Developing an evidence-based faculty-led study abroad business course

Abstract

Study abroad experiences are highly valuable as internationalization plays an increasingly important role in the higher education curriculum and business (Ghemawat & Bastian, 2017). Business schools have long recognized the value of the study abroad experience for both students and faculty (Black & Duhon, 2006). Given these conditions, one would expect best practices to be widely applied in the execution of short-term study abroad programs. Yet, this study’s review and analysis of faculty-led study abroad proposal guidelines did not find this to be the case. Content analysis was used on 396 pages of university faculty-led study abroad proposal guidelines from 19 randomly chosen universities in the United States to determine what best practices are being communicated to faculty. Our findings suggest that there is little evidence-based guidance on creating, planning, and executing a short-term faculty-led study abroad course. Building on this finding, we provide a review of the best practices literature and use this corpus to anchor a tutorial for designing a faculty-led study abroad course. These instructions provide business faculty with the information necessary to design a successful evidence-based short-term study abroad program.

Keywords:

• Study abroad
• evidence-based course design
• business
• marketing

Reviewing Editor:

• Huifen (Helen) Cai, Middlesex University Business School, United Kingdom

Subjects:

• international business
• strategic management
• management education

Introduction

Nearly 347,099 U.S. students studied abroad in the 2019–2020 academic year according to the Association of International educators (NAFSA, 2019). The value of study abroad is particularly applicable, as internationalization plays an increasing role in the higher education curriculum and in business (Ghemawat & Bastian, 2017). Business schools have also recognized the value of the study abroad experience for both students and faculty (AACSB, 2023; Black & Duhon, 2006). A study conducted by Festervand and Tillery (2001) suggests that short-term faculty-led study abroad programs not only further the faculty member’s international professional development but also lead to increased teaching effectiveness. However, a recent study by The Forum on Education Abroad (2023) suggests that one of the main barriers to increasing student education abroad is a lack of support from institutional leaders (p 16) and that one way to overcome this constraint is to increase the number of study-abroad options available to students (p. 17).

Study abroad programs provide an obvious and effective way for business schools to demonstrate their ability to meet AACSB accreditation standards and the ROI for students and the institution (AACSB, 2023). A faculty-led study abroad (FLSA) course is defined as one where the faculty member designs and executes the major aspects of the study abroad experience and where external service providers are not used at all or are used only as secondary support. FLSA courses can help universities demonstrate a “global mindset,” one of the nine updated guiding principles for business accreditation (AACSB, 2023). AACSB’s BizEd Magazine featured an article that underscores the importance of study abroad programs and the benefit to business education. A meta-analysis of the last 20 years of study abroad research found that “studying abroad outperforms any form of at-home instruction in three areas of learning: cognitive (second language acquisition), attitudinal (intercultural mindedness), and behavioral (intercultural adaptation)” (“Study Abroad Aids,” 2018).

With all of this, one would expect that universities would have integrated the literature of best practices in creating, planning, and executing these unique courses. Yet, this article shows that research findings have been poorly integrated in program planning and implementation. This is a significant gap because business study abroad requires an effective approach that can make the most of opportunities to help students get the most out of study abroad. The purpose of this article is to bridge this gap and provide business faculty with the information necessary to design an evidenced-based short-term faculty-led study abroad course.

The paper begins with a brief rationale for why business schools need to effectively provide their students with quality study abroad opportunities within which they can develop the international skills employers seek. We follow with a content analysis of the instructions faculty are given for developing faculty-led study abroad (FLSA) courses across 19 randomly chosen universities in the United States. Next, a review of evidence-based best practices for study abroad is made. Drawing on this base, a tutorial is presented, focused on how to design and execute a successful short-term, faculty-led study abroad course.

What do employers say about international business content and skills?

Preparing business students with the international business content and skills employers seek is a key responsibility of the university (Forum, 2023) and especially the business school (AACSB, 2023). Research shows that employers value employees with these international skills. However, the numbers show that during the 2016–2017 academic year, only 1.6% of all U.S. students studied abroad (NAFSA, 2019). Meanwhile, Daniel et al. (2014) survey of 836 business executives asked if they believe business schools are effectively training students to work in a global business economy, if their employees had sufficient international skills, and if they engage in training to enhance their employees’ international skills. The findings from this research demonstrate the shortcomings of business schools in meeting the needs for these employers:

• Over 25% of the firms indicated that it is difficult to find U.S. nationals with the international knowledge, expertise, and language skills needed.

• 55% of the firms actively engage in international employee training to improve international competence.

• 59% of executives indicated that international competency is important even at entry-level positions.

• Almost 85% of the firms indicated they will place a greater emphasis on international competence among management and employees over the next 10 years (Daniel, et al., 2014).

These executives were also asked how universities can improve international business content. A majority of the executives surveyed indicated the importance of improving international business content at the postsecondary level to be “some” or “great,” as shown in Table 1.

Table 1. Industry suggestions for improving international business content. Source: Daniel et al. (2014).

	Importance of improvement
Suggested International Education	None	Some	Great
More emphasis on exchange programs	17%	49%	35%
Mandatory foreign language training	14%	39%	48%
More emphasis on learning about other world areas	10%	39%	50%
Stronger international emphasis in business curricula	14%	45%	41%
Improved academic outreach to businesses	14%	42%	44%
Creation of databanks/clearinghouses on international resources	17%	42%	40%

Table 1 shows the specific suggestions from those executives surveyed for improving international business content and the level of importance. These suggestions and the combined level of importance (“some” and “great”) included placing more emphasis on exchange programs (84%), mandatory foreign language training (87%), and more emphasis on learning about other world areas (89%). The respondents also indicated that stronger international emphasis in business curricula (86%) is important to student preparedness.

Do universities provide evidence-based guidance for creating FLSA courses?

With a clear need for quality study abroad programs, an understanding of whether evidence-based best practices are being followed is important. The following section describes how this question was investigated, resulting in a negative answer. This is followed by a review of best practices in the literature, which grounds the subsequent tutorial of how a short-term, faculty-led business study abroad program might be constructed and carried out.

Schein’s (1984) hallmark study on organizational culture describes culture as a 3 layered “onion” consisting of (1) underlying assumptions, (2) espoused values (what an organization aspires to do), (3) enacted values (what an organization actually does) and (4) artefacts. Artefacts are the top layer of the cultural onion and are observable, concrete manifestations of how an organization conducts business (Gopinath et al., 2018). Artefacts include things like an organization’s mission statement, vision, and core values. Observable artefacts also include but are not limited to an organization’s written, verbal, or recorded procedure, policies, or bylaws for example (Shein, 1984). Studying organizational artefacts is a way to determine what an organization or industry values and how they behave (Gopinath et al., 2018). In this study, we compared 19 different randomly selected university procedural documents for creating FLSA courses. The objective was to use content analysis on the procedural documents (artefacts) to investigate what, if any, best practices in FLSA are integrated into university instructions for creating an FLSA courses.

Content analysis “is a technique that allows researchers to analyse data in view of the meanings, symbolic qualities, and expressive contents they have and of the communicative roles they play in the lives of the data’s sources,” (Krippendorf, 2013, p. 49). Hsieh and Shannon (2005, p. 1278) suggest that content analysis allows the researcher to determine “the intent of text data through the systematic classification process of coding and identifying themes or patterns.” Berelson (1952, p. 27) describes the four functions of content analysis, of which is to ‘confirm what is already believed.’ Holsti (1969) and Kondracki et al. (2002) suggest that summative content analysis is an appropriate research method when the main concept is known to the researcher and when the analysis does not stop at key word searches but instead tries to understand the contextual meaning of the concept.

Summative content analysis is an appropriate research method when the main concept is known to the researcher and when the analysis does not stop at key word searches but instead tries to understand the contextual meaning of the concept (Holsti, 1969; Kondracki et al., 2002). The content analysis for this study was based on importing 332 pages of university FLSA procedural documents and 67 pages of university web pages into NVivo software version 12.2 (QSR International, Melbourne, Australia, 2018). A summative content analysis was performed using the software. In total 399 pages of procedures for creating and designing, FLSA courses were analysed. Why 19 universities? Saunders et al. (2018) suggest that no additional data need to be collected when saturation occurs. Saturation is the point at which no new information is gained by collecting additional data. In this case, saturation was reached after 15 university procedural documents were analysed; an additional four universities were added after the 15th as a precautionary measure further bolstering the findings and confirming that saturation was reached. The universities were selected randomly by importing a list of all American universities into excel and selecting 15 plus an additional four universities consistent with Quirk et al. (2021).

Table 2 shows which universities were included in the study and the corresponding data that was analysed.

Table 2. Faculty-led study abroad proposal guidelines.

University	Number of pages analyzed	Web pages analyzed	References
Bowling Green State University	50	3	0
California Polytechnic University - Polomoa	1	5	0
Case Western Reserve	1	2	0
Florida Tech University	6	3	0
Illinois State University	6	4	0
Michigan State University	3	3	0
Montana State University	33	3	0
Ohio State University	25	3	0
Pennsylvania State University	1	3	0
Texas Tech University	20	4	0
Truman State University	112	5	49*
University of Alabama	31	3	0
University of Arkansas	12	4	0
University of Central Florida	7	2	0
University of Maryland	2	4	4*
University of Memphis	1	4	0
University o New Hampshire	7	4	0
University of New Mexico	3	6	0
Valapraiso University	11	2	0
Total	332	67	54*

* The references/footnotes are not academic studies, they are internal links to university pages or to exernal sites like the U.S. Department of State travel advisory web site.

The data were coded into themes (Krippendorf, 2013). Three common themes for developing a FLSA course emerged across the data. All 19 FLSA instruction documents (these are the university procedures for creating an FLSA course), and website content that were analysed require that faculty should consider or address three primary areas: cost and location, subject matter, and student preparation. The data suggest that all of universities that were analysed had similar requirements for designing the course. Moreover, the data from this study suggest that universities provide procedural-based FLSA course development instructions, but not evidence-based. According to the Forum on Education Abroad (2023), “The pandemic represents a time of significant innovation and updating of policies and procedures, especially, but not exclusively, in the areas of risk management, contingency planning (both academic and financial), and strategies for communicating with students.”

The data showed that only four of 19 universities provided advice or ‘things to consider’ when marketing the class to students. This is interesting because marketing the course to students is a critical component to enrolling students in the course. We included evidence-based marketing information in this paper to address this gap.

Finally, the data show that none of the 19 university resource documents and web pages include references to best practices from academic research. Instead, two universities cite references to links for additional information, for example, internal links to university procedures for travel or external links to government websites that provide international travel advisories. This article fills the gap in the resources that universities provide to faculty for creating, planning, and implementing a FLSA course that is anchored in the literature/hallmark study(s) of each area.

A future study might investigate why and how the university procedures for creating a FLSA course became so standardised. The study could use in-person interviews or focus groups with study abroad staff to investigate these questions.

Table 3 below summarizes the best practices literature in each of the three areas for creating, planning and executing a FLSA course. The literature identified in Table 3 are integrated into a step-by-step process that business faculty can follow to create their own evidence-based FLSA course. Table 4 summarizes the work of Duke, 2000 on the appropriateness of student activities.

Table 3. Literature on developing faculty-led study abroad courses.

Study abroad best practice/hallmark studies	Author(s)/year	Summary
Overarching concepts
Faculty role	Goode, 2007	Explains the faculty’s role as the study abroad leader
	Neiehaus et al., 2018	Faculty mentoring for sutdy abroad
	Medora, et al, 2022	Strategies for success in lleading and teaching a study abroad course
High Impact Educational Practices	Schwartz & Miller (2020, p. 17)	Study Abroad is one of 11 high impact educational practices
History of Study Abroad	Hoffa (2007)	History of study abroad
AACSB & Study Abroad	AACSB, 2023	Includes the 9 guiding principles for business school accrediation including demonstration of a "global mindset."
Cost and Location	Bandyopadhyay, S., & Bandyopadhyay, 2015	Factors Influencing Study Participation in Study Abroad
	Eder, J., Smith, W., & Pitts, R. 2010	Destination Choices and factors in consideration
	Naffziger et al., 2008	The main factors that students consider when studying abroad
	Ramakrishnaa et al, 2016	The importance of cost, location, and subject matter to students
Budget Management	O’Rourke & Iammarino, 2010	Budgetary issues in developing study abroad programming
	Whatley, 2017	Financial factors in study abroad and student decision making
Subject Matter	Costello, 2019	Students narratives on topics studied
-->Defining Content	Duke, 2000	Activities and Assessments in Study Abroad
	Niehaus et al., 2019	Faculty goals for short term study abroad
	Kitsantas, 2004	Student Goals in shaping program development and generating cross-cultural growth
-->Assessment and Assignments	Anderson, et al, 2016	How to use debriefing sessions in study abroad
	Deardorff, 2004	Broad overview article of assessing outcomes in international education
	Deardorff et al., 2015	An explanation of outcomes for international education with examples
	Goldstein, 2022	Writing outcomes for faculty led study abroad courses
	Jackson, 2005	Assessing intercultural learning through introspection
	Neihaus & Wegener, 2019	Examples of learning outcomes facult should emphasize in study abroad
	Vande et al, 2012	Using the Intercultural Development Inventory to measure intercultural competence
-->Class Activities	Costello, 2019	Students stories on learning
	Duke, 2000	Learning activiies comparison and sythesis
Student Preparation	Hofer et al, 2016	Student premeeting and expectation setting
-->Course Rules	Overby, 2020	Setting alcohol-related expectations in study abroad
Marketing the Course	McCarthy, 1964	The hallmark study on the 4P’s of Marketing
	Schultz et al., 2007	The hallmark study on Integrated Marketing Communications
Course Design	Doerr, 2022	Strategies for creating content designed for short term study abroad courses

Table 4. Appropriateness of study abroad activities (Duke, 2000).

Criteria	Lecture and Tests	Company Visits	Journals	Treasure Hunt	Projects	Simulation
Location	Better for a single location, requires tables or meeting space	May be better with multilocation due to more variety	Useful in all locations	May be better with multilocation due to cross-cultural comparisons	May be better with single location due to stability and effort needed	May be better with single location if technology needs to be stable
Tour Integration with academic creditt	Better for conventional credit course	Good with all; better with less structured courses	Versatile for use with all level courses	Versatile for use with all levels of courses	Versatile for use with all levels of courses	Versatile for use with all levels of courses
Time spend on tour	Longer tours provide time to study and test	Longer tours provide more time; shorter tours may use these as the entire focus	Useful with all lengths of tours	May be better with longer tours due to time needed for specific search	Must maatch product size with resources and time available	Longer tours permit more iterations

Tutorial: Designing an FLSA course that is anchored in evidence-based best practices

The following tutorial, drawn from the extant research, focuses on key factors to consider when designing and implementing a short-term, faculty-led study abroad course. The aim is not to be all-inclusive, but rather to use key evidence-based factors to create a practical, student-focused process that faculty members can follow. We start with three main factors identified by this study and supported by Doyle et al, (2010) that students weigh when studying abroad: location, monetary cost, and subject matter. We include two additional key elements, student preparation and marketing the course, both of which must be intentional in a short-term, faculty-led course.

Fortunately, the faculty leader has significant influence over all of these factors. The following sections provide insight in each of these areas to support faculty leaders’ efforts to prepare and carry out a successful short-term, faculty led study abroad course.

Cost and location

Study abroad program cost was identified in a study of business students to be something that would “greatly influence their decision to participate” (Naffziger et al., 2008, p. 49). Fortunately, there are strategies that the faculty leader can use to significantly lower student costs. The faculty leader should also consider their knowledge of, and contacts they might have, in a destination that can help to reduce costs. The data suggest that some universities encourage faculty to contact study abroad service providers to arrange the travel and logistics aspects of a FLSA course.

The ability of the faculty leader to be able to make the arrangements for the program is key to lowering the overall cost of a program. This includes items such as transportation, accommodation, food, activities, and other logistics. Controlling these costs increases the likelihood that students are able to participate in study abroad (Whatley, 2017). There are also service providers available that offer a range of services from booking accommodations to organizing an entire program. While either of these options makes it easier for the faculty member, it significantly increases costs and creates a deeper separation between faculty and students.

Most faculty-led study abroad courses range from 10 days to less than 8 weeks (Goldstein, 2022). The length of the program has an obvious impact on costs, but it can also influence whether students feel they can attend for other reasons. Students with summer internships or jobs, and student athletes will be more likely to attend a program that begins directly after a spring semester and has a shorter duration. The requirement for students to incur debt as part of the process generally decreases their ability to participate in study abroad, while the availability of lower costs increases the likelihood of student enrolment (Whatley, 2017).

These factors (duration and cost) need to be balanced with the quality of the experience, which can depend on the opportunity to adapt to local conditions (Bandyopadhyay & Bandyopadhyay, 2015). This adaptation requires time, but it can also be strongly influenced by the faculty leader’s selection of activities. Research indicates that programs costs and budgets generally fall into the following six categories (O’Rourke & Iammarino, 2010):

• Airfare – Will students travel as a group, or will the faculty member allow each student to purchase their airfare independently and arrange a common meeting time/place in-country? Allowing students to purchase their own airfare is one method of helping to control costs. This allows students to take advantage of programs such as: frequent flyer programs, award certificates, or routes and airlines that may lower the individual student travel cost. Either way, faculty should be prepared to provide students with a realistic estimate of the cost of airfare and options.

• Accommodations – Care should be taken to understand the type of experience faculty want students to have, the frequency of moving locations, and cost. Student interaction with the local culture can be facilitated through the choice of living accommodations. Thought should be given to whether students in the program will be best served by staying at a hotel, bed and breakfasts, home rentals, dormitory accommodations, a youth hostel, or in a homestay environment. More localized arrangements such as homestays or hostels are more likely to encourage cultural engagement and are often lower in cost than hotels. If the group is planning to stay in one place for an extended period of time (at least one week), renting a house or houses for the group can be cost effective. Frequent moves might best be served with youth hostels where available. Generally, options like hostels, homestays, and Airbnb options can hold down costs while also providing greater opportunity for cultural engagement.

• Food – Faculty may choose to have students purchase their own meals, include them in the program, or some combination of the two. If students stay in accommodations that have food storage and cooking facilities, then this provides a valuable cultural learning opportunity for them to also grocery shop and become even more familiar with local norms, businesses, people, and food items. In most cultures, purchasing groceries, as opposed to eating out, can also hold down costs. Exploring options like food stalls, markets, and local take-out meals may also help to reduce food costs. If faculty choose to have students provide the majority of their meals, faculty need to provide them with an estimate of how much they should budget.

• Transportation – Determine what type of transportation will make the most sense if the group will be moving around once arriving in-country. In many locations, public transportation is reliable and inexpensive. Options to explore should include: trains, buses, taxis, bicycle rentals, auto rentals, subways, ferries, and private coaches. If faculty elect to rent a vehicle to transport students, they must be sure to check on fuel and insurance costs, as well as applicable driving laws and requirements.

• Activities – Include costs for all activities including admission fees, transportation costs, etc. Faculty should be sure to check on items such as group or student discounts and to budget for additional back-up activities as well.

• Contingency – Faculty should include a contingency plan for things they don’t have control over. Foreign currency exchange rates fluctuate constantly. Having a cushion built into the budget to accommodate the unexpected increase in cost or if an unexpected expense arises is a critical component of a well-planned study abroad course. This contingency should include a 10% margin for variability and exchange rate (Linder & McGaha, 2013).

Budget management

The faculty leader should budget time each day to keep up with their budget management. An Excel spreadsheet or similar tool can be very beneficial for this record keeping. It’s best to retain all receipts and record them at the end of each day. This provides a valuable record for the faculty leader and for the university administration. This also allows the faculty member to understand where the program is financially each day. If the program is trending over budget and the faculty leader understands this early in the program, there may be ways to make adjustments for meals or activities in order to bring the program back into budgetary compliance. Conversely, if they are under budget, they may be able to add additional activities or experiences for the students.

Subject matter

Defining the subject matter for a study abroad course can be challenging. What knowledge or skills should students be gaining? What are the best means to facilitate this learning? These are the fundamental questions the faculty leader must answer in planning the course and throughout implementation and evaluation.

One might assume that the cultural aspect of learning will take care of itself because of the experiential nature of studying abroad. This can be exacerbated by the very language that we use to attract students to participate in these types of programs. Care should be taken to avoid language such as trip, travel, or tour. Rather, language such as study abroad course, program, or experience will better reflect the desired focus on academic learning.

It can be a challenge to convince colleagues and administrators of the educational value of these programs. We need to be able to demonstrate that they are not “frippery, a kind of quasi-tourism” (Woolf, 2016). This calls for deliberate thought and construction of program activities, assignments, and assessments that can break through this preconception of academic tourism. Faculty need to actively construct an experience that moves students from passive participants to active agents in their own education and cultural competency development (Woolf, 2011).

Defining content

A study abroad course that leans exclusively on visits to cultural or historical sites can invite accusations of “academic tourism.” It can be easy to fall into this trap because setting up visits to cultural and historical sites is often relatively easy while seeming to have an educational purpose. It is more difficult for the faculty leader to establish relationships with local contacts who can facilitate more discipline-specific field visits. Faculty leaders can collaborate with local experts to deliver specific disciplinary content that also integrates cultural content (Nguyen, 2017). This may require thinking about course content in new ways. For example, job shadows, service learning, or other kinds of direct interaction can be difficult to set up but are some of the most valuable and memorable experiences for students. Student learning and involvement through experiential activities are important aspects of successful instruction (Duke, 2000). An example of these activities exists below as drawn from Study Abroad Learning Activities: A Synthesis and Comparison. Journal of Marketing Education, 22(2), 158.

Providing these opportunities depends on a clear vision and advance planning. It is often possible for faculty leaders to come up with creative solutions by seeking out contacts themselves, allowing students to take a greater role in planning, and finding local organizations who may have a desire to interact with foreign students and faculty.

Assignments and assessment

Deardorff (2009) suggests that faculty must be able to identify and assess successful participation by students while simultaneously assessing the effectiveness of the overall program including content. However, Deardorff et al’s (2015) hallmark book on assessing international education suggests a changing paradigm in assessing international education. The changing paradigm has moved from program/course-centered outcomes to a learner-centered approach using multiple perspectives and multiple pathways. Goldstein’s (2022) work is a good resource for creating evidence-based intercultural outcomes. Two assignments that meet Deardorff’s (2009) and Deardorff et al’s (2015) criteria include the use of daily debriefing sessions and journaling.

Debriefing sessions

Spending time at the conclusion of each day to conduct a debriefing with the group is beneficial in aiding student learning and a deeper understanding of the culture (Anderson et al., 2016). Students gather to discuss the activities, observations, and learning outcomes from their experiences. This activity allows students to integrate the context in which they are learning with specific content from the course. When the course is designed this way, students have the unique opportunity to develop disciplinary knowledge and skills within a cultural context different from their own.

Journaling

This provides a way for students to process their experience and record the learning experiences that occur each day (Savicki & Price, 2015) Students are learning and engaging with the culture each day. They may experience cultural learning while traveling on public transportation, grocery shopping, visiting a local market, or talking with their peers at the local pub. Being able to capture these experiences in writing allows them to reflect on these learning experiences. Through this introspection, students are able to begin to assess their own individual intercultural learning (Jackson, 2005).

Additional assignments

Students can also be required to submit two written papers. The first paper is completed before departure and focuses on their expectations for the study abroad experience. The second paper is due upon their return home, where they discuss what they learned (as it relates to the course topic) and how they intend to apply that knowledge and insight to their future endeavours, both academic and career.

The Intercultural Developmental Inventory (IDI) is also beneficial in helping students gain an understanding of their own personal development prior to participation in the study abroad program and in assessing their growth in the program (Vande et al., 2012). This assessment is typically administered twice: first, after recruitment but before training and participation in the study abroad program and a second time, 4–6 months after students return to measure the impact of the program upon their intercultural growth and development (Hammer et al., 2003).

Activities

Activities that engage and challenge students to step out of their comfort zones can help them integrate as much as possible in a limited amount of time. That being said, it is important to keep in mind that students must be given time and space to navigate through the phases of culture shock and to process the cultural experience.

Activities should include not only the discipline-based content of the course but also opportunities to connect the student to the host culture; ideally the two will be linked. For example, one of the authors led an international business communication study abroad course in Japan that included a discussion with survivors at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial. Afterward, they attended a culture night with local Japanese students. A follow-up discussion activity helped students find connections between historical events, current views, and cross-cultural business interactions.

The faculty leader should also consider how even routine activities can tie into the academic goals and vision. Dining experiences can help students explore not just the ways in which foods are different in the host culture, but also the ways in which customs and businesses operate differently in this environment. This unexpected learning experience occurred on a study abroad trip to the UK. The decision was made that students would prepare some of their own meals to help hold down costs. This meant students needed to go grocery shopping.

During the debriefing activity that evening, one of the students commented on how much more attentive the cashier was than is typical in the US. The student noted that the cashier had checked each egg to make sure it was not cracked before packing the groceries and made sure the milk wasn’t leaking. This student commented that having worked as a cashier in the past, she would have also done these things if she had been able to sit down the way that the cashier in the UK did. Hence, a routine shopping experience led to a meaningful discussion about cultural differences and business practices.

Student preparation

A study abroad course must include a plan that prepares students for their learning experience. Best practice research would indicate a minimum of three to four meetings with students prior to departure (Linder & McGaha, 2013). Meeting with students multiple times prior to departure is an important part of this preparation. For a three-week course, we recommend monthly meetings with the first meeting taking place five months before departure. A final meeting takes place one week before departure.

Topics covered in these meetings should include: an overview of course assignments (in-country and pre-departure), a breakdown of program costs, passport or visa requirements, creating an itinerary, technology issues, language proficiency, and packing guidelines. The most important aspect should be the focus on academic outcomes. This should be reinforced early and often in the pre-departure meetings and expectations should be set early.

“If students want a vacation, they should take one. If they want a strictly social experience, they should do that at home, not in another country as a representative of the university”. (Linder & McGaha, 2013).

Students should also be directly involved in the planning process throughout these meetings. These student activities/assignments include air travel research, developing course rules, researching and planning group activities, researching options for accommodations, playing a culture game like Banga, and other cultural preparation activities (including relevant language skills).

The goal is to help students prepare for a new experience and to begin to consider aspects of travel and intercultural interactions that they may not have thought of themselves. Discussion of the local currency and familiarizing students with the best method for engaging in financial transactions should be discussed (O’Rourke & Iammarino, 2010). Students will also benefit from a sample packing list as well as the items that they should consider leaving home.

Helping students research and explore productive, educational, and cultural activities for their free time can pay dividends for the faculty leader both in terms of student engagement and learning when in-country (Kitsantas, 2004; Niehaus et al., 2019). Students should also be expected to develop some knowledge and understanding of the culture and language. If a foreign language will be encountered, adequate time needs to be provided for determining the group’s familiarity and comfort with the language along with the tools and opportunities for them to practice.

How and when students can expect to communicate with family and friends at home also needs to be discussed. Students and their families need to be made aware of these expectations. In some locations, access to phone or internet may be minimal or non-existent. They should also discuss with their families if and when they want to be communicated with and about what. For example, if a family member is taken ill, do they want to know? If the family pet dies, should the family inform the student or wait until they return home.

These pre-departure meetings can also provide an opportunity to “work out the bugs” of procedures and technologies that are taken for granted in a domestic environment. For example, it is possible for access to a cell phone to be perceived as a safety measure when in reality, it may only provide a false sense of security. Do the students know the emergency services number of the nation they are in? Do they have the language skills to converse with the emergency services once they connect? It’s important for faculty leaders to help students understand the way in which technology works, both functionally and socially, in the host culture.

Course rules

Another important part of the preparation process is the establishment of course rules. The university likely already has a student code of conduct that will apply while traveling abroad. Care should be taken to develop specific course rules (O’Rourke & Iammarino, 2010). The faculty leader needs to know the rules and policies governing issues pertaining to liability as they begin the process of proposing and designing a study abroad program. Pre-departure meetings allow students to consider and propose rules that they believe would be beneficial to the program. These rules can address issues such as punctuality, check-ins, appropriate behavior, and alcohol (Overby, 2020).

Deciding on rules and group expectations in advance can save time and lessen conflict later. For example, one question that can be considered in advance is whether the group should delay its departure for an excursion to wait for individuals who are late? If the group has decided how this will be handled in advance, it is not the faculty leader who has to make the decision but rather the group as a whole. The authors have found that by allowing the students to have a voice in these decisions, they are more committed to the rules and hold each other accountable. (An example of student-derived course rules can be found in Appendix A.)

The following is a list of some of the topics to include in the discussion and development of course rules:

• Alcohol – In many parts of the world, the drinking age is significantly lower than it is in the United States. Will students be allowed to drink? If so, what limits are in place, and how will it be monitored?

• Curfew – Most students are adults and as such are not used to having a curfew. Is there a good reason for implementing one in a given program? If so, how will it be monitored and reported?

• Buddy system – A good practice is for each student to never be alone in a culture which they are not familiar with.

• Cell phones – Cell phones and other electronic devices can be useful tools, but they can also be a distraction and impediment to cultural engagement (Hofer et al., 2016). Some universities encourage or require students to carry cell phones. Decisions about the use of electronic devices and service plans can affect students’ costs as well (Costello, 2019).

• Inclusivity- It is important for students to recognize their own biases in class from an intercultural perspective, but also from a interclass perspective. Tanja (2016) addresses inclusivity in-class but also from the macro perspective of study abroad availability to underrepresented students.

Marketing the course: Applying the 4P’s to faculty-led study abroad

Marketing is a critical element to a successful faculty-led study abroad course. Even a well-planned course will not be successful if students do not know about it. Naffziger et al. (2008) suggest that the three of the main factors that students weigh in their decision-making process are the location, cost, and subject matter. Students are more likely to choose a study abroad class if they believe the course is valuable to them. Marketing is a process that communicates and ultimately delivers value to the customer. From a study abroad perspective, this means that students are weighing the class attributes against the real and perceived costs. From a marketing perspective this means faculty should know the basics of marketing to effectively market their own FLSA program. The 4P’s are fundamental to marketing and applying the 4P’s to a faculty-led study abroad program will help faculty succinctly identify what and how to communicate a course’s value to students (McCarthy, 1964).

• Product: What is the value of the class for students? Create a sentence or two that helps communicate the value of the class to potential students. This may be different from the course name or the subject matter. For example, MKT342: Intercultural Sales Communication is a class where students learn to use golf for business networking (in Scotland, the ‘home’ of golf). What is the value of this course for students? The faculty member might say: “Students who take MKT342 will learn how to use golf to build networks and create lifelong relationships that enrich their personal lives and careers.” (for a more detailed description of value see Almquist et al. (2016).

• Price: A university’s study abroad staff will know the range and average costs of the FLSA courses offered by faculty. Pricing is straightforward for FLSA courses because most universities use a break-even pricing method (Schlissel & Chasin, 1991). In other words, students are charged the actual cost of airfare, lodging, transportation, and meals (if included). However, best practices in marketing underscore the importance of understanding what competitors (other faculty led study abroad classes) are charging for similar experiences (Kotler & Keller, 2009).

• Place: Place refers to the geographical location of the seller and it also includes the geographic availability of the product or service (McCarthy, 1964). The location of a study abroad course is central to a student’s decision-making (Eder et al., 2010; Ramakrishnaa et al., 2016). According to the National Association of Study Abroad, 66% of U.S. students who study abroad do so in Europe (including France, Ireland, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom), 12% in Asia and 11% in Latin America (Forum on Education Abroad, 2023). The location of the course should not only align with the subject matter, but faculty should also consider where current FLSA courses are offered and if the location is attractive to prospective students.

• Promotion: While the term “promotion” is still used in marketing, those in the marketing industry now recognize promotion as “integrated marketing communications,” (Schultz et al., 2007). Integrated marketing communications refers to a process in which the marketer chooses an effective combination of communication methods to reach prospective students. In the next section we provide detailed instructions on creating and integrated marketing communications plan to strategically communicate a course’s value to students.

The 4P’s are also known as the marketing mix. The right combination of course content, price, location and promotional activities will provide value and meet the needs of the target market. Enrollment in an FLSA course it is dependent on the right combination given the other offerings at a given university.

To effectively reach a critical mass of students, faculty leaders should use an integrated marketing communication approach across a range of media to achieve the required enrollment goal for the course to be offered.

Marketing to Generation Z

The Millennial generation is now ushering in Generation Z (also referred to as Gen Z), who were born from 1996–2012 (Durfy, 2019). Gen Z is unique for several reasons, including being the first generation of true digital natives (Durfy, 2019; Yes Marketing, 2018). They have never known a world without social media and according to Durfy (2019), “44% check their social media profiles on an hourly basis”. Gen Z members spend an average of 11 hours per week on their mobile device and have an average attention span of 8 seconds (Durfy, 2019). “Social media is their source for news, entertainment, and communication” (Durfy, 2019). According to Gade (2018), Gen Z members’ most used social media channel is Snapchat (checked an average of 11 times per day).

Gen Z members are also much more focused on product and service quality than Millennials, and they are willing to spend extra to obtain quality products and services (Yes Marketing, 2018). To successfully market a faculty-led study abroad course to Gen Z, faculty must craft a message that communicates a core value proposition that focuses on a quality experience. The message should also communicate a tangible take-away. To design a well-organized communication plan, create one that uses internal university email, social media, and a message that focuses on the quality of the experience. An effective communication plan should include the following information and strategies (Belch & Belch, 2022):

1. Create a narrowly defined value statement message. For example, “BIS 342 - Selling on the Green: Build friendships and expand your business network through golf, in Scotland, the home of golf.”

2. Create brand pillars for the class. Brand pillars are key identifiers that concisely explain the key essence and experience of the class. There should be no more than eight pillars, reinforced when speaking to students, in email, social media, the course syllabus, and in promotional materials. The following are the eight pillars for the study abroad course defined above:

   1. Want more friends? You’ll take away tools to build your network and make lifelong friendships through golf!

   2. Golf at some of the world’s oldest and most historic golf courses.

   3. Experience the culture and history of Scotland through the lens of golf!

   4. Stay in modern hostels and apartments in central Edinburgh and St. Andrews.

   5. Explore historic castles and volcanoes!

   6. Experience the stunning scenery of the Scottish Highlands on a 1-day Scotch Whisky tour!

   7. Personalize your experience with 1-day cultural excursions. Learn to make gin, learn to cook haggis, hike in Holyrood Park to the highest point in Edinburgh, take a ghost tour of the cemeteries of Edinburgh, and learn to make a wool in tartan plaid.

   8. Live among and get to know the Scottish people by grocery shopping, finding your own home pub, and using public transportation.

3. Create a communication mix. Once the value statement and pillars are in place for the class, identify a list of media that will be used to communicate these messages.

   1. Social media – it is recommended that social media accounts be opened for the class itself; using a personal social media account will dilute the class brand message. Choose one or two mediums to start so that management of the brand does not become overwhelming.

   2. Create a Gmail account for the class so all social media accounts can be connected to one email. Create a signature line for the email account that includes the brand value statement beneath the instructor’s name and all social media links. The Hootsuite application facilitates posts to all social media accounts at one time and also facilitates scheduling future posts to appear on a specific timetable. Hootsuite will allow 30 posts across 3 social media platforms for free.

4. Schedule Communication

   1. Finding as many connections on social media as possible is important to raising awareness of the class social media account. Following the university, college, student newspaper, study abroad office, and all social media accounts of the study abroad activities will help build the class social media brand. For example, if the class is in Scotland for golf, follow the relevant golf courses, castles, and local newspapers and begin to ‘like’ posts from each of the followed pages each week.

   2. Staying visible on social media is critical to brand success even if the number of followers and likes are low to start. A good rule of thumb is to post 2-3 times per week spacing the posts from early in the week to midweek and over the weekend. These posts can be scheduled in advance using Hootsuite. Posts should include pictures and a few words about one of the brand pillars. Posts can also be used to remind students of upcoming deadlines. Posting more than three times per week will fatigue followers, so keep posts interesting, succinct, and on brand.

   3. Require students enrolled in the course to follow the class social media accounts (and like posts) as part of their class participation grade. It will quickly be evident that students’ friends and family members will follow the class social media. As a result, the class social media following will grow organically once the course is underway. Stay ‘on brand’ with posts but include photos of students engaging in the class brand pillars and tag individual students. Their friends and family will likely repost these posts or forward them, thus increasing the reach of the class and its brand.

Campus newspaper article

One of the most effective study abroad marketing communication media is the student newspaper (OnCampus_Blog, 2017). A one-quarter size black and white advertisement on the right-hand page of the paper can be effective. Another no-cost strategy is to contact the editor of the campus newspaper and ask them to write a story about the course.

In-person pitches

In-person pitches work beautifully when they immediately follow a non-personal communication like a newspaper story. It can give students a better sense of the study abroad experience being offered and allows them to establish a connection with the faculty leader.

Conclusion: FLSA is an invaluable learning opportunity

The reality is that study abroad is an invaluable learning opportunity. With the increasing demand and expectation of employers to hire graduates with international skills, ideally, a study abroad course is essential for every business student. A study abroad course is a 24/7 learning experience that provides the cultural awareness that can only be achieved through such an immersive travel experience. It is the job of faculty and the university to provide more students with this learning experience, and short-term study abroad is a good option for many students and faculty, due to its relatively low cost and shorter-duration time commitment.

However, as suggested by our content analysis of university study abroad proposal guidelines, currently the main emphasis is procedural (i.e., following internal procedures, such as those focused on risk management) rather than focusing on evidence-based best practices. As our review of relevant research shows, the problem is not a lack of studies or knowledge in study abroad pedagogy or curriculum building; rather, the need is for better administrative and pedagogical structures, which will facilitate better implementation of these practices in short-term, faculty-led study abroad courses. An example of how this might look was provided, which might be adapted to local needs and conditions.

In the end, pursuing the process of better implementing and using best practices in study abroad programs is worth it. Study abroad can be a life-changing experience and transform a student’s college education into something truly exceptional. But this can only happen when best practices are aligned with the opportunities being offered, which requires not only faculty buy-in and awareness, but also institutional support. As members of higher education communities, we owe it to our students to invest in the effort to create study abroad courses that are grounded in the best practices in academic research.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Jerry DiMaria

Jerry DiMaria, PhD, is a lecturer in business at Central Michigan University where he teaches courses in business communication and study abroad courses in England. His research focuses on faculty led-study abroad and he has mentored many business faculty as they create and teach study abroad courses across the globe.

Deborah M. Gray

Dr. Deborah M. Gray is a professor of marketing at Central Michigan University where she teaches marketing strategy in the MBA program. Her research focuses primarily on women’s use of golf for business. She has led a study abroad class in Scotland where students learn to use golf for business.

James Melton

James Melton, PhD, is professor and department chair in the Business Information Systems Department at Central Michigan University, where he teaches courses in social media and global business communication. His research focuses on technology use and intercultural leadership communication. He has led study abroad courses to Austria, Germany, and Japan.

Nancy Hicks

Nancy Hicks is an Emeritus faculty of the Business Informations Department at Central Michigan University. Dr. Hicks taught business communications wtih an emphasis on business writing. Her research focused on faculty communication in the online classroom.

Appendix A:

Example student rules for study abroad course

Alcohol Policy

1. Drinking is permitted for those of legal drinking age but limited to consumption of one drink per two-hour period. This is to prevent intoxication and reduce safety and health risks. No student should be intoxicated at any period during the trip. A drink can be defined as a typical serving of a mixed drink, a glass of wine, or a standard pint of beer. If any student violates this policy, their drinking privileges will be revoked.

Cell phone Policy

2. Don’t be absorbed in your cell phone, be present and involved in the moment. It is fine to use your phone to take pictures, just be conscious of your phone usage.

3. Avoid cell phone usage during group conversations, activities, and assignments in order to fully emerge yourself in the experience.

Late Policy

4. In order to make best use of time, please arrive at least 15 minutes early to each designated location. If a student, or group of students, is/are late to a location, someone will attempt to contact them. If they are unable to be reached and have not arrived by departure time, the group will continue with scheduled plans.

Buddy system

5. Students are required, at all times, to remain with at least one other group member.

Curfew/knowledge of location

6. It is essential that at least two other individuals (other than those in your departing group) are aware of your general location, your whereabouts during free time, and your expected return time. At least one of the individuals being informed has to be a faculty leader.

Privacy of location

7. It is prohibited to invite any outside individuals to where the group is residing; this is to ensure the safety and privacy of everyone.

Emergency check-in

8. Faculty leaders will designate a check-in spot for each location. If an emergency occurs, you are required to return to the check-in location ASAP.