Experiential Learning from Executive MBA Study Tours Overseas: The Xavier University Experience--Europe and Asia, 1992.

Forty students in the Executive MBA (Master of Business Administration) program at Xavier University (Cincinnati, Ohio) completed a required overseas study tour, with approximately half visiting Japan and Singapore and half visiting England, Belgium, and Germany. The purpose of the tour was to explore and assess innovative business strategies, international business strategies, the role of quality, and cultural adaptation in the business environment in Asia and Europe. Instructional components included presentations by prominent business and government leaders, 5-hour visits to companies in small groups, and cultural tours. This paper presents findings on participants' attitudes based on pre-tour and post-tour survey data. Results indicated that: (1) the largest changes in participants' attitudes occurred for those statements relating to participants'"comfort" levels; (2) in all cases, participants felt more comfortable after the overseas study tour; (3) after the tour, participants responded that it is less difficult to enter a foreign market than they had felt prior to the tour; and (4) the tour increased the awareness of management practices and negotiating similarities around the world. The paper concludes that overseas study tours should become an increasingly important component of Executive MBA programs everywhere. (JDD)