Assistant Professor of Management Anthony Klotz, Ph.D. teaches undergraduate classes in Organizational Behavior & Human Resources Management for the College of Business at Oregon State University. But this summer, Klotz is taking the learning far beyond the typical classroom boundaries.
Klotz and 10 business students are currently studying abroad in the U.K. The group arrived in London on Saturday, July 19, and classes began just two days after they arrived. The entire program runs for four weeks before the group returns in mid-August.
While in London, Klotz is instructing the students in a six-credit Cross Cultural Management class. Outside of the time spent in the classroom, the students are getting immersed in the culture of London through attending a number of cultural and business excursions. Meeting with American expatriates working in London, the students are getting to experience firsthand the challenges and opportunities of working and managing in a culture different than their own.
“We are very fortunate that of the ten students, five are native Oregonians and five are international students,” said Klotz. “This mix of students is really facilitating discussions inside and outside of the classroom concerning cultural differences and how to adapt to them,” he said.
Outside of their classroom instruction, the students are getting some in-depth experiential learning through receiving a special guest lecture from Oregon State alum Jennifer Ward (’95), Chief Talent Officer at Halma, PLC, touring the Meantime Brewery, and visiting the London offices of Experian to meet with Don Robert, chairman of the company and a member of the board of the Bank of England.
In addition to visiting a variety of businesses in London, the students will tour the Houses of Parliament, see a live performance of Julius Caesar at Shakespeare’s Globe Theater, visit the British Museum and see the Rosetta Stone, go for a river cruise on the Thames, ride on the London Eye, go on a double-decker bus tour of city and tour the Tower of London. Klotz and the students are also taking day trips to visit other significant places in England outside of London such as Oxford, Brighton and Windsor Castle.
“We have a really special group of students here that have quickly formed a strong bond, even though they themselves are from very different cultures,” said Klotz. “Four students are from China, one is from Saudi Arabia, one is from Hawaii, and four are from Oregon. It makes it very easy to teach cross-cultural management with such an exceptional group of students from such diverse backgrounds,” he said.
