EUROPEAN SUMMER STUDY PROGRAM: CAN YOU, SHOULD, WHAT DOES IT TAKE? Developments in Business Simulation & Experiential Exercises, Volume 8, 1981 220 EUROPEAN SUMMER STUDY PROGRAM: CAN YOU, SHOULD, WHAT DOES IT TAKE? Ernest L. Naier, Lawrence Institute of Technology ABSTRACT A description of a first attempt at organizing a three week summer study trip to Europe. The first week of the trip was devoted to ten industrial tours, two weeks were for independent study or vacation. Students received credit for the first. week and were required to submit a report. Students could also enroll in an additional course working with any cooperative professor at the college. Whether or not you should operate a foreign study trip depends on many factors including your entrepreneurial spirit, your ability to market your program, your ability to cope with uncertainty, and your rapport with students. WHAT DOES IT TAKE? First, study the options available relative to countries and programs presented in the ABSEL proceedings of this conference. Second, discuss the options with your Dean. Secure his/her support and whatever clearances your school requires. Third, determine the time length and dates that will be best for you and your students. Fourth, plan on the size of your group. Fifteen to twenty should work well. Fifth, select a travel agent. Sixth, plan the specific itinerary. Use direct contacts via personal letter or work through the travel agent. Seventh, promote the program at your college and through professional contacts at other schools. Eighth, obtain your passport and enjoy your trip. CAN YOU DO IT? The very first question that you must answer concerns your own interest in such a trip. You will be spending many hours working on this project. You can expect many calls at home, many good intentioned students who will plan on going and then not be able to go, frustrations with the airline representatives and the travel agent. Once you have begun the project you will have to continue as you will have students counting on the credit hours in the summer to graduate. Success depends significantly on your entrepreneurial spirit You are, whether you wish to admit it or not, operating a small business. Your profit is the trip itself as well as the new rapport you will achieve with your students and the foreign businesses that you visit. THE L.I.T. PROGRAM 1980 My decision was made during a dinner meeting with Dr. Ed Spitz of EMG in Oct. 1979. I had been considering such a trip for years. Dr. Spitz had organized several trips and had valuable suggestions. The trip would be for three weeks in August, 1980. We would schedule ten industrial tours for the five business days of the first week and then allow the students to go their own way the second two weeks. This program is significantly different from that offered at other colleges. The typical study tour has the entire group going in lockstep fashion on a planned schedule for three or four weeks with ‘free days” scheduled en route. The typical spends two or three days in one city or country and then goes to another city or country for another two or three days. We decided to go to Amsterdam for the first eight days and stay at one motel. We would visit other cities in Holland each day. This decision was based on several factors: a) personal desire, b) a Dutch friend to help write letters, c) most Dutch businessmen speak English, d) Holland is small and almost any Dutch city can be reached by car in 1½ hours from Amsterdam, and e) the Netherlands is located in Northwest Europe, a true gateway country for both England and the continent. With these decisions made, the next step was to secure departmental and college approval. In my case this meant discussions with the Business School Dean, the college President, and a meeting with all the Deans of the university. The educational merit of the industrial visits is bound to be questioned by potential critics. Fortunately, I had been visiting local business firms as part of my Logistics Management course for several years. The positive feedback from these visits was significant and allowed me to overcome all objections to the trip. The arrangement that resulted from these discussions included offering two courses for student credit, International Business and Independent Study. Students could take one or both courses. I was to be paid the normal summer school rate for these two courses. The next step was to develop the promotional materials with the Public Relations office. These were distributed on campus and by mail to the media. In January we began to write to the companies that we wanted to visit. The letters were written in Dutch and addressed to the P.R. department. We requested specific days because we wanted to visit certain cities and companies. Three weeks before the trip we made several direct trans-Atlantic phone calls to resolve the schedule. We spent about $100 in calling and were very happy with the results. We sent confirming letters two weeks before we left and asked to have detailed maps sent to our motel. This process worked quite well. Students were charged $1,000 for airfare, 7 nights lodging, breakfasts, local transportation that first week, and the pre- trip meetings. They were allowed to use the care in the evenings. I was able to budget my own airfare and lodging from this charge. The students knew a-bout this. I cannot stress too much the necessity of planning your local transportation before you leave. My Escort camper was $400 for 2 weeks; it would have been twice that if leased there. SHOULD YOU PLAN YOUR OWN PRO3RAN? Obviously only you can answer this question. The experience is exhilarating. Its success will bring you many rewards. We have now had our post-trip meeting to reminisce and show our slides. I have never before had a “class’ get together a month after finals to talk about their coursework. I expect many will continue to travel and encourage others to broaden their horizon. Commitment, planning, and the cooperation of many people will be necessary if you are to succeed. You will be faced with many options and choices as you plan your program. In most cases there is not really a best choice, either will work. the nice thing about these programs is that you can try them one way this year and another way next year. Bon voyage. Table of Contents Volume 8, 1981 The Promotion: Human Sexuality in Organization The Simulation of Chaos Leadership Development in a Simulated Urban/Suburban (U/S) Environment Tomed: A Computer Game Emphasizing Social Responsibility/or/why the Pop-Top Can? Integrated Brain Activity and the Manager's Job: Utilizing the Troika Model What does R2 Have to do with a Product Management Course? An Analysis of the Effects of Jungian Problem-Solving Style Dimensions on Marketing Decisions Bargaining Behavior in Personal Selling and Buying Exchanges Extending the Simulation Product Life Cycle A Generalized Algorithm for Designing and Developing Business Simulations Operationalizing a Test of a Model of the Use of Simulation Games and Experiential Exercises Pygmalion and Perception: An Experiential Exercise Behavioral Consequences of Reward Regarding Employee Absenteeism in an Industrial Setting: An Operant Conditioning Approach The Simlab Program: The Use of Experimental Simulation and Process Analysis for the Development of Management and Organizations Designs for Research on Simulation-Games, Cases, and Other Experiential Exercises The Role of Students in The Case Method Weaknesses in Research Design Critical Variables in Research on the Educational Value of Management Games Research Questions for Cases Research on the Learning Effectiveness of Business Simulation Games - A Review of the State of the Science The Effects of Valuation Techniques on Holding Cost During Inflationary Periods: A Simulation Exercise The Operations Simulation - A Study in Game Development Applying Guided Design to the Production/Operations Management Course: A Progress Report and Evaluation Terminal Data Entry and Retrieval Systems Simulations and Microprocessors Microcomputers and Related Technology for Simulation Gaming Microcomputers - A New Technology for Innovations in Business Simulations Microprocessor Controlled Interactive Video Simulation Business Game Design: From Theory to Practice The Success of a Computerized Simulation in Microeconomic Pedagogy The Test Preview Game: Applying the Game Show Format Providing a Real World View of the Personal Function: A Simulation Finding an Effective Means of Teaching Managerial Behavioral Skills: Two Different Experiential Teaching Methods Compared A Management Development Program Based on the Experiential Learning Model Participant Type Differences in Response to Experiential Methods: An Informal Look Preparing Student Groups to Participate in Experiential Group Projects: An Organizational Development Approach An Instrument for the Assessment of Learning Dimensions: A Progress Report of the Learning Dimension Scale (LDS) An Empirical Analysis Relating the Learning Style Inventory to Memory and Logical Ability Teaching Styles in Simulation Experiential Learning Versus Traditional Teaching Styles Student Perceptions of Effective Teaching Behaviors Problems in Evaluation of Experiential Learning in Management Education Students' Perceptions of Learning by Simulation A Relative Evaluation of Experiential and Simulation Learning in Terms of Perceptions of Effected Changes in Students Overview of Computer Based Business Games in Business Policy Classes Behavioral Decision Theory and Business Policy Giving Accounting Students Writing Experience as Job Preparation Getting to First Base with MBO: An exercise for Writing and Evaluating Objectives Dimensions of Conflict in Experiential Learning Consumer Alienation and Perceived Relevance of the Business Simulation Using the Self-Reference Criterion to Simulate Culture in Internationalized Business Course Experiential Learning in a Cross Cultural Setting- The Practice of Simulation Approach to Business Education in Japanese Universities Student' Perceptions of the Use of a Computerized Simulation in Teaching Management Information Systems Using the Case Study Approach to Develop a Microcomputer Bases, Fully Integrated, Data Base Driven, Management Information System The Case Study as a Tool for Organizational Change: Applying the Steel Ax to the Designers of Management Information Systems Toward a Theory of Teaching Business Policy A Case Study in the Use of Experiential Learning (A Management Game Simulation) to Enhance Student Understanding of Strategy Evaluation and Policy Formulation Suggestions for Integration of the Business Administration Core Publishing Opportunities and Requirements for Business Simulation and Experiential Learning Materials How do we Apply Experiential Learning Intercollegiate Case Competitions for M.B.A. Students: Initiation and Implementation Teaching Business Policy and Strategy Using the Incident Process The Learning Co-Op Approach to the Core Policy Course Meeting the Managerial Skill Shortage - Is Academia Up to It? An Empirical Analysis of Experiential Learning Reinforcement International Experiential Learning: Experience is the Best Teacher Encouraging Student Participation During International Academic Programs European Summer Study Program: Can you, Should you, What Does it Take? Travel Seminars in Europe: How can I Direct One? International Experiential Learning: Student Evaluation ABSEL: Empirical Findings on the State of the Association Sensitivity of Performance Scores in Business Simulations Improving the Learning of a Business Simulation Game by Increasing the Process Content Student Participation in Deciding Performance Criteria for Grading in an OB Course: An Exercise and a Case Study Markup for Profit: A Simulated Self-Administered Experience in Retail Pricing The Investment Decision Game: An Experiential Learning Approach to Stock Market Decisions Through Gaming CHIPS: A Marketing Channels management Game External Validation: An Experimental Approach to Determining the Worth of Simulation Games Teaching Performance Appraisal Skills: An Experiential Approach In Support of Experiential learning: Results of a Follow-Up Survey The Introductory Management Course: Taking Theory Application One Step Further Decision Efficiency and Effectiveness in a Business Simulation The Implications of Cognitive Processing Variables and the Complex Decision Simulating the Simulation for Enhanced Player Rationality Simulation/Experiential Learning Audit