Designing Meaningful Short-Term Study Abroad (STSA) International Business Programs

Abstract

This paper presents a comprehensive overview of the short-term study abroad (STSA) parameters that have been investigated in existing literature. The current literature on STSA is fragmented and spread across multiple disciplines in both academic and practitioner journals; consequently, it is not well organized. At the same time, STSA is one of the most dynamic types of international education and, hence, more academic discourse on STSA is needed to guide program design. In this paper, we provide a comprehensive understanding of program design and the range of activities undertaken during International Business (IB) study programs through a narrative review of the existing literature. Our review identifies 32 parameters of STSA IB program design, groups them into five categories, and contributes to the IB literature on STSA by explaining a purposeful approach to STSA program design. The study also provides practical guidelines and implications for STSA practitioners and global mobility providers who aim to design meaningful experiences, for students planning to participate and for universities delivering STSA programs. Show more