abroad program efficacy and comparative country analysis is provided. Evidence is then provided that students learn more when given a multiple country perspective. Whereas the college designed itineraries visiting multiple cities within one country the first two years, during the third and fourth years, a change was made to move to a comparative curriculum across two adjacent but very dissimilar countries. With similar cohorts each year and similar international business curricula before their in-country travel, it appeared that student engagement and learning was noticeably greater during the trips to multiple countries, rather than in multiple locations within one country. Student growth on the Global Mindset Inventory taken before and after their travels showed results to underscore improvement in students’ ability to appreciate and understanding international business issues. Lessons and reflections from these programs are provided as well as suggestions for future research on study abroad curricula.