Date post: | 07-Dec-2014 |
Category: |
Education |
Upload: | erik-van-t-klooster |
View: | 307 times |
Download: | 4 times |
1. Introduction
2. Objectives
3. Research method
4. Findings
5. Theoretical and practical implications
Content
E. van 't Klooster www.getupandgo.nl
Towards an international perspective
Opportunities
1) International business
2) Discover new ways of living
E. van 't Klooster www.getupandgo.nl
Ontological insecurity
1) International value chains, global reorganizations, interdependent markets.
2) Global power is shifting from West to East. Cultural differences increase the chance of conflicts in international business and politics.
E. van 't Klooster www.getupandgo.nl
Higher Education and Internationalization
Educational travel: • Study abroad • International internship • Study tour • International research project.
It is unclear what competencies should be learned.
E. van 't Klooster www.getupandgo.nl
Research objectives
1) Which competencies are developed?
2) How does cultural distance influence the learning of competencies?
3) What are the practical implications for learning programs?
E. van 't Klooster www.getupandgo.nl
Relevance
1) Education: Increase effectiveness and efficiëncy of the learning experience.
2) Students: Articulate learning experience towards recruiters.
3) Business: More students with international work experience.
4) Government: Prepare students for an uncertain and international society.
E. van 't Klooster www.getupandgo.nl
Research method
Literature study 1) Educational travel 2) Expatriates 3) Management skills 4) Learning Empirical research 1) 967 questionnaires among international interns
2) 116 evaluation reports of participants in the ‘International
Research Project’
E. van 't Klooster www.getupandgo.nl
Findings competence framework
1) Cross-cultural competencies
2) Management competencies
3) Personal development
E. van 't Klooster www.getupandgo.nl
Cross-cultural competencies
Relationship Foreign language proficiency Factual cultural knowledge
Relationship efficacy
Perceptual Conceptual cultural knowledge Contextual cultural knowledge
E. van 't Klooster www.getupandgo.nl
Management competencies
Technical knowledge Quantitative skills
Functional knowledge International business
knowledge
Intrapersonal Problem solving skills
Interpersonal Collaboration
Communication
E. van 't Klooster www.getupandgo.nl
Personal development
Independence
Flexibility
Self awareness Expanded view of the self
Self-assurance
Expanded worldview Perceptual questioning skills Awareness of the state of the
world
E. van 't Klooster www.getupandgo.nl
Cultural distance
Huntington, S. P. (1993). The clash of civilizations. Foreign Affairs 72(3): 22-49.
E. van 't Klooster www.getupandgo.nl
Theoretical implications
My research confirms that: 1. Students learn a significant amount of competencies during
educational travel experiences.
2. The learning process is hampered by: • Spending too little time abroad. • Staying in an ‘expat bubble’. • Poor quality of employment.
3. A support structure would help students to gain more from their international experience.
E. van 't Klooster www.getupandgo.nl
Implications for learning programs
The importance of reflective learning: 1) Assess the progress made in competence learning.
2) To understand initially vague concepts such as underlying cultural values.
3) Realistically assess the learning process.
E. van 't Klooster www.getupandgo.nl
For more information: Erik van ‘t Klooster Puntegaalstraat 45 3024 EB Rotterdam The Netherlands Telephone: +316-54386822 Email: [email protected] Website: www.getupandgo.nl