Short study abroad trips

Short Study Tours Abroad: Gaining A Cross Cultural Viewpoint

Dr Kim Williams School of Management La Trobe University, Victoria 3086, Australia E-­‐mail: k.williams@latrobe.edu.au

Mr Gary Best School of Management La Trobe University, Victoria 3086, Australia E-­‐mail: g.best@latrobe.edu.au

Abstract Globalisation has influenced educational institutions to establish procedures to foster contacts and associations with global enterprises and industries. Short study tours abroad provide a means to assist with this emerging trend of internationalisation tertiary education. This paper describes a research study to examine if cross cultural attitudinal changes occur for Australian management students who participate in a short study tour abroad. The study participants will be Australian management students completing an elective subject in International Human Resources Management via an intensive two weeks program in Bordeaux, France. The study will utilise both quantitative and qualitative research methods via the use of the Cross Cultural Adaptability Inventory and one to one student interviews. An enhanced comprehension of the conscious and subconscious learning acquired during a short study tour abroad has the potential to enrich teaching and learning approaches and models in future Australian management courses.

Key words: Cross cultural awareness; Internationalisation; Tertiary education; Study tours abroad.

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Introduction This paper provides a brief overview of a research study currently being conducted concerning short study tours abroad (SSTA). The research seeks to determine if cross cultural attitudinal changes occur for Australian management students who participate in a SSTA in Europe. Third year Bachelor of Business students are offered the opportunity to complete International Human Resources as an elective subject via an intensive two weeks program in Bordeaux, France. The study was conducted in July in 2010 and will be again in 2011 with approximately 35 students (in total) being selected by written submission, interview, and the satisfactory completion of the prerequisite second year subject Human Resource Management.

The integration of studies concerning cultural diversity and globalisation has occurred in many programs offered by Australian tertiary educational institutions. The contemporary Australian management student must have a greater knowledge and understanding of global policy and practice if they are to perform optimally in today’s business contexts. All enterprises operating globally require management staff with cultural competence, hence the current development of management programs that provide international viewpoints, exposing students to diversity and different cultures. Approaches to internationalisation can be achieved through curriculum development and enhancement, staff exchanges, establishing joint degree programs, research, and consultancies with overseas institutions and providing study tours abroad (Harris, 2008; Howe and Martin, 1998; Research Centre for Languages and Cultures Education, 2004).

Internationalising a higher degree program via a study tour abroad also provides an avenue for a flexible delivery approach and an excellent vehicle for experiential learning (Hopkins, 1999). Experiential learning practices provide an environment where the participant experiences the learning on a first-­‐hand basis and is immersed in the learning experience. The experience allows the student to investigate and examine their preconceived ideas about another society, and, may assist to nurturing a modified cultural viewpoint. One fundamental process for effective experiential learning is that the learner not only has an experience but also reflects on the learning gained during this experience and is able to apply these insights to future encounters. Experiential learning is not one-­‐dimensional; it takes the form of stages through which the participant develops a conscious understanding of the importance and value derived from the experience (Henry, 1989). Experiential learning concepts are implied where the learner is able to learn by doing the actual activity in a real world environment. Carl Rogers, a respected humanist, claimed ‘I know that I can’t teach anyone anything. I can only provide an environment in which he/she can learn’ (1969: 163). SSTA provide an excellent environment for experiential learning where the learner can perhaps more fully comprehend and utilise their own learning experiences.

Few studies have focussed on the effects and implications associated with completing a SSTA program for Australian management students, where the students are accompanied by faculty members to facilitate the learning experience, and to assist with travel and visitation arrangements (Hutchings, Jackson, and McEllister, 2002).

This study will address gaps in the literature relating to the cross cultural attitudinal changes that occur for Australian management students who participate in a SSTA in Europe. The research questions which guide this study are: 1. To what extent do students change in terms of cultural awareness and attitudes towards cultural diversity after completing a SSTA? 2. To what extent do students change their attitudes towards host cultures as a result of participating in a SSTA? 3. What perceived cross cultural knowledge and skills (both tangible and intangible) do students gain from a SSTA as an experiential learning activity?

4. What factors motivate students to participate in a SSTA? 5. After Zhai and Scheer (2002).

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Research suggests an effective strategy for the delivery of international study tour is a three-­‐part model which includes pre-­‐departure seminars, the tour, and a return to home campus post trip debriefing (Koernig, 2007; Porth, 1997; Tucker, 1997). The study tour group in 2010 was accompanied to France by two academics, one male and one female. The cross cultural awareness of the student was assessed prior to, and post, the two week study tour in France. As suggested in the literature a three part model was applied. From late May 2010 the students attended three two-­‐hour pre-­‐departure seminars in Australia presented by the Australian academics. These seminars were designed to facilitate a maximum rapport and trust between the participants, and to allow the students and staff members to learn about each other. The pre-­‐departure seminars covered the course structure, the required reading and assessment, prior travel experiences and travel tips, and cross cultural perceptions, as well as assessing the personal expectations of each of the SSTA participants. In addition, the participants were encouraged to write a reflective journal prior and during the SSTA. Assessment of the subject is an academic essay comparing differences in human resource practice in Europe to Australian and a reflective essay analysing cultural awareness challenges experienced during the tour.

In July 2010 ten students travelled directly from Melbourne Australia apart from short transit stops to Bordeaux France. The academic component of the trip consisted of approximately 20 hours of lectures which were delivered at a Business Management School in Bordeaux by that School’s academic staff. Site visits, presentations, and leisure excursions were also conducted at various sites in Bordeaux and the surrounding region. In addition, whilst away, students attended ten hours of tutorials conducted by the Australian academics to delve into important cultural experiences, discuss pertinent case studies, and clarify assessment requirements. This delivery structure allocated students sufficient time to explore and immerse themselves in the local environs, community, and culture. After completing the academic component in Bordeaux the students spent three days in Paris, with the Australian academics, exploring the sights and interacting with French culture on a larger scale.

Data has been collected in three stages from the students undertaking the SSTA program in 2010. Stage One involved all students completing the Kelley and Meyers’ (1995) Cross Cultural Adaptability Inventory (CCAI) self assessment worksheet at the commencement of the subject, prior to leaving Australia for the study tour.

This data measures the students’ initial cultural sensitivity and awareness. Stage Two involved completing a second CCAI self-­‐ assessment worksheet at the conclusion of the two week tour, once back in Australia.

Stage Three involved semi structured interview debriefings six weeks after completing the SSTA. A sequence of questions was employed as a guide, allowing the interview to develop as a natural conversation (Brown and Dowling, 1998). A natural flow of discussion assists in obtaining an honest account of the students’ experiences.

Students were expected to maintain a written, reflective journal. The journal was to record the student’s personal thoughts, experiences pre-­‐, during, and post–tour. This journal assisted students in recalling specific cultural experiences that could be discussed during the semi structured interview debriefing and to complete their final assessments. The primary objective of the interview debriefing was to collect data about what perceived cross cultural skills and knowledge (both tangible and intangible) they believe they had gained from completing a subject via a study abroad delivery mode. In addition, the students were asked to discuss motivating factors that influenced them to undertake the SSTA in the first instance and suggestions for improvement for future tours. The collection of qualitative data assists in deepening and enriching the data already collected via the CCAI instrument. The same data collection method will be applied in 2011.

The CCAI instrument has been selected for this study, given that it provides data about the potential for cross-­‐cultural adaptability. The CCAI instrument has also been widely applied by cross-­‐cultural practitioners to identify four dimensions: emotional resilience; flexibility/openness; perceptual acuity; and personal autonomy (Kitsantas and Meyers, 2001).

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Analysis of the collected data will focus on identifying what changes have occurred to the students’ cultural awareness within the four dimensions. The semi structured interviews will be analysed using NVivo to identify themes and significant patterns in order to actively generate meaning and draw conclusions that relate back to the original research questions.

This paper details the first phase of a two year investigation, which is designed to ascertain if a SSTA delivery mode has had a positive effect on Australian management students’ cultural awareness and, in turn, contributes to their potential ability to perform more successfully as a manager in the global community of the new millennium.

The eventual findings from 2010 and then 2011 will identify tangible and intangible benefits associated with SSTA, and how these findings can be employed to encourage more participation in, and commitment to, this experiential learning activity. A better understanding of the conscious and subconscious learning acquired during a SSTA also has the potential to improve teaching and learning modes and models in future Australian management courses. For more students to obtain benefits from internationalising a program, a larger percentage of the cohort must be prepared to become engaged with this style of learning.

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