The University of Alabama is gaining new relations with Turkey through its Executive MBA immersion study program.
EMBA students traveled to Istanbul, Turkey, to learn about Turkish business while experiencing the country’s culture and economy during the last week of February.
The students not only had the chance to visit local landmarks such as the Sultan Ahmed Mosque but were able to discover Turkish business and their strategies successes. Glenn Richey Jr., interim associate dean of international business, explained what EMBA students focus on during their immersion study.
“We teach a general overview of the cross-cultural context of international business management and provide a country/region specific examination of the challenges that face international managers,” Richey said. “Throughout the course, the issues of culture and ethics are examined, and then we take them to a country and have them ‘dig deep’ into the culture by learning to do business in emerging markets and studying culture, norms, habits, etc.”
Provided that students do “dig deep” into what the city of Istanbul and the country of Turkey have to offer, students have to focus on welcoming a culture that isn’t like their own, Richey said.
“They need to open their minds and lose their cultural baggage,” he said. “America is an island compared to Europe and Asia, and we have to recognize that anyone should be empathetic to cultures rather than judgmental.”
Hopping off the “island” to learn different ways of business is a unique way of learning the different cultural norms that come along with Turkish businesses. Hard-line negotiations, high-quality products, doing everything based on trust and taking their time to be accurate are all attributes Richey lists to describe Turkish business people.
Chad Hilton, associate dean emeritus of international business and professor of management, said the EMBA program is worth it.
“There’s no such thing as a simply domestic marketplace anymore – everyone is basically included in the world’s marketplace, and as students, they get to see how a Turkish company works and are introduced to products that are innovative,” Hilton said. “You can’t really understand what the competitive scene is unless you go out and see it.”
EMBA students become citizens of the world and bring the knowledge they’ve gained to their own children and communities, Hilton said, citing benefits of the program.
The EMBA program boasts a diverse student population, according to the program’s website.
Those enrolled have 15 years of professional and educational backgrounds and 11 years of management experience. 81 percent are married and have families, the average age is 37, and 70 percent are men while 30 percent are women.
The numbers speak for the program, with UA-EMBA alumni reporting that 80 percent received promotions after completing the program.
For more information, visit manderson.cba.ua.edu.
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