An Empirical Study of Student Willingness to Study Abroad

Companies wish for universities to provide business students with international education and awareness. Short- and long-term study-abroad programs are an effective method by which this is accomplished, but relatively few American students study abroad. In response to these facts, this study develops hypotheses that predict student willingness to study abroad and tests the hypotheses using a survey of over 300 primarily business undergraduate students at a public Midwestern university. Results indicate a significant difference between student willingness to study abroad short-term versus long-term. Results also show that personal, situational, and location variables influence students' willingness to study abroad, though completing an international business class had no effect. Implications for international business scholars are discussed.     

Impact on Intercultural Competence When Studying Abroad and the Moderating Role of Personality

The purpose of this study is to assess how studying abroad impacts the development of intercultural competence and the moderating role of student’s personality. This research uses a pre-post design with a sample of 264 undergraduate students from four Colombian universities; it includes a group of students who participated in a one semester study-abroad program and a control group who did not travel. The average level of increase in intercultural competence for the students who went abroad was 0.511 standard deviations above the average of those who had not studied abroad. The results from hierarchical linear regression did not yield any evidence that supports the moderating effects of the personality factors on the relation between study abroad and intercultural competence.     

Factors Affecting Students’ Preferences to Study Abroad Programs: A Case of Indian Business School Students

ABSTRACT

This study makes an attempt to explore the factors affecting Indian students’ preferences to study abroad programs. A survey administered in one of the leading business schools of India and subsequent analysis reveals the significance and importance of study abroad for Indian students. Result shows that the top-ranked factors affecting students’ preferences to study abroad are: quality of education in the host country, safety issues in the host country, and reputation and ranking of the host institution. Also, USA was found to be the most preferred country for study, and students belonging to a family business prefer the USA for study. However, no significant relationship was found between country choice and gender of the student. Similarly, specialization of the study was not found to be a significant factor of country choice.     

Why Do Gen Y Students Study Abroad? Individual Growth and the Intent to Study Abroad

We propose that Generation Y college students’ motivations to study abroad are rooted in the desire for individual growth, which, combined with other motivation factors—gender, parents’ educational level, prior international experience, age, and household income—drives the intent to study abroad. The study samples juniors and seniors in business majors, thereby attempting to shorten the temporal distance between study abroad intent and action. A significant number of students declare intent to study abroad as freshmen, yet fail to act on those intentions when the opportunity presents itself a year or two later. Results showed that the desire for individual growth was significantly and positively related to Gen Y business students’ intention to study abroad. Students’ prior experience visiting foreign countries and younger age positively moderated the effect of the desire for individual growth on intent to study abroad. The time lag between intent and action, and the fact that study abroad is a high involvement activity creates promotional challenges on how to best promote study abroad to Gen Y students. The article suggests practical implications and suggests how schools might increase study abroad participation among Gen Y college students.     

Exploring Individual Factors Affecting Business Students’ Willingness to Study Abroad: A Case Study From the Caribbean

Despite a low rate of student participation in study abroad programs in the Caribbean, there is insufficient research about the individual factors that help determine business students’ willingness to study or to participate in internship programs abroad. This study aims to explore business students’ attitudes toward study abroad. The positive perceptions of students toward study or internship abroad raises questions about individual factors for business students’ outflow to study or participate in an internship abroad. This study also explores business students’ preferences for short- and long-term international study or internship abroad, as well as certification programs in international business. Moreover, it provides some insight into the segments of business students that are more likely to support these programs.     

Factors Affecting the Design of Short-Term Study-Abroad Programs: An Exploratory Study of Two Business Schools

Study-abroad programs have played a significant role in globalization of business curricula over the years. Short-term study-abroad programs (STSAPs) are proliferating in business schools and provide a viable alternative of studying abroad to students who are unable to participate in programs of longer durations due to disruption in family, work, and education schedules. This exploratory study attempts to understand factors that are critical to students’ participation in STSAPs offered by business schools. This research focuses on a combination of factors that include STSAP components and attributes as well student specific characterisitics. Initial analysis indicates that STSAP cost, STSAP content, and organizational and personal issues, in that order, are considered important by business school students. Significant differences exist in the perceived importance of different factors used by students to choose to participate in STSAPs based on gender, age group, family income, program level (undergraduate versus graduate), and program type. Results of this research have implications for the design of STSAPs in business schools that are offering or considering offering such courses or programs.     

团体咨询对改善贫困大学生新生适应的实证研究

团体辅导是一种通过团体成员的互动与影响,改变与澄清成员某些偏差的观点与行为的辅导方式。经过为期一个月的团体咨询训练,实验结果表明:团体咨询对贫困大学生尽快地适应大学生活与学习特别是人际交往能力的提高,是有显著地效果。人际关系的技巧和方法可以通过社会模仿、示范、讲授而获得,通过群体环境的改变,可以帮助贫困生尽快摆脱自卑、建立正确的自我认知,对学校、同学、社会有正确地认识,更好地适应大学校园的学习和生活。高校应根据不同人群的差异,对大学生开展有针对性的健康教育,学生教育中也应多开展团体咨询,对共同困惑的问题进行心理辅导,使集体成员受益。     

The effect of online scheduling on employees’ quality of life

Online employee scheduling has increased in popularity in recent years, especially among hourly workers who have grown up in the information age and the flexibility it provides increases their sense of job autonomy. This article reports on two studies that investigated the impact of work scheduling flexibility on employees’ personal well-being. One study collected data from current users of an online scheduling product and the other study collected information from hospitality management students who are potential future users of online scheduling software. The studies found that online scheduling helps to enhance employees’ personal well-being through satisfaction with schedule flexibility and job autonomy.     

Tales from the Front-Line: Examining the Potential of Critical Incident Vignettes

In common with many areas of the business andmanagement curriculum, the case study methodplays a significant role in business ethicseducation. However, case study material incommon use is dominated by well-publicisedincidents of corporate misconduct oftenproviding a limited insight intodecision-making affecting front-line stafffacing personal dilemmas in their workinglives. This paper gives examples of, andexamines how, critical incident vignettes(CIVs), derived from the personal reflectionsof students, can provide an alternative totraditional ``disaster style' corporate cases.CIVs illustrate the real-life ethical dilemmasthat confront front-line employees, oftenoperating in an environment with low-levels ofpersonal autonomy. They also highlight thefactors that contribute to decision-making insuch an environment, the transitory andtransactional nature of many employmentrelationships and the evasion of moralresponsibility to which this can give rise.     

Identifying College Students Likely to Participate in a Travel Abroad Volunteer Project

Foreign travel provides excellent opportunities for college students to broaden their global mindset. While empirical research focusing on variables that influence student participation in study abroad programs are available, there is a paucity of research that focuses on travel abroad programs relating to participating in volunteer projects. Using a sample of 193 undergraduate business students, this study attempts to develop profiles of students that are “not likely,” “maybe,” and “most likely” to participate in a travel abroad volunteer project. Those who were “mostly likely” to participate had traveled abroad before, demonstrated high levels of self-congruity and diversity seeking, and stated financial costs to be less of a constraint in participating in such a project. Discussion of findings and direction for future research is also provided.     

Business Students' Choice of Short-Term or Long-Term Study Abroad Opportunities

Recent years have seen a proliferation of short-term study abroad opportunities. Although they are both supplementing and replacing semester-long study abroad programs, research has focused primarily on semester (long-term) programs. We draw on the theory of planned behavior (TPB) to explore factors that predict why students choose long-term and short-term programs. Results indicate that students perceive more social pressure to engage in short-term programs, and higher barriers limiting participation in long-term programs. All TPB factors significantly predicted students' intentions to study abroad in both short-term and long-term programs with one exception; perceived behavioral control did not significantly predict intentions to participate in short-term programs. These findings can be used to improve marketing of short-term and long-term programs by addressing student concerns specific to each type of program, potentially increasing the number of students choosing to study abroad.     

Worldminded Attitude Change in a Study Abroad Program

Worldminded attitude change among participants in a summer study abroad program was examined. Students who attended a class wi,h cultural awareness content had a significant increase in worldmindedness, while other students who attended classes with a traditional area studies focus exhibited no significant change in worldmindedness. In both groups there was some tendency, short of statistical significance, for students with initial low worldmindedness to decline more, or increase less, than students with high initial scores.     

Short-term global business immersion courses: Short-term program,long-term effects?

This article explores the potential impact of short-term global business immersion courses designed for undergraduate students at the Indiana University Kelley School of Business. As part of the Global Foundations Core curriculum, the school offers students a unique opportunity to study a country or region in depth in the classroom and then participate in an accompanying short-term study program abroad. In this article, multiple Kelley faculty who teach global immersion courses offer context-specific strategies and insights into classroom teaching and observed outcomes for student learning. Research shows that short-term study-abroad programs can offer transformative opportunities for students when intentionally designed as part of curriculum, affecting attitudes toward environmental citizenship and shaping global careers. The Chronicle of Education reports that even short study-abroad programs can have a lasting effect. To date, the Kelley School has not measured for standardized learning outcomes across its 14 existing global immersion courses, so this article does not offer commentary on program-wide student learning. However, through analyses of their on-campus course design and respective overseas program activities, Global Business Immersion program faculty share insights into student learning as observed in their individual programs. Our intent is to capture the impact of the courses through the lens of faculty program directors and student participants in three programs across three continents. In addition, we contribute to future research on similar global academic initiatives and add to the expanding body of knowledge on the impacts of short-term study abroad.     

现代教育技术的发展对教学模式的影响

我们原有的教学模式多是以教师为主的一言堂式，忽视了学生的学习主体性，这是不利于学生个性发展的。随着现代教育技术的不断发展，网络技术和多媒体技术在教育领域得到了广泛应用，教学模式也随之改变。强调师生互动的新的教学模式应运而生，这耍冬謦盖了传统的教学模式，也更有利于学生的身心健康。     

Professional Ethics Code Conflict Situations: Ethical and Value Orientation of Collegiate Accounting Students

Public accounting in the United States is generally guided by the Code of Professional Conduct of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). It has been suggested that education in understanding and accepting their ethical code would increase accountants' adherence and ethicality. This study was designed to examine the level of consensus to AICPA ethical standards by accounting students (ethical orientation). Situation ethics provided the theoretical rationale for this study. The data were gathered by contacting colleges in the New York Metropolitan Area who offered curriculums which were registered by the State Education Department of New York State for Certified Public Accountancy preparation. The final sampling units for this study consisted of 306 beginning accounting students and 294 advanced accounting students. Included in the secondary sampling units were both private and public colleges, secular and non-secular colleges, and American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) and non AACSB-accredited colleges. Three instruments were used to collect data for this study: a student demographic questionnaire; the Rokeach Value Survey (RVS); and a researcher-adapted questionnaire, the Index of Ethical Congruence (IEC) which measured the level of consensus to the AICPA Code of Conduct (ethical orientation). T-tests were used to compare the levels of consensus to the Code (IEC score) between beginning and advanced accounting students, and between accounting students who had, or had not, taken a course in ethics. No significant difference in scores were found for those students who had been exposed to the Code or who had taken a course in ethics. Significant differences in IEC scores were found for those students who had attended AACSB-accredited colleges and meaningful differences for those students who had attended public colleges as compared to private colleges. Multiple regression analyses were used to test the relationship between the ethical orientation score (IEC) and personal values measured by the RVS. No relationship between personal values measured by the RVS and ethical orientation was found by this study. This study does not support the influence of situation on ethical orientation. The results indicate that ethical orientation is not significantly improved through exposure to the AICPA Code of Conduct in collegiate courses in accounting.     

Custom and Moral Sentiment: Cross-Cultural Aspects of Postgraduate Student Perceptions of Leadership Ethicality

The recent crisis in a prominent German car manufacturer generated by unethical leadership practices has brought into sharp focus, once again, the need for radical and fundamental ethical transformation among members of capitalism’s leadership elite. The divide between ethics and business needs to be closed and to do this effectively in a globalized world, cross-cultural aspects of moral sentiment need to be better understood. The current paper contributes to the extant literature in this regard by describing and analyzing cross-cultural aspects of German and South African student’s ‘sympathy’ towards business ethical phenomena, using Adam Smith’s ‘Theory of Moral Sentiment’ as a theoretical framework and qualitative methods. The paper constructs a heuristic device based on Adam Smith’s theoretical framework and then proceeds to empirically analyze the theory by investigating German and South African student moral sentiments towards specific ethical leadership behaviors. The study indicates that while there is general cross-cultural homogeneity in moral approbation among students for fundamental aspects of ethical leadership behavior, nuanced custom-based differences emerge from the qualitative analysis. Following Adam Smith, fine grained differences in moral sentiment arising from ‘custom’ are evident. Thus, although ethicality of specific leadership behavior is found to be viewed similarly by both groups of students, significant nuanced differences arise in German students who emphasize intellectual autonomy over the conservatism favored by their South African counterparts. Practical aspects of these findings are briefly discussed.     

Study Abroad Programs as Tools of Internationalization: Which Factors Influence Hungarian Business Students to Participate?

The internationalization of higher education has been on the agenda for decades now all over the world. Study abroad programs are undoubtedly tools of the internationalization endeavors. The ERASMUS Student Mobility Program is one of the flagships of the European Union’s educational exchange programs implicitly aiming for the internationalization of European higher education. Despite the high level of support from the European Commission, the ERASMUS opportunity seems to be underused in several institutions. This study looks at the possible obstacles of internationalization at the institutional level through the lens of study abroad programs, and serves as a lesson for higher education institutions in the USA. Through desk research and a student survey, the author explores the encouraging factors and discouraging factors that affect business students in their decision whether to apply for a study abroad program or not.     

A Study of Business Student Choice to Study Abroad: A Test of the Theory of Planned Behavior

Study abroad experiences are becoming increasingly common with business students. In this study, we build upon previous research into the motivations of students to study abroad by using Ajzen's Theory of Planned Behavior as a theoretical basis for indentifying the factors which might influence their intention to study abroad. A survey administered to 188 business students and subsequent analysis supported Ajzen's theory that attitude, perceived behavioral control, and subjective norms all were significant predictors of intention. This study also identified gender specific differences in the various factors.     

Patient care,satisfaction and service quality in health care

It is becoming increasingly important in the healthcare setting to treat patients as consumers and measure their satisfaction with medical services rendered. As such, patient satisfaction should be considered an important output of a country's healthcare system, basically reflecting the stage of its development. The conducted study tested students’ satisfaction with the quality of service provided by student polyclinics. In particular, the study has analysed the impacts of personal relationships, promptness and tangibility on student satisfaction. The findings imply that all three factors significantly affect patient satisfaction, with personal relationships having the strongest impact. Such results suggest that healthcare providers should encourage their doctors to devote more time to their patients and show genuine concern for patients’ problems if they wish to improve overall satisfaction of their patients with the delivered services.     

The effects of social networks on the flow of international students

International study provides many benefits to the countries that host students, to the students’ home countries and to the students themselves. We extend the empirical knowledge regarding flows of international students, using a panel of data that spans 17 years, 26 host countries and 85 countries of origin. We examine the hypothesis that social networks are an important factor motivating study abroad by including lagged variables of the levels and shares of enrolment in the analysis. The analysis shows that they are significant factors: a 1% rise in a host country's share of an origin country's international student “diaspora” is associated with a 0.09%–0.12% rise in the number of students studying in that host from that origin, 5 years later. This is consistent with the literature on the economics of immigration, which finds social networks to be important, and transitory, in inducing immigration. These effects are found in models that control for other factors as well: earnings differentials, quality of higher education system, distance, common language and colonial relationship. The results suggest that one‐off policies to better recruit or attract international students will have ongoing benefits, in terms of follow‐on recruitment of further students by the initial students.