Title: The Role and Value of ShortTerm Study Abroad Alison DavisBlake Investors in Leadership Distinguished
1The Role and Value of Short-Term Study
AbroadAlison Davis-Blake Investors in
Leadership Distinguished Chair in Organizational
BehaviorDean of the Carlson School of Management
University of MinnesotaCIBER Conference
Austin, TexasApril 24, 2008
2What Is Short-Term Study Abroad?
Short-term study abroad
- Study abroad programs that take place during the
Summer or January Term, or those that have a
duration of 8 weeks or fewer. - (IIE Open Doors, http//opendoors.iienetwork.org/p
age/89232/) - Programs of 1 to 8 weeks in length (less than a
term), usually faculty-directed and sponsored by
a home institution or a consortium. - (NAFSAs The Guide to Successful Short-Term
Programs Abroad (p. xv).)
3Why Focus on Short-Term Study Abroad?
Duration of Study Abroad U.S. Students
Open Doors 2007, Duration of Study
Abroad http//opendoors.iienetwork.org/?p113284
4Carlson School Study Abroad Participation
Graduate Participation
Undergraduate Participation
Effective Fall 2008, all undergraduates will be
required to have an International experience
prior to graduation. Similar graduate
requirement likely in future
5Key Goal of Study Abroad Global Competence
- Global Competence (Hunter 2006)
- Open mind
- Effort to understand cultural norms and
expectations of others - Mental framework to seek and organize knowledge
- Ability to leverage gained knowledge to interact,
communicate, and work effectively and comfortably
outside ones environment
6Business Need for Global Competence
- Multiple interactions with global economy
- Foreign market opportunity
- Key source of revenue
- Key growth area
- (Out)Sourcing
- Competition
7Specific Skills Needed by Business
- Cross-cultural understanding
- Cross-cultural teams
- Ethical differences
- Tolerance for ambiguity
- Difference in value standards
8Is Achieving Global Competence the Goal?
- Instill motivation in all students to become
globally competent - Move students towards competence and towards
development of needed skills - Main factor contributing to motivation
- Direct international experience
9Perceptions about Short-Term ProgramsCan They
Help Develop Global Competence?
- Overly short duration
- Insufficient cultural immersion
- Inadequate reflection and debriefing
- Glorified tourism
- QUESTION How to design short-term study abroad
programs to address these perceptions and
concerns and to move students toward global
competence?
10Carlson Global Enrichment Features
- Business Partnerprovides international challenge
- University Partnerprovides cross cultural
interactions - Cross cultural teams
- Special topics
- Core topic in international Setting
- Carlson faculty involvement
11Carlson Global Enrichment Program Locations
- Argentina
- Austria
- Belgium
- China
- Costa Rica
- Denmark
- England
- France
- Germany
- India
- Norway
- Spain
- Sweden
12Carlson Global Enrichment Undergraduate Example
- Managerial Accounting
- Core academic requirement
- Pre-departure coursework for half a semester
prior to departure - Two-week overseas experience, including
debriefing and reflection - Location selected to fit academic content
13Carlson Global Enrichment Graduate Example
- China Seminar
- Corporate partnership live case
- Partnership with international institution in
Shanghai - Multi-cultural teams
- Collaboration between Carlson School and partner
institution faculty
14Value of Short-Term Study Abroad Movement
Toward Global Competence
- Greater access to an international experience
- More students going abroad
- More students choosing multiple short-term
experiences - Exposuremany opportunities to gain an open mind
- International environment
- Top ranked partner university
- Cross cultural teams
- Opportunities for engagement that go well beyond
tourismdirect contact with others norms and
expectations - Corporate
- Colleagues
- Period of reflection helps develop a framework
for knowledge
15- As a part-time MBA student, I found the
interaction and networking with other students to
be incredibly valuable since this is much more
difficult to accomplish in the context of our
normal classes. Both personally and
professionally I felt like this experience was
life-changing for me and would highly recommend
it to anyone! - - Student quote Ethics Seminar 2007
16