When Study Abroad is a Training Ground for the Global Workplace Welcome to session Sep 2010

SAFSA Study Abroad and Foreign Student Advisors WHO : EAIE members involved in providing services and guidance to foreign students and scholars, advising students about study abroad opportunities or promoting study abroad programmes in their institutions. WHAT: The focus of SAFSA is on enhancing intercultural communication skills, orientation and advising programmes, practical aspects of international programmes, promotion and advocacy of international mobility and quality in advising. So SAFSA is a platform for discussion and networking with other professionals! When Study Abroad is a Training Ground for the Global Workplace

SAFSA Study Abroad and Foreign Student Advisors For questions please contact any member of the SAFSA board: Chair Karin Klitgaard Møller, University of Copenhagen Faculty of Life Sciences, Denmark Vice-chair Ingrid Gehrke, FH Joanneum University of Applied Sciences, Austria Board Barbara Boldt, Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, Switzerland Kevin Murphy, CEA Global Education, Italy Léa D. Senn, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Italy When Study Abroad is a Training Ground for the Global Workplace

Chair: Kevin Murphy, CEA Global Education, Italy I. Acquiring Skills for the Global Workplace Speaker: Scott Blair, CEA Global Education, France II. Articulating Study Abroad Classroom Skills for the Global Workplace Speaker: Barbara Boldt, Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne III. Acquiring Skills in the Multicultural Classroom and the Challenge of Assessment When Study Abroad is a Training Ground for the Global Workplace

I. Acquiring Skills for the Global Workplace Kevin Murphy, CEA Global Education, Italy State of Affairs Global mobility and communication on the rise Encountering people from a variety of cultures, and the need for effective communication, is already commonplace Students need to be better prepared for international careers When Study Abroad is a Training Ground for the Global Workplace

Old Goals? to develop awareness of foreign cultures to acquire foreign language skills When Study Abroad is a Training Ground for the Global Workplace

Better Goals to discover the interaction between culture and communication to realize how ones cultural identity influences communication with others to attain the knowledge and skills to be effective and ethical intercultural communicators When Study Abroad is a Training Ground for the Global Workplace

Communication and Global Competence COM340 Subject Area: Communication, Cultural Studies Level: 300 Prerequisites: None Language of Instruction: English Contact Hours: 45 Recommended Credits: 3 Course Structure: 15 weeks When Study Abroad is a Training Ground for the Global Workplace

Intercultural Strategies – first class Dont Assume. Everything is done differently here.

Intercultural Strategies – first class Dont Assume. Everything is done differently here. Dont Judge. What seems strange or wrong is normal here.

Intercultural Strategies – first class Dont Assume. Everything is done differently here. Dont Judge. What seems strange or wrong is normal here. Dont aspire to understand. Accept That You Dont Understand. Its okay.

Intercultural Strategies – first class Dont Assume. Everything is done differently here. Dont Judge. What seems strange or wrong is normal here. Dont aspire to understand. Accept That You Dont Understand. Its okay.

Instructional methods: lectures, in-class discussions, experiential exercises, a research project, field experiences, guest speakers, book reviews, interviews, reflection journal. Forms of Assessment Continuous Account for development and evolution

Some Conceptual Markers for Navigating Culture & Communication Cultural aspect of communication is important because culture is subconscious Cultural behavior is patterned & predictable Cultural groups can be organized on the basis of their similarities & differences Exploring communication is a key to navigating culture Exploring culture is a key to navigating communication The real challenge is not to understand a foreign culture but to make sense of a foreign culture through the lens of ones own to recognise the culture/communication relationship, how it operates, where it occurs, how to locate and recognize its operation and influence

Local Library Membership Mission When Study Abroad is a Training Ground for the Global Workplace Communication Tolerance Patience Independence Adaptation Appreciation Café Solo What kind of people are there? Outside? How do they use the space/s? What are they doing, how are they dressed? What interactions are taking place? Verbal? Non- verbal? What is the sound\smell environment? How do you feel being there? And making your order? How were you treated? …and so on.

Outsiders on the Inside – not a cohesive group Encounters with a variety of local residents who are/were also outsiders by nationality, religion, provenance, lifestyle, sexuality, ethnicity, etc Reviews of books written by fellow-foreigners about the socio-cultural aspect of X-Anglo relations. Are their authors interculturally competent? Students critically confront their own cultural adjustment process to that of someone else Culture and communication are complex, ambiguous, and evolve over time When Study Abroad is a Training Ground for the Global Workplace

others Nonni di Santo Spirito Business Lunch Soup Kitchen Conversation exchange Business simulations Blogging When Study Abroad is a Training Ground for the Global Workplace

II. Articulating Study Abroad Classroom Skills for the Global Workplace Scott Blair, CEA Global Education, France Targeted Learning Outcomes for Study Abroad That students grow intellectually, personally and ethically That students develop higher levels of global & intercultural competence That students develop greater fluency in foreign languages That students are better prepared for international careers Source: Bolen, M., ed. (2007) A Guide to Outcomes Assessment in Education Abroad, Carlisle, PA: Forum on Education Abroad. When Study Abroad is a Training Ground for the Global Workplace

Integrating Study Abroad, Intercultural Learning, & Career Planning Program Structure & Chronology T-6 months Pre-Departure E-Orientation T-0 General Orientation on Study Abroad & Learning Outcomes T+3 days Academic Orientation on Applying Learning Outcomes to Career Planning T+14 days Students Receive Summary Documentation (Career articles, model personal plan, calendar of coming workshops, biography of career consultant, etc.) T+8 weeks Entry Career Workshop (PowerPoint Presentation & Group Exercises) T+10 weeks Career Consultant Live Webinar T+15 weeks Exit Workshop: Review, Live Webinar on The Next Steps, Assessment T+24 weeks Follow-Up (Readings, student support, personal advising, survey materials) When Study Abroad is a Training Ground for the Global Workplace

How Study Abroad Adds Value to My Budding Professional Skill Sets Employers value your international experience when you articulate how it adds value to their organization For example: Flexibility: How have you developed greater tolerance for ambiguity? Are you a productive team player? Cultural Adaptability: How have you gained new cross-cultural sensitivity, sensibility, and awareness? Wider Worldview: How have you gained a deeper understanding of international affairs & global issues? Language Acquisition: How have you strengthened your primary and secondary language skills? When Study Abroad is a Training Ground for the Global Workplace (one slide from the T+8 career workshop)

Entry Workshop Topics Making Career Connections: Impact of Study Abroad Upon My Career Direction Workshop Objectives Self Assessment (Knowledge, Skills, Attitudes, Interests) Group SWOT Analysis Exercise Communicating the Career Narrative Developing Skill Statements on the Resume Resume Analysis Exercise Cover Letters Using Social Networks for Expanding Professional Connections Your Home Campus Career Resources Creating the Career Action Plan Landing that Job! When Study Abroad is a Training Ground for the Global Workplace

III. Acquiring Skills in the Multicultural Classroom and the Challenge of Assessment Barbara Boldt, Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne

Skills for International Management (SIM 1) LIUC Spring Semester 2009 Instructor: Barbara Boldt, M.A. Welcome to… When Study Abroad is a Training Ground for the Global Workplace

Skills for International Management Course Overview This course is designed for Erasmus students studying in Italy for one or more semesters who wish to gain specific intercultural skills that they will be able to transfer to the international workplace. The class is composed of three modules of 12 hours each with a break of 5 weeks in between each block. The premise is that because you will be experiencing cultural difference during the semester, you have the opportunity to learn about and practice specific skills that are necessary and useful in order to work effectively in a multi-national environment. These skills include, understanding the basic concepts of culture and how cultures differ, developing self-cultural awareness, the impact of perception on interaction, practice in suspension of judgment, managing stereotypes and reflecting on behaviour with the goal of developing the skill of perspective taking and cultivating cultural empathy. In addition we will explore how cultural difference impacts specific business interactions such as negotiating and working in teams When Study Abroad is a Training Ground for the Global Workplace

Summary of Attributes of Success for International Managers Job Factors Technical skills Managerial skills Administrative competence Relational Dimensions Tolerance for ambiguity Behavioral Flexibility Non-judgmentalism Cultural empathy and low ethnocentrism Interpersonal skills Motivational State Belief in mission Congruence with career-path Interest in overseas experience Willingness to acquire new patterns of behavior and attitudes, Family Situation Spouse willing to live abroad Adaptive and supportive spouse Stable marriage Language skills Speaks or willing to learn host country language When Study Abroad is a Training Ground for the Global Workplace Source: Ronen, S. Training the International Assignee

Competencies for International Managers… Interpersonal (relationship) skills Linguistic ability Cultural curiosity Tolerance for uncertainty and ambiguity Flexibility Patience and respect Cultural empathy Strong ego strength A sense of humor The ability to respond to multiple cultures simultaneously Cognitive complexity A culture general approach Being ready to take on new perspectives and try new approaches. Source: Schneider, S.C. & Barsoux, J-L, Managing across cultures.Harlow, England: Prentice Hall/FT, When Study Abroad is a Training Ground for the Global Workplace

Primary Objective: To learn key skills for effective intercultural, interpersonal interaction that can be transferred to a multi-cultural business environment via the facilitated experience of living and studying in a foreign culture. When Study Abroad is a Training Ground for the Global Workplace

Learning Goals: To define culture and explore various metaphors used to represent it. To practice the skills of observing, describing and interpreting the behavior of people who are culturally different from ourselves. To Practice communication techniques that allow us to overcome the barriers involved in intercultural communication, including: –suspension of judgment –managing stereotypes –reflecting on and interpreting behavior –development of empathy and perspective taking When Study Abroad is a Training Ground for the Global Workplace

Learning Goals Continued... To increase self-cultural awareness and awareness of other cultures by learning a framework of cultural difference. To study the effect of culture on negotiating and team work. To analyze our own experience using the framework of value difference and the other concepts learned during the semester. When Study Abroad is a Training Ground for the Global Workplace

You will be evaluated on… Class participation and attendance (I) 25% Analytical notebook & reflection papers (I) 20% Group presentation (G) 20% Participation in online discussion (I) 10% Final critical incident paper (I) 25% When Study Abroad is a Training Ground for the Global Workplace

How do we know theyve acquired these skills? When Study Abroad is a Training Ground for the Global Workplace

Assessment Methodology Comparing two types of data Quantitative data: GCI Qualitative data: reflection papers Outcome Quantitative data: inconclusive Qualitative data: cumbersome but rich, clearly showed learning When Study Abroad is a Training Ground for the Global Workplace