Alternative approaches for educating future global marketing professionals: A comparison of foreign study and research-intensive marketing programs

Using an experiential learning model as a conceptual background, this article discusses characteristics and learning objectives for well-known foreign study programs such as study tours, study abroad, and internships and compares them with a less common overseas program called the Global Marketing Program (GMP). GMP involves interdisciplinary student-faculty team travel abroad to conduct marketing research on behalf of U.S. companies. International business foreign study program professionals were surveyed and rated the importance of key student learning objectives for these programs. The study abroad program and study tour are well suited for cultural immersion; the international internship provides development of international business skills as well as cultural immersion at levels higher than the other three programs. The GMP outperforms the study tour and study abroad in the development of international business skills and surpasses the study tour in providing cultural immersion for students. The GMP and international internships are identified as the more appropriate foreign study experiences for development of future global marketing professionals.