Project Goals

• Establish institutional ties to investigate and begin the development a study abroad program with the business schools in China and inquire about the feasibility of internships in China (possibly in combination with study abroad programs).
• Gather firsthand knowledge of the culture, structure of the business schools, courses that will be offered, and facilities to be able to advise and recruit students interested in study abroad programs or internships in China.
• Experience the culture and gather preliminary information with regard to Chinese management practices in order to lay the groundwork for future visits to China, Japan, and/or Korea for the purpose of integrating East Asian perspectives into management courses.

Impact of Project

I have been selected by my department to represent the management faculty and the department's needs in terms of identifying business schools in China that would benefit our majors. To accomplish this, I plan to gather information, such as course descriptions, and inquire about courses our students could take that would satisfy requirements for our major (e.g., International Business) or count toward elective credits. Zhejian University, in particular, has expressed a willingness to design a tailored curriculum for our business students. During our meeting with representatives from Zhejian University, I will provide suggestions for courses that would appeal to our students and also fulfill major or elective requirements. Furthermore, I hope to assess the feasibility of having our majors participate in internships as part of the study abroad programs. If this appears hopeful, then future efforts would be directed toward making contacts with American businesses with offices in China or Chinese businesses that might welcome our students.

In addition, experiencing Chinese culture firsthand, seeing the university facilities, and talking with university representatives should facilitate the advising of students who may be interested in study abroad or internship programs in China. This trip will better equip me with the necessary knowledge and information to answer students' questions and encourage student participation in such programs.

In terms of curriculum development, my short-term goal is to incorporate East Asian studies into my management courses (e.g., Organizational Behavior). A long-term goal would include the development of a topics course in comparative management practices, specifically focusing on the similarities and differences between American and East Asian cultures. I view this trip as the first of several data collection phases with which to generate course material. In particular, I would like to spend a summer or semester in Japan to learn management practices, understand how these practices reflect Asian culture (and/or vice versa), and identify their influence on American business organizations. This would, of course, involve establishing a network of contacts within the Japanese business community.