<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0.5in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">In recent years the perceived value and interest in participating in study abroad programs among college students has been increasing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Faculty who endeavor to develop study abroad programs face many challenges, particularly at smaller universities where resources may be very limited.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This article offers recommendations to help faculty of regional and small universities who are considering developing a new direct-enrollment short-term program. The article addresses several pertinent issues including: the suitability of faculty, selecting a location, designing the course content, and post-trip evaluation.</span></span></p>
A Bayesian vector autoregression (BVAR) approach is used to assess whether prior information on spatial and economic base-sectoral linkages improves forecast accuracy of employment for the metropolitan areas of the state of Oklahoma and their proximate metropolitan areas. Compared to autoregressive and vector autoregressive alternatives, a BVAR with a gravity-based prior is found to improve forecast accuracy of aggregate metropolitan employment. In bifurcated employment models, a prior of proportionality between basic and nonbasic sectors outperformed a prior of an inverse relationship between the two sectors implied by a fixed-factor-full-employment general equilibrium model. Copyright (c) 2008 the author(s). Journal compilation (c) 2008 RSAI.
Purpose
This paper aims to illustrate a useful classroom exercise that addresses this challenge. International experiences help university students develop global cultural awareness and better understand culture’s impact on decision-making. As more companies grow their global operations, they seek students with global competency (Eaton and Kleshinski, 2014). However, less than 7 per cent of US university students have basic cultural intelligence according to Lopes-Murphy (2014). This presents faculty with the significant challenge of developing students’ global competency within the walls of the classroom.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper describes a phenomenological research classroom activity titled the “Global Consumer Exchange” (GCE) to help business faculty authentically build students’ global awareness, understanding of culture and understanding of global consumer behavior. In addition, the GCE offers a context to help faculty highlight the economic, logistical and technological concerns that global businesses must consider. The GCE was administered in an undergraduate consumer behavior course in cooperation with students from the Republic of Panamá.
Findings
Following the GCE, US students reported new awareness of issues they had never considered before and also indicated an increased interest in understanding other cultures. The students also expressed a newfound willingness to personally reach out to international students.
Originality/value
This GCE offers business faculty an easy-to-implement and easily adaptable activity to authentically broaden students’ intercultural awareness and develop a deeper understanding of international business concepts. Through this activity, students are able to gain experience applying phenomenological research methods. The GCE can also be adapted for any course and applied to a wide variety of countries partnerships with university international student organizations and/or English as a second language programs.
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